To replace the legend: The new microwave rifle has undeniable advantages over the SVD
Very soon in Russia, the production of a new microwave sniper rifle will begin, which will replace the legendary SVD, which faithfully served in the armed forces for more than 55 years. The new Chukavin sniper rifle, developed in Izhevsk by Kalashnikov engineers, will be put into production in 2020. About this in an interview with IA "Udmurtia" said the general director of the enterprise Dmitry Tarasov. A rifle under the cartridge 7,62x54 mm will go into production. At the same time, at the end of the 2017, Kalashnikov presented a long-range microwave model under the cartridge .338 LAPUA MAGNUM (8,6x70 mm), which at least provides an interesting future for the Izhevsk gunsmiths new product.
Replacing the SVD rifle
Dragunov sniper rifle under the main Russian cartridge 7,62x54 mm, which is rightfully considered one of the oldest rifle cartridges of our time, was officially adopted in the year 1963, that is, 56 years ago. The 7,62x54 mm R cartridge itself was adopted by the imperial army, it was specially developed for the new Mosin rifle of the 1891 model of the year, the famous three-ruler. The only overseas rifle cartridge used in the world remains the overseas counterpart - 7,62x51 mm, adopted for service in the 1954 year. Both cartridges feel great in the 21st century as well, since over the decades, this caliber has created the widest range of ammunition for every taste.
And if the rifle cartridge 7,62x54 mm R does not raise questions today, then there are already questions to the SVD. This rifle does not fully meet the modern requirements of military operations, its replacement is long overdue and, apparently, there is very little to wait for this. The launch of the new Chukavin sniper rifle, which falls into the same niche and is a direct replacement for the SVD, is promised in Izhevsk already in the 2020 year. In fairness, it is worth noting that the new rifle has not yet been adopted. According to the channel "Star", the adoption of the microwave in the arsenal of the Russian army will happen in the next two years.
SVDM and microwave rifles. Screenshot: Kalashnikov Media
For the first time, a new microwave rifle, designed to hit targets at short and medium distances, was shown to the general public in 2017 as part of the Army international military-technical forum. The demonstration of the news from Izhevsk immediately aroused increased interest, largely due to differences from traditional SVD, which still flash in the reports from all the hot spots on our planet. Externally, the microwave is completely different weaponin which high-strength ergonomic plastic parts replaced wood. The microwave is a little shorter than the SVD, the maximum length of the rifle is 1080 mm, while the rifle immediately received a butt that is adjustable in length. The length of the standard SVD rifle is 1225 mm (the butt does not fold), the SVD-S version with a folding butt is 1135 mm, the length of the SVDM model is 1155 mm. At the same time, the new weapon is lighter, the declared weight of the microwave oven with the magazine without cartridges is 4,5 kg, the weight of the SVDM is 5,3 kg, the SVDS is 4,7 kg. If we talk about the barrel length of these rifles, then they are almost equal. With the SVDM model, the barrel length is 565 mm, with the new microwave rifle, according to the latest rollers published on the site kalashnikov.media, 560 mm. Previously, many feared that the length of the barrel 410 mm would adversely affect the accuracy of firing weapons chambered for 7,62x54 mm, but it seems possible to exhale, since the barrel of the specified length will receive a civilian version of the microwave.
The new Kalashnikov concern model is more compact and lighter than the entire SVD line, which is very important in modern combat conditions. Like the SVD, the Chukavin rifle is primarily a weapon of well-aimed shooters, which in foreign armies are called Marxmen or infantry snipers. At its core, this is a real sniper rifle squad, which significantly increases the firing capabilities of the unit in battle. The task of such well-aimed shooters is to cover up their comrades and hit those targets that are difficult to get from the machine gun. The threshold for the effectiveness of such rifles is 600-800 meters. Due to the fact that such rifles are self-loading, the shooter always has a chance to send another bullet at the target, correcting his shooting. Since ordinary infantrymen are arming themselves with a rifle, they have to participate in assault operations in urban areas, where compactness and lower weight of the weapon play a large role, here the microwave also beats the SVD. It will be easier to use new weapons in a limited space of rooms inside various buildings, which, undoubtedly, is also a plus of the new model.
