Izhmash SV-99 Sniper

The Izhmash SV-99 Sniper Rifle fires .22 Long Rifle ammunition easily silenced with most .22 Long Rifle ammunition. There are several changes from its biathlon rifle relative, such as a skeletonized laminated plywood stock with a semi-pistol grip (the pistol grip is separate from the stock), a recoil pad on the adjustable buttplate, and an adjustable cheekpiece. As befits its biathlon ancestry, the stock has a compartment which can hold a pair of 5-round magazines.

The buttstock is detachable, allowing the use of the Izhmash SV-99 as a heavy pistol (and still capable of using the bipod in this configuration). A rail in the fore-end allows for the use of a removable folding bipod, adjustable for height and cant; optionally, a target-style handgrip may be mounted. The action is rather odd for a modern weapon toggle-action locking similar to that of the old Luger pistol, and it uses a very short pull length. The barrel is cold hammer-forged and of excellent quality; it is 13.8 inches long and tipped with a small but very effective silencer.

Izhmash SV-99

The receiver has a modified Weaver rail, allowing most Russian and Eastern European optics to be used, as well as a wide variety of Western optics; no iron sights are provided. The standard telescopic sight in Russian use is 4x34 fixed-focus scope. The trigger is not adjustable, but requires only a short pull and a light touch to operate. The safety is directly in front of the trigger guard and easily
reached by the trigger finger.

 SV-99 Sniper

The SV-99 was developed primarily for police use, but is increasingly in use by the Russian military – it does have some narrow military/espionage uses, such as close-range silent sentry removal, the elimination of guard dogs and other potentially loud animals, taking out of spotlights and security lights, and assassination. It is a modified form of the BI-7-2 rifle designed for Biathlon athletes, with some features taken from the Sobol hunting rifle, and then further modified for police and military use. Police forces find it useful for short-range sniping the .22 Long Rifle round offers little chance of ricochet, is somewhat frangible even in its normal form, does not overpenetrate, and therefore is not a great danger to civilians nearby (in the hands of a competent sniper).

Though little used by military or police forces, the SV-99 sniper has found two types of large-scale buyers – game wardens and local animal control agencies (in many parts of the world), who use them to cull herds without spooking the rest of the herd, and for stray and small animal/pest control.