Vietnam Defence Expo 2024: New Sniper Rifles
TFB already covered new rifles, pistols, and machine guns showcased at the Vietnam Defence Expo 2024. But there are more: this year, three new sniper rifles were introduced for the first time.
The first one is a bolt-action rifle called SBT-7.62M2 chambered in 7,62×51 (308 Win). The design is based on the T-5000, a Russian rifle produced by Orsis. About 10 years ago, Vietnam Police procured those rifles, and manufacturing them locally seems like a logical step.
The second rifle, designated SBT-7.62VN is clearly based on the Israeli designated marksman rifle called Galatz manufactured by IWI. It is a semi-automatic rifle chambered for 7.62×51, essentially a version of Galil with a longer barrel.
However, unlike Galatz, SBT-7.62VN has the modern M-LOK handguard and adjustable stock similar to that of the T-5000.
The third rifle is called SBT-7.62M1. It also has a familiar design – essentially it is a Vietnamese-made Dragunov SVD chambered for 7.62×51. Unlike AK rifles, which were produced in over 30 countries, the most famous Soviet semi-automatic sniper rifle was only produced in a factory in the Soviet Union, without any official transfer of technology.
China reverse-engineered Dragunov and produced it under the designation of NDM-86. It is unclear how exactly Vietnam acquired the technology, though it is believed that Vietnam began to manufacture its own SVD using the tooling purchased as part of the agreement with IWI. The rifle looks almost identical to the original Dragunov, with the only visible difference being the new polymer handguard with vent holes.
Considering there is still a lot of demand for Dragunov, especially in the collector’s market, Vietnam might be able to make a fortune selling those.
The author would like to thank Nguyễn Tăng Thế Thiên, Vũ Đông Hải, and Hoàng Minh Trí for the photos and their help with the article.