The SVDm-2 is a sniper rifle that appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Appearances[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
This rifle was widely used in all operations of the Soviet and Russian armies since 1960. It proved itself to be an exceptionally reliable and handy weapon. In the Zone it is preferred by the experienced stalkers of the Duty faction which hunt mutants.
― In-game description
The SVDm 2 is the second-most powerful sniper rifle in the game, surpassed only by the Gauss gun. It is capable of easily penetrating medium armor, very likely to cause Stalkers with anything less to collapse from bleeding, and is highly accurate from any range. It also still possesses a fairly decent rate of fire, although the second-slowest of all sniper rifles, still making it easy to make follow-up shots if the player fails to kill a target with a single shot.
Along with the usual poor close-combat performance inherent with all sniper rifles, its only other drawbacks are its weight and the rarity of both the gun and its ammunition.
Acquisition[]
The SVDm 2 is used by Monolith snipers on the pathway through the Red Forest, although according to its description it is also used by mutant hunters of Duty. Despite the latter description, Duty members never wield the rifle.
Colonel Petrenko may sometimes sell it for 60000 RU after completing the mission Obtain an Bulldog 6 from Freedom.
Monolith snipers also use it in the first section of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. One is standing not far from the first BTR-70, and the other is on the other side of the plant (eastern side).
Ammunition is sparse but as of Patch 1.003, Freedom can provide the player with plentiful ammunition.
Unique variants[]
- "Farshooter" SVDm 2 - a unique SVDm 2 that was cut from the final release of the game but is still present within the game files. It features lower recoil and higher scope magnification than the base model, in exchange for lower reliability.
Clear Sky[]
A weapon that has been widely used in all Soviet and Russian military operations since the 1960s. Has earned its reputation for exceptional reliability and ease of use. Uses 7.62 7H14 ammo.
― In-game description
In Clear Sky, with the removal of the Gauss rifle, the SVDm-2 is the best sniper rifle available to the player, though one might favor the SVUmk-2 for its higher rate of fire. It can be upgraded for optimum precision and less recoil but only by Yar, Freedom's technician.
Acquisition[]
The SVDm-2 is the sniper rifle widely fielded by Freedom and it is held by the base guards. In some uncommon cases, Freedom Experts use it as their weapon. It is only purchasable from Ashot when the player joins Freedom. A SVDm-2 is also rewarded to the player for completing the Freedom faction war.
In addition, one can get an SVDm-2 and a "Freedom" exoskeleton as a reward from Freedom for destroying the Duty base. The Renegades use this sniper rifle in the Red Forest during the battle for the bridge to Limansk, and although they appear in inaccessible areas, there are slight chances one will fall down the hill and into the accessible area. Monolith fighters also use this sniper rifle in Limansk (they are on rooftops and in a tower at the end of the city), in the Deserted hospital, and extensively at the CNPP. Three Monolith snipers will spawn once the player walks a certain path to trigger the sequence.
Upgrades[]
 Bolt mechanism modification (2500 RU)  Recoil -10%Careful adjustment of the bolt mechanism increases the weapon's precision.
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This durable steel barrel resists deformation and allows for better bullet acceleration.
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 Electronic stabilizer (6250 RU)  Accuracy +30%Automatically adjusts bullet momentum and significantly increases firing accuracy.
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 Operating rod modification (2500 RU) Recoil -10%Mounting an operating rod compensator allows recoil to be reduced.
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 Pneumatic stock (2500 RU) Recoil -10%The special stock design allows recoil to be reduced considerably.
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 Barrel modification (3750 RU) Recoil -25%Installing a muzzle brake allows recoil to be reduced significantly.
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 Soft trigger (2500 RU) Accuracy +50%A smooth trigger pull allows firing accuracy to be increased.
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 Extended magazine (2500 RU)  Mag. size +5Increasing magazine capacity using improvised means
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^[note] In reality this is a flatness +50% upgrade, although it is erroneously marked as an accuracy modification in the upgrade tree's config file
Unique variants[]
- Bozar - an unused variant of the SVDm-2 chambered in .223 FMJ that is found in the game files. It is a reference to the namesake weapon from Fallout 2.
Call of Pripyat[]
An army sniper rifle that has been on the market for more than fifty years and has earned its reputation for exceptional reliability and ease of use. The SVDm-2 is normally used by the army to improve the effective range of its units, but stalkers respect this weapon for its armor-piercing properties, which allow it to penetrate mutant hide and army body armor.
― In-game description
Upgrade diagram
In Call of Pripyat, the SVDm-2's fire rate has been halved compared to its previous iterations, which makes follow-up shots more difficult. With the return of the Gauss rifle, the SVDm-2 is no longer the best sniper rifle available to the player; however, one may prefer it regardless as it can be acquired much earlier and its ammunition is also less expensive and lighter.
