24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Russia has been using long-range weaponry to support its military prowess since at least World War II.
- The longest-range Russian firearm can hit targets around 1.2 miles away, or the length of 20 football fields.
- While assault rifles are typically considered the long-range weapons, the longest-range weapons held by Russia are actually heavy machine guns.
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The Russia-Ukraine war wages on, and new alliances and allies are beginning to join the fray. In May and June 2024, Germany supplied tanks to supplement the forces in Ukraine. Similarly, both Germany and the United States supplied Ukraine with long-range weapons to conduct strikes on Russian soil. But not everyone is happy about these decisions. Vladimir Putin warned Germany that if Western countries continue providing Ukraine with armament and support, Russia would provide long-range weapons to its allies to strike Western countries. However, this could be a tricky move for Russia. Both Germany and the United States are NATO members with a principle of collective defence, meaning that a strike against either country would be responded to with the force of all NATO members. (Where in the world is the U.S. military beefing up its presence?)
A “ranged” weapon is considered any weapon that can strike targets beyond a hand’s reach. If you can’t reach something while stretching out your hand, but can reach it with a weapon, that is ranged. So, as you might expect, a long-range weapon is a weapon with a much further striking distance. Long-range military weapons are often helpful for military forces as these weapons often have increased accuracy, are hard to defend against, and allow for stronger ability to engage combatants from a safer distance. (This Russian Special Forces’ weapon has an astounding 3.7 mile range.)
Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Russia’s firearm capabilities. To identify the Russian military’s firearms with the longest range, 24/7 Wall St. examined modern Russian guns listed on Military Factory, an online archive that catalogs military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. The guns listed are ranked according to their maximum effective range. We also included supplemental information regarding the year introduced, type, caliber and feed of each weapon.
One of the top guns on this list is the KBP OSV-96, also known as the Vzlomshchik. The main idea behind developing this rifle was to fill the dual role as both a counter-sniping and anti-materiel rifle. It has a maximum effective range of over 6,500 feet, making it one of the longest-range Russian rifles on this list.
Another prominent name on this list is the Dragunov SVD, which has been in use since the 1960s. This Russian-made sniper rifle has a maximum effective range of around 4,200 feet. It has found use in several militaries around the world — namely Russian allies — including Belarus, Iran, and India.
Here is a look at the longest range firearms in the Russian military:
Why You Should Know
Russia’s military has long prioritized range and firepower while developing its weaponry. Looking at Russia’s firearms with the longest range shows the country’s current military and technological capabilities. This highlights how Russia maintains power in certain regions and what strategies the country feels it needs to employ for future success.
22. SR-3 Vikhr (Whirlwind)
- Type: Silenced assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1992
- Caliber and feed: 9x39mm subsonic; 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
21. AS Val (Avtomat Special’nyj)
- Type: Silenced assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1987
- Caliber and feed: 9x39mm SP-6; 10-, 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 984 ft.
20. Izhmash AN-94 (Abakan)
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1994
- Caliber and feed: 5.45x39mm; 30-, 45- or 60-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,212 ft.
19. VSS Vintorez
- Type: Silenced sniper rifle
- Year introduced: 1987
- Caliber and feed: 9x39mm SP-5; 10- or 20-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,312 ft.
18. Kalashnikov AK-103
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1994
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x39mm M43; 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
17. Kalashnikov AK-200
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 2013
- Caliber and feed: 5.45x39mm M74m 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm; 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
16. Kalashnikov AK-74
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1978
- Caliber and feed: 5.45x39mm; 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
15. Kalashnikov AKM
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 1959
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x39mm M1943; 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
14. Kalashnikov AK-12
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 2014
- Caliber and feed: 5.45x39mm Soviet, 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm NATO; 30-round detachable box magazine, 100-round drum
- Maximum effective range: 2,000 ft.
13. Kalashnikov SVDM
- Type: Designated marksman rifle
- Year introduced: 2018
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x54mmR; 10-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
12. Kalashnikov AK-15
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 2019
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x39mm Soviet; 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
11. Kalashnikov AK-19
- Type: Assault rifle
- Year introduced: 2021
- Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO; 30-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
10. Kalashnikov RPK-16
- Type: Squad automatic weapon
- Year introduced: 2018
- Caliber and feed: 5.45x39mm; 30- or 96-round magazine capacity
- Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
9. Kalashnikov PKM
- Type: General purpose machine gun
- Year introduced: 1969
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x54mmR Russian; 100-, 200- or 250-round belt
- Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
8. Accuracy International L96
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Year introduced: 1982
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester, .308 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum; 5- or 10-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 3,608 ft.
7. Dragunov SVD
- Type: Semi-automatic sniper rifle
- Year introduced: 1963
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x54mmR Soviet, 9x54mm, 9.3x64mm Brenneke, .308 Winchester; 10-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 4,265 ft.
6. KSVK 12.7 (ASVK)
- Type: Anti-material rifle
- Year introduced: 1999
- Caliber and feed: 12.7x108mm; 5-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
5. ORSIS T-5000
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Year introduced: 2011
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum, .408 Cheytac; 5-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
4. PKP Pecheneg (6P41)
- Type: General purpose machine gun
- Year introduced: 2001
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x54mmR; 100-, 200- or 250-round belt
- Maximum effective range: 5,000 ft.
3. KBP OSV-96
- Type: Anti-material rifle
- Year introduced: 1996
- Caliber and feed: 12.7x108mm; 5-round detachable box magazine
- Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
2. Kord-12.7mm
- Type: Heavy machine gun
- Year introduced: 1998
- Caliber and feed: 12.7x108mm; 50-round linked belt
- Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
1. NSV HMG (Utes / Utjos)
- Type: Heavy machine gun
- Year introduced: 1971
- Caliber and feed: 12.7x108mm Soviet, 12.7x99mm NATO; 50-round belt
- Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
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