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Special Report

The Russian Military’s Longest Range Rifles and Machine Guns

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Published
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The Russian Military’s Longest Range Rifles and Machine Guns

© Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mr Bullitt

In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, small arms are playing a critical role in achieving strategic objectives. Among the various Russian small arms, there are a few long-range guns that stand out because of their efficiency. Long-range guns have become essential tools for contemporary armed forces.

In identifying the Russian military’s firearms with the longest range, 24/7 Wall St. examined modern Russian guns listed in the Military Factory, an online archive that catalogs military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. The guns listed are ranked according to their ultimate operative range. 

One gun that tops the list is the KBP OSV-96, known as the Vzlomshchik. Engineered with a dual purpose as both a counter-sniping and an anti-materiel rifle, it’s impressive range of approximately 6,500 feet establishes it as one of the Russian military’s longest-reaching rifles.

Along with sniper rifles and anti-materiel rifles, machine guns also rank prominently on this list. The Kord-12.7mm and PKP Pecheneg (6P41) machine guns, for example, boast some of the longest effective ranges on the list. A common thread among many of these weapons is their ammunition. Typically, larger caliber ammunition has the capability to travel a greater distance than smaller caliber ammunition, which explains the extensive ranges of the heavy machine guns leading the list.

While some of the weapons featured have only been put into service in the past decade, others have been operational since the 1960s. Despite this, Russia’s military has continuously utilized these long-range rifles in diverse operations. (Also see, 20 biggest bombs in Russia’s military arsenal.)

Here are the longest-range guns in use by the Russian army today.

22. SR-3 Vikhr (Whirlwind)

Interpolitex 2013 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
Interpolitex 2013 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
  • Caliber: 9x39mm subsonic
  • Type: Silenced assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1992

21. AS Val

AS Val & VSS Vintorez by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
AS Val & VSS Vintorez (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 984 ft.
  • Caliber: 9x39mm SP-6
  • Type: Silenced assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1987

20. Izhmash AN-94 (Abakan)

AN-94 assault rifle at Engineering Technologies by Mike1979 Russia
AN-94 assault rifle at Engineering Technologies (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Mike1979 Russia
  • Maximum effective range: 1,212 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.45x39mm
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1994

19. VSS Vintorez

Courtesy of VSS Vintorez via Facebook
  • Maximum effective range: 1,312 ft.
  • Caliber: 9x39mm SP-5
  • Type: Silenced sniper rifle
  • Year entered service: 1987

18. Kalashnikov AK-103

Izhmash Rifles - AK-103 with G... by Angad Singh
Izhmash Rifles - AK-103 with G... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Angad Singh
  • Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x39mm M43
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1994

17. Kalashnikov AK-200

AK200 Assault Rifle Army by Mike1979 Russia
AK200 Assault Rifle Army (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mike1979 Russia
  • Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.45x39mm M74m 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 2013

16. Kalashnikov AK-74

Ak74l by u0421u0435u0440u0433u0435u0439 u0421u0430u043du0434u0430u043bu043eu0432
Ak74l (CC BY-SA 3.0) by u0421u0435u0440u0433u0435u0439 u0421u0430u043du0434u0430u043bu043eu0432
  • Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.45x39mm
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1978

15. Kalashnikov AKM

UltraONEs / iStock via Getty Images
  • Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x39mm M1943
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 1959

14. Kalashnikov AK-12

aleks0649 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Maximum effective range: 2,000 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.45x39mm Soviet, 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm NATO
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 2014

13. Kalashnikov SVDM

SVD Dragunov by Hokos
SVD Dragunov (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Hokos
  • Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x54mmR
  • Type: Designated marksman rifle
  • Year entered service: 2018

12. Kalashnikov AK-15

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x39mm Soviet
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 2019

11. Kalashnikov AK-19

AK-19 Assault Rifle Army by Mike1979 Russia
AK-19 Assault Rifle Army (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mike1979 Russia
  • Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
  • Type: Assault rifle
  • Year entered service: 2021

10. Kalashnikov RPK-16

RPK-16 machine gun at Military-technical forum ARMY by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
RPK-16 machine gun at Military-technical forum ARMY (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
  • Caliber: 5.45x39mm
  • Type: Squad automatic weapon
  • Year entered service: 2018

9. Kalashnikov PKM

Dragunov1981 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x54mmR Russian
  • Type: General purpose machine gun
  • Year entered service: 1969

8. Accuracy International L96

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare by Mr Bullitt
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mr Bullitt
  • Maximum effective range: 3,608 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester, .308 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum
  • Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
  • Year entered service: 1982

7. Dragunov SVD

zim286 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Maximum effective range: 4,265 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x54mmR Soviet, 9x54mm, 9.3x64mm Brenneke, .308 Winchester
  • Type: Semi-automatic sniper rifle
  • Year entered service: 1963

6. KSVK 12.7 (ASVK)

KSVK1 by u0441u0430u0439u0442 u201cu041eu0440u0443u0436u0435u0439u043du0430u044f u041fu0420u0410u0412u0414u0410
KSVK1 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by u0441u0430u0439u0442 u201cu041eu0440u0443u0436u0435u0439u043du0430u044f u041fu0420u0410u0412u0414u0410
  • Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
  • Caliber: 12.7x108mm
  • Type: Anti-material rifle
  • Year entered service: 1999

5. ORSIS T-5000

ORSIS T-5000 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
ORSIS T-5000 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 4,920 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum, .408 Cheytac
  • Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
  • Year entered service: 2011

4. PKP Pecheneg (6P41)

PKP Pecheneg Conscript day in Moscow 2011 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
PKP Pecheneg Conscript day in Moscow 2011 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 5,000 ft.
  • Caliber: 7.62x54mmR
  • Type: General purpose machine gun
  • Year entered service: 2001

3. KBP OSV-96

u041eu0421u0412-96 12,7-u043cu043c u0441u043du0430u0439u043fu0435u0440u0441u043au0430u044f u0432u0438u043du0442u043eu0432u043au0430 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
u041eu0421u0412-96 12,7-u043cu043c u0441u043du0430u0439u043fu0435u0440u0441u043au0430u044f u0432u0438u043du0442u043eu0432u043au0430 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
  • Caliber: 12.7x108mm
  • Type: Anti-material rifle
  • Year entered service: 1996

2. Kord-12.7mm

12,7-u043cu043c u043fu0443u043bu0435u043cu0435u0442 u041au043eu0440u0434 - u0418u043du0442u0435u0440u043fu043eu043bu0438u0442u0435u0445-2011 01 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
12,7-u043cu043c u043fu0443u043bu0435u043cu0435u0442 u041au043eu0440u0434 - u0418u043du0442u0435u0440u043fu043eu043bu0438u0442u0435u0445-2011 01 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
  • Caliber: 12.7x108mm
  • Type: Heavy machine gun
  • Year entered service: 1998

1. NSV HMG (Utes / Utjos)

NSV machine gun-04 by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
NSV machine gun-04 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
  • Maximum effective range: 6,560 ft.
  • Caliber: 12.7x108mm Soviet, 12.7x99mm NATO
  • Type: Heavy machine gun
  • Year entered service: 1971
Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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