The SVD Dragunov sniping rifle was the first rifle designed from scratch as a sniper rifle. A lightweight gas-operated and quite accurate (for it's class) rifle, cabable of semi-auto fire, the SVD is extremely reliable in all conditions, and designed for heavy use. It has backup adjustable iron sights as a standard option, as well as a bayonet mount (standard AK-47 bayonet type). Latest modernization incorporate rugged polymer stock. Also, for mounted and airborne troops a special variant was developed with folding buttsock and shortened barrel (590 mm). New flash hider/muzzle brake also installed. It has very limited similarities to the Kalashnikov series of rifles.

The rifle features mechanically adjustable backup iron sights with a sliding tangent rear sight (the sight can be adjusted to a maximum range of 1200 m) and is issued with a quick-detachable PSO-1 optical sight. The PSO-1 sight (at a total length of 375 mm with a lens cover and sun shade, 4x magnification and 6° field of view) mounts on a proprietary side rail mount. The PSO-1 scope includes a variety of features, such as a Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) elevation adjustment knob, an illuminated rangefinder grid and reticule that enables target acquisition in low light conditions and an infrared charging screen that is used as a passive IR detection system. The PSO-1 sight enables targets to be engaged at ranges upwards of 1000 m; effective ranges in combat situations have been stated at between 600 to 1300 m, depending on the quality of ammunition and skill of the shooter.