To The Gun Enthusiasts In Here.

Man of Honour
Joined
1 Aug 2004
Posts
12,681
Location
Tyneside
Are any of you aware if there is a version of the Dragunov SVD available for civilian shooters that would be compatible with UK firearms law ?

As the military model is semi-auto it is off limits for the UK so I would like to get myself a bolt action version if I can. It would have to be in a .308 / 7.62 NATO calibre and not the old Soviet 7.62x54.

Net connection is appalling today so I thought I would cheat and also see if any of the shooters here may shed some light.
 
?? Semi autos are perfectly legal in the UK, it's autos that are not.

EDIT: Oh, and the civvy version of a Dragunov is a TIGR :)
 
?? Semi autos are perfectly legal in the UK, it's autos that are not.

but semi-auto is a no no in the UK. ( Law was changed after Michael Ryan / Hungerford.

The massacre led to the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988,[2] which banned the ownership of semi-automatic centre-fire rifles and restricted the use of shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than two rounds. The Hungerford Report had demonstrated that Ryan's collection of weapons was legally licensed.
 
Bah, my bad.

If you want to shoot semi auto centres then your best bet is visiting a range abroad tbh. Whilst you do get some over here that are converted to bolt, if you have an interest in that area then you're not going to fare well in the UK.
 
Bah, my bad.

If you want to shoot semi auto centres then your best bet is visiting a range abroad tbh. Whilst you do get some over here that are converted to bolt, if you have an interest in that area then you're not going to fare well in the UK.

Have you actually read the OP?
 
Bah, my bad.

If you want to shoot semi auto centres then your best bet is visiting a range abroad tbh. Whilst you do get some over here that are converted to bolt, if you have an interest in that area then you're not going to fare well in the UK.

I shoot regularly n MoD ranges but it is always with bolt action or rifles where you have to manually reload after every shot.

I have done the fully auto thing in Nevada a few years back but being a shooter over here means you have to play the game with UK law.

As said above, semi-automatic weapons have been outlawed for over twenty years unless they are .22 calibre which is useless for the ranges I shoot at.
 
Don't a lot of shooters now go to France and use the Gun Clubs there just to enjoy their hobby without all the Firearms regulations that Law abiding Citizens in the UK have to endure?
 
As there are single shot straight pull variants of weapons such as the AR15, im sure it would be possible to convert a weapon such as the dragunov, wether or not though it would be financially feasible for a uk based firm to do this is a different matter.
 
Don't a lot of shooters now go to France and use the Gun Clubs there just to enjoy their hobby without all the Firearms regulations that Law abiding Citizens in the UK have to endure?

France have their own crazy laws too. It's illegal to hunt with air weapons in France for instance.

Can't argue though that we do tend to have the strictest ones going.
 
As there are single shot straight pull variants of weapons such as the AR15, im sure it would be possible to convert a weapon such as the dragunov, wether or not though it would be financially feasible for a uk based firm to do this is a different matter.

It would likely be possible but reboring and rechambering a 7.62x54 weapon to standard NATO 7.62x39 and changing from semi-auto to manual would be eye watering in cost.

As for banning hunting with air weapons, I can see the logic in that from a humane point of view although I don't shoot live.
 
I wouldn't bother getting one modified tbh.

For the cost of the rifle and modifying it I could probably get a Rolls Royce rifle like an AI L96 or Steyr 69 which are both bolt action as standard.
 
Are any of you aware if there is a version of the Dragunov SVD available for civilian shooters that would be compatible with UK firearms law ?

Yeah, it's called a Mosin Nagant. :p

But seriously, no.

If in doubt though, give Oleg a shout at rusmilitary.com, if anyone knows, he will.

Out of curiosity, why would you want it chambered in .308? Purely performance?
 
Back
Top Bottom