They are an attractive rifle and almost affordable. Almost I said. I gave it some thought, but in the end I came to my senses and decided it probably wont shoot any better than my PSL and costs a heck of a lot more money.

 

I am just not a fan of anything China or Russia. The M14 is my rifle - as long as she lives, i shall love no other. Lancelot said to Queen Guenevere in King Arthur flick.

 

Fair enough. I just love them all!

 

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I’ve had a lotta trigger time on SVD’s and I just luv’ em’. People tend to forget that the SVD was a STATE OF THE ART sniper rifle in 1963 (when the US Army was clunking around with M-1D’s) and it is still a first line weapon. We had a handful of SVD’s on my second contract in Iraq and banged to snot as they were they still shot well. My first SVD was an NDM-86 in .308 because there was very little quality 7.62X54R in the US. However with 168 grain Gold Medal match I was getting .5 MOA five shot groups at 100 hundred yards and I don’t blame people if they don’t believe me. The down side, and it was a HUGE one, it that it kept piercing primers thus creating a very dangerous situation (that doesn’t occur on real SVD’s). I later traded it for an FAL but subsequent to that I had access to my buddies NDM-86 in 7.62X54R and frankly I’m amazed at the ability of this rifle to get first round torso hits at 800 meters with light ball. I always get a chuckle when folks compare the SVD to the PSL because ANY magazine, Russian or Chinese will always work in an SVD but PSL’s are the most magazine finicky rifle I’ve encountered. The downside is that SVD’s are looooooooong and after carrying one for a while an M-14 feels like a carbine when you pick it up.

My buddies SVD with 1PN58 scope:

Awesome specimine.

 

The PSL is pretty long too, but I aint humpin one around anywhere except to the range and its a short walk to the bench!

Ammo is no problem for mine, I have two cans of 7N1 to shoot and it shoots great.

 

The PSL is pretty long too, but I aint humpin one around anywhere except to the range and its a short walk to the bench!

Ammo is no problem for mine, I have two cans of 7N1 to shoot and it shoots great.

My buddy found that in his SVD 7N1 didn’t shoot any better than Wolf light ball and with Wolf he didn’t have to clean it after he fired. His SVD doesn’t like any heavy bullets at all. He bought three crates of 7N1 IIRC around 2008, sat on them, put em’ up on Gunbroker and made a fortune!

 

SVD type from the Hungary is the interesting offering on the US market. But how this rifle really shoots? We are sharing our observations based on the extensive use of this rifle.

View attachment 511132

Unfortunately most of the guys who buy HD-18’s will probably never fire them……they will turn into objects d’ art, status symbols, and investments like the KBI SVD’s and NDM’s have.

 

Hello Mr. Rob Ski!

If I may ask a favor? Can you angle the targets to 45 degrees so they are not all in same plane? The 45 degree angle will make them more skinny and all at different plane and distances to give the shooter something else to configure into the shot - is my thinking.

I made a steel target hung on a long pole but at the range, we set it so the pole is at 45 degrees. The target plates be all in different distances - and the smaller ones up front.

Just my thought - let me know what you think, Rob.

 

Man, look at that target from 610 yds...this is already small target...look how they look through the scope (next picture). With those low power scopes, it's hard to get them already...

 

This whole HD-18 drama on theakforum...Woof. If yall haven't heard, this particular rifle being imported caused a bunch of hurt feelings and created a very sour taste in the ak-47 enthusiast community.

 

You mean you weren’t willing to pay $1,000,000.00 for an HD-18 sold by Copper Custom on Gunbroker? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Good vid and good shooting Rob!

 

Thank you for setting me straight, Rob Ski! YOu do wonderful work out there - I really appreciate what you do for many of us.

God Bless you many times.

 

Ski is one of the few video weapons guys I bother to watch. Well, that not true-rather he’s one of the few I watch wherein my primary purpose isn’t rolling my eyes and leaving snarky comments. Why? Cuz’ I just can’t stomach these goofs who’ve never been a grunt running their mouths about military small arms and tactics like they actually know what hell they’re talking about. Larry Vickers is another dude who has rock solid creds. But I swear, these LARPers, wannabees, influencers, and video tactical Multicam MOLLE models who strut around in their free unscuffed gear who’ve never been dirty or deployed spewing tactiCOOL schiesse make me gag. That’s what struck me about Ski’s HD-18 video: not only is he shooting it, he actually camouflaged it!!!

 

• Availability: Out Of Stock
• Hungarian FEG HD-18
  

• $7,500.00

Copper Custom Armament

Bringing the firearms community the best products available

coppercustom.com

 

• Availability: Out Of Stock
• Hungarian FEG HD-18

• $7,500.00

Copper Custom Armament

Bringing the firearms community the best products available

coppercustom.com

There are few more outlets and importers now. Atlantic had some too. B&T is importing them as well (to my best knowledge).

 

A few weeks ago there were a fair number for sale on Gunbroker, now just a couple and higher priced than Atlantic was.

 

I would love to have one of these - but way out of reach for me at that price.

What would be the "realistic" value of a HD18, and do we ever think they will get plentiful enough for the price to drop to that level?

I understand the "what the market will bear" and "what people will pay" theory - but what would we say it's really worth?

 

Like I said in my video, for that kind of money, you can get cheaper solutions with outstanding optic for it, which in the end will perform equally good if not better.
SVD value in USA was artificially pumped up by self imposing export sanctions in Russia and then import sanctions in USA...this was long before Obama ban. There was some crazy import ban deal on SVD worked out between USA and Russia in the middle of 90s basically, which resulted in prices being artificially inflated to the maximum...SVD is cool rifle, but if you will remove sanctions, just like M14 clones, it should be priced somewhere in that price level...but we are in 2023 and geo political situation went completely to ...I don't think we will ever see pure Russian SVD imports back again in USA...

 

Shotgun news (many moons ago) had 8mm Mauser and 308 rifles for sale for only $499.99 &699.99 depending on the caliber. I believe they were from Yugoslavia. I should have bought one in 8mm.

 

View attachment 511132

Hey Robski, a change of topic. I just watched one of your youtubes and it says you have two strikes. If youtube kicks you out please at this forum let us know your rumble address.

 

Yes, YouTube SOBs didn't reverse my strikes. First strike will expire on April 19th, but if they will decide to issue another strike before that date, my channel will be permanently deleted.
Here is VRSC on Rumble VRSC and AKOU on Rumble AK Operators Union Local 47-74