The Romanian PSL rifle looks like a Dragunov but hides a different mechanical heart.

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: To the untrained eye, the Romanian PSL is a twin of the legendary Soviet SVD Dragunov. Yet, beneath the surface, they share almost nothing. Born from Cold War geopolitical friction, this marksman rifle is actually a scaled-up machine gun, engineered to bypass Soviet restrictions and secure Romania's independent military capabilities.

In the wake of Socialist Romania’s refusal to participate in the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, the nation’s relationship with the Soviet Union deteriorated. Fearing a reliance on Soviet military hardware, Romania sought to bolster its own arms industry. When the Soviets proved unwilling to share technical blueprints for the SVD Dragunov, Romanian engineers took a different path. They utilized the design of the RPK light machine gun, scaling up its internals to accommodate the powerful 7.62×54mmR cartridge.

The resulting PSL, or Pușcă Semiautomată cu Lunetă, entered production in 1974 at the Uzina Mecanică Cugir. While it mimics the Dragunov’s mission—providing squad-level precision beyond the reach of standard AKM assault rifles—it is mechanically distinct. It employs the long-stroke piston action typical of the Kalashnikov family and features a stamped steel receiver with a bulged front trunnion. Despite their visual similarities, the two rifles share only three components: the ammunition, the bayonets, and the optics.

The rifle’s performance is tied to its specialized LPS 4×6° TIP2 telescopic sight, manufactured by the Romanian Optical Enterprise. This scope, which uses tritium for reticle illumination, includes bullet drop compensation for ranges up to 1,000 meters. However, the system is not without its quirks. Users have reported that the bolt carrier can crack when firing heavy ball ammunition, particularly if a silencer is attached, a byproduct of the rifle’s lack of an adjustable gas system. Today, the PSL remains a subject of interest for collectors and enthusiasts, with production continuing under the SC Fabrica de Arme Cugir SA brand.

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