Russian company Kalashnikov, the maker of the Soviet-era assault AK-47 rifle, has announced the deployment of the first serial batch of the Chukavin sniper rifle (SVCh) to military units following the rifle’s successful completion of stringent testing and initiation into mass production.
In a statement, Alan Lushnikov, President of Kalashnikov Concern, highlighted the weapon’s refined ergonomics and enhanced shooting precision. He underscored the rifle’s adaptability to a wide array of sighting systems, both domestic and international, while preserving the reliability synonymous with the Soviet-era Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD) —a heritage carried forward by Kalashnikov.
Kalashnikov initiated the systematic integration of the SVCh into production lines in 2023. Weighing approximately 4.8 kilograms without the magazine, the rifle operates with a caliber of 7.62x54mm. Its overall length, including the deployed buttstock and muzzle brake, spans 1170mm, featuring a barrel length of 620mm.
The company stated in a press release that the SVCh boasts a dependable gas-operated system with a short-stroke gas piston and a three-position rotating gas regulator.