Microwave rifles under different cartridges. Top to bottom: 7,62x51 NATO, 7,62x54R, 8,6x70 (.338)
The only real problem of adopting a microwave rifle and the beginning of mass production may be the high cost of the model in the presence of a large number of SVD, SVD-S and new SVDM. In conditions when army depots are littered with SVD, which have been riveted so much over the years of the USSR that rifles can be used as paddles for laying on rubber landing boats, it is quite difficult to get the military to buy new models of small arms. This is especially noticeable on the example of the AK-12, which from a fundamentally new model has turned during the course of work into a deep upgrade of the existing AK-74M. For the sake of cheaper weapons and ease of development of the machine by conscripts, the designers abandoned a number of important progressive solutions that were laid down in the model first introduced in 2012. The microwave in this regard wins by the fact that such army rifles are needed much less, and snipers, even if they are conscripts, always undergo special training.
Features sniper rifle Chukavin
A feature of the new Chukavin sniper rifle is that this weapon was fully designed using digital technology. Created by the designers, the “electronic layout” of the product fully corresponds to the physical components of the rifle. All weapons are developed in a single digital environment. The 3D model of the future weapon, the static appearance of the rifle, and the kinematics of its main moving elements are also tested here.
At the moment, at least three versions of the microwave design are known, which have already been demonstrated by the Kalashnikov concern. These are models for the Russian cartridge 7,62x54 mm, for the NATO cartridge - 7,62x51 mm and the most interesting option is the long-range microwave under the cartridge .338 LAPUA MAGNUM (8,6x70 mm). In the near future, a version under the cartridge 7,62x54 mm R, which is also sometimes called the microwave-54, will go into production. 10-charging stores from the SVD rifle will be compatible with this model.
Microwave rifle under the cartridge .338 LAPUA MAGNUM
Structurally, the rifle is built according to a curtain scheme with linear recoil when the butt is at the level of the barrel of the weapon. If we talk about the internal structure of the microwave, the layout itself has not changed much since the days of the SVD. As noted in an interview with RIA News the chief editor of the Kalashnikov magazine, Mikhail Degtyarev, borrowing Dragunov’s scheme should be considered a merit of the new sniper rifle. According to him, the microwave is a full-fledged successor of the SVD, since the heart of the new model - the locking unit - was taken from the "older sister". Also, according to Mikhail Degtyarev, the concepts of the gas engine and the bolt group differ only in details. This is also a plus of the new model, since this node in SVD could be safely called close to a brilliant solution. At the same time, the stated accuracy of microwave shooting increased. The declared spread for 100 meters is 3 cm, for SVD - from 8 to 10 cm.
The new sniper rifle is characterized by the presence of a telescopic stock, which allows you to easily adjust the length of the product and adjust the rifle to the anthropometric features of the shooter. Judging by the videos already submitted, the butt can be folded. On the samples already presented by the concern, you can see that the fuse is located both on the right and on the left side, which also facilitates the handling of weapons. In general, quite a lot of attention was paid to microwave ergonomics. The rifle was originally designed with a generalization of the experience of shooting athletes. It is known that development assistance was provided by Andrei Kirisenko, who is an honored master of sports and world champion in practical shooting. An important feature of the rifle is the fact that along the entire receiver there is a Picatinny rail on top, which makes it easy to mount any modern sights on the weapon: daylight, night, thermal imaging.
Microwave for civilians. MR-1
Russian lovers of firearms can rejoice, as the Kalashnikov concern has already presented a civilian version of the new model of a sniper rifle. Self-loading hunting rifle MR-1, created on the basis of the microwave rifle, on the way. The civilian version differs from the military version with a shorter barrel - 410 mm, respectively, with a shorter overall length - 859-919 mm (the butt is adjustable in length, the manufacturer promises models with both fixed and side-folding butt) and weight - 4,3 kg.
With MR-1, 10 cartridges stores will be used, compatible with SVD models and the Tiger hunting carbine. The cost of the MR-1 rifle has not yet been officially announced, but it is written on weapon forums that it will range from 100 to 200 thousand rubles.
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