The 7.62mm Dragunov SVD sniper rifle and 7.62mm Dragunov SVDS sniper rifle with folding stock are sniper weapons designed to engage various fleeting, moving, open and masked single targets.

The SVD and SVDS rifles are a semi-automatic weapon.

All variants of the rifle are fitted with non-detachable iron sights. Along with the PSO-1M2 primary optical sight, the 1PN51, 1PN93-3 and 1PN93-4 night sights can be additionally mounted.

The rifles are equipped with a carrying sling. A special feature of the sniper rifles is a lug on the barrel for mounting a knife bayonet.

The sniper rifle fires rifle cartridges with conventional, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets as well as sniper cartridges. Aimed fire from the sniper rifle is delivered by single shots.