It's good to talk about any weapon when I personally touched it with my hands. Even better - when I figured it out for myself and myself in it. We were given such an opportunity, for which a huge gratitude to the press service of the West Military District, who organized the whole process and instructors who spent time on explanations and demonstrations.
Let's start with what this rifle is.
This is a large-caliber rifle with a total length of 1420 mm and a weight of 10.5 kg, with a longitudinally sliding breechblock in the "bullpup" configuration, with a barrel length of 1,000 mm, was put into service in 2016.
The rifle has a caliber of 12, 7 mm, and the size of the cartridge is 12, 7x108 mm, for firing three main types of 7N34 sniper cartridges, B3 (armor-piercing incendiary bullet) and BZT (armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullet) are used.
Personal shooting experience.
The first thing that catches your eye is the size. The rifle seems large and heavy. Although the famous "Barrett" is still bigger and heavier.
By the way, about the weight. In the modernized version of the rifle, longitudinal grooves of the barrel were made and the butt was redesigned, which made it possible to lose as much as 2 kg of weight from the rifle, compared to its older brother (ASVK "Kord" weighs 12, 5 kg).
A lot or a little - two kilograms? Convert to cartridges, grenades or water, taking into account the daily "single voyage" of 50 kilometers, and everything will immediately become clear to you like broad daylight.
When you look at five steel cucumbers being pushed into a box magazine, you realize that the whole complex is designed for effective shots, not actual shots. This is not without reason, excellent sniper training is allowed for combat use.
In addition, such a caliber makes it possible not so much to engage in the extermination of enemy manpower, as to the complete destruction of communications equipment and equipped firing positions. We will not talk too much about armored vehicles, although cases of penetration of the BTR-80 were recorded as part of the tests. The energy of the bullet is enough.
By the way, about the impact. From the side it seems that it is colossal and after several shots the rifle will certainly injure the shooter. However, no. The specific design of the muzzle brake practically compensates for the recoil by making it softer, although it also features a dust and mud plume that flies into the shooter's face. So shooting from any surface other than concrete and grass adds special effects.
Here the equipment of the "Warrior" with glasses and a balaclava is not a show-off, but a real necessity. The amount of dust, dirt, grass, twigs, stunned insects that the rifle, when fired, tries to throw you into all the natural holes on your head is amazing. And the first thing that those who made the first shot began to do was not to admire, but to spit.
But the recoil is strange. After shooting then from the SVD for comparison, let's say this: the SVD hits the shoulder, and the SVK pushes stupidly. It is very difficult to describe this process in words, but the return on the SVK seems to be stretched out in time. It’s a very strange feeling, especially when you expect that this PTR will now carry you away from your place by recoil.
When you look at a shot from the side (see above about special effects), then involuntarily this is exactly what you expect. But no …
A little about injuries. There is one secret, which if you do not know, then you can slightly damage your left hand. The trick is this: there is a special ebb for the left hand on the butt plate.
So, if you tackle this low tide incorrectly, then during the shot the clip of the store lock beats in the hand (hello, bullpup).
The system of unlocking the shutter - there are also funny moments. Sending a cartridge to the chamber is easy. But to extract …
It seems as if it was done so that in the heat of battle someone, not offended by the strength of the hero, does not open the shutter "in a bad way." Yes, in order to remove the spent cartridge case, you need a force in any case, this is not an AK for you.
So, in order to open the shutter on the SVK, you need to get into a special groove, which is somewhere in a centimeter of travel from the barrel. Only after hitting it, the shutter can be opened.
Original and not for those who lose their heads. This weapon is specifically for cold-blooded people who are in no hurry and have time to do everything …
Definitely, this rifle can also be fired from the hands. Weight and dimensions allow. As the experts said, “different situations happen”. So a mechanical sight - and at 200-400 meters you can plant something. Of course, we are not talking about sniper accuracy, but …
And, by the way, it will fly in the face much least of all. So there are opportunities.
We have already talked about bicaliberity, so we will repeat this a little. SVD is a person at a distance of up to 800 m. Well, there is something that is not heavily booked like KUNG. SVK - it is already possible to inspire both transport and armored personnel carriers / infantry fighting vehicles, and the helicopter can actually choke on such a question.
So a normal army rifle in the far zone of destruction is a necessary thing. And it should not be a kind of "wonderful miracle, wondrous miracle", but a commonplace. As simple as the SVD.
And then in the USA for "Barrett" already on the "iPhone" there is a ballistic computer …
And we have? And we have sights …
The instructors say that everything is sad.
The 1P88-2 sight is a modified version of the first Russian pancratic (variable magnification) sight "Hyperon", which was put into service in 1996. Yes, 1P88-2 is durable, airtight, it is not afraid of heat and cold …
In general, it is felt that the scope lags behind the rifle. Especially at close range. It must, must be newer and more sophisticated. The rifle (and the one with the rifle) will appreciate it.
Thermal imager is included in the package. And there is no night sight. Also a minus. More precisely, not a minus, but a reason to tense up. Who needs it from the real specialists, they have everything. Another question (not focused on security reasons) is how this bundling takes place.
Overall impressions of the rifle are excellent: powerful, accurate. The tool of a professional, and he, a professional, can work at a distance of about 2000 m aiming. Retrofitting required.