Acquisition[]
Yar is likely the first user of this weapon that the player will see — his version is difficult to obtain as he is always in safe areas, except during his side quest to Kopachy, at which time he is almost invulnerable (he has a huge amount of health). Freedom Experts who are not outfitted with an Exoskeleton may make use of an SVDm-2, but they will only begin appearing after the player has visited Pripyat. Once the player has obtained the achievement A Friend of Freedom, it is regularly sold by Hawaiian.
The Monolith faction makes heavy use of the SVDm-2, with nearly every squad featuring a Veteran or Expert armed with it. SVDm-2 users can be easily spotted as they all wear Scientific Monolith suits. Various Monolith fighters also make use of it during the evacuation - namely one at the top of the tower where the Monolith Master is found. If the player sided with Duty, this is likely the only place they will be able to acquire the SVDm-2. Lieutenant Kirillov gives one to the player for free during the side-mission One Shot.
It can be found in the following stashes:
- Zaton — it can be obtained early on in a stash in the northwest part of the area, past the Sawmill. Keep going on the road until reaching the gate. Turn around and look under the tree closest to the road on the left-hand side.
- Jupiter — north of the Eastern tunnel. Outside, on the tracks, there is an abandoned train. On top of the train, one can find an SVDm-2 in perfect condition along with 20 rounds.
Upgrades[]
 Installation of a trigger release regulation mechanism (1400 RU)  Handling +10%Modernization that allows the trigger mechanism to be smoother, which is important for snipers.
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 Semifree bolt with a roller system (1800 RU)  Accuracy +20%Often used in weaponry, a roller locking system reduces recoil and improves groupings.
 Firing amortization system (1800 RU) Handling +20%A special mechanism takes on some of the impact during firing, which makes shooting the weapon more comfortable.
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 Tuning of automatic parts using sputter (2200 RU)  Flatness +30%Sputter prevents energy from dispersing, which increases bullet impulse.
 Long firing mechanism rod system (2200 RU)  Fire rate +25%Installation of a long firing mechanism rod allows a sniper rifle to be fired in automatic mode.
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 Installation of a perforated steel jacket (1400 RU)  Reliability +10%Intended for weapons that are used often, the jacket protects them from early wear.
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 Effective compensation muzzle (1800 RU)  Recoil -20%A more technological and more recoil dampening component than used in regular automatic weapons.
 Installation of a heavy barrel section with polygon rifling (1800 RU) Accuracy +20%A more modern and suitable barrel for sniper fire at very long range.
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 Amortization stock component (1400 RU) Recoil -10%A rubberized recoil-softening part is often used on factory-made stock for large caliber sniper rifles.
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 Adjustable stock with a cheek pad (1800 RU) Handling +15%An adjustable stock with a cheek pad is useful for firing from both convenient and inconvenient positions.
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 Hydraulic stock recoil buffer (2200 RU) Recoil -30%A component for large caliber weapons with powerful recoil installed in the stock.
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 6.0x optical scope (2100 RU)  x6 optical scopeMounting of an optical scope for long range combat.
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 Improvement of sight contrast (3200 RU)  High contrast sightA modification made to assault weapons with reflex sights by means of a simple improvement in sight contrast in the yellow range. Important for combat in twilight conditions and dim buildings.
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 Night vision device installation (5000 RU)  Second generation night vision deviceNight vision devices have saved many a sniper since their inception.
 Automatic optical target acquisition (14000 RU)  Automatic target acquisition systemA heat visor allows the wearer to detect and identify matching heat sources.
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Unique variants[]
- Lynx - a unique variant sold by Nimble. Even though it does not look any different in appearance, it has been taken apart, heavily customized, and reassembled manually by an expert gunsmith. The result is a weapon that provides better stopping power and accuracy to the user that is second only to the Gauss rifle.
Development[]
Originally, the Dragunov was supposed to have wooden furniture and appears as such in pre-release builds. For one reason or another, the Dragunov's wooden furnishing was replaced with synthetic ones by the time Shadow of Chernobyl was released.
In Call of Pripyat, the SVDm-2 was initially meant to have a tier 3 upgrade that enables the mounting of a silencer. The upgrade was cut from the game, but its icon still exists in the texture files.
Sounds[]
| Shadow of Chernobyl | Clear Sky | Call of Pripyat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | |||
| Holster | |||
| Shoot | |||
| Empty | |||
| Reload | |||
Gallery[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat[]
Trivia[]
- The SVDm-2 is visible on the main menu screen in both Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat. The one in the Shadow of Chernobyl menu still features the wooden furniture of older builds.
- Despite the generally newer and improved first person animations in Clear Sky, for some reason the SVDm-2 is the only in-game weapon that still uses the reloading audio file from Shadow of Chernobyl's weapon reloading animation. This is noticeable as the sound does not match with the actual animation.
- In Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat, the SVDm-2 does not have its own bump maps and simply reuses that of the SVUmk-2.
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