[careful]

I had to rebuild two of these in the past three months.

Out-of-the-box, they're not too shabby. Loud, yes, and not the most consistent rifle I've ever handled, but solid enough. None of the SVDs I worked on had any wobbles, though that would definitely be something to check.

Stock spring is good for ~525/.2g once you fix the airseal issues.
I turned down the cylinder head so the nozzle had an extra .225" to engage the hopup chamber. This makes a world of difference in the performance of the weapon. With a good O-ring and a decent bucking/barrel, you should be able to engage targets out to 250' or better.

All in all, it's one of the least expensive options for a decent sniper rifle, provided you have access to a lathe or a buddy that does.

rifle-$140
TBB-$70 (prometheus)
bucking-$17 (Prometheus soft)
scope/mount-$120 (Matrix PSO scope)
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Total: $347 plus shipping

 

[careful]

Hey are prommy soft even good? I know systemas are good but hmmmm. You could also save money on the scope with a Ak scope rail but it will look off. Or custom make a dustcover rail like I did for free. Don`t forget a prommy m150 for a better spring.

Prometheus soft buckings are excellent for heavier ammunition at any field-legal velocity. I personally prefer them to Systema buckings, and have had far better luck with their performance.

I'm sure you could use an AK rail or mod your dust cover, but bear in mind that the AK rail might not match the dovetail on the side of the receiver, as they are not 100% identical.

Furthermore, your dust cover is held in place by tabs at the front, and can shift side to side by .030" or better. While that does not sound like much, a .030" tolerance over 6" (arbitrary length, rough distance between dust cover tabs and solid latch at the back) would translate to a 15" shift in POA at 250', which is enough to miss the target completely at that range.

The stock spring can net you 2.5j or better with good airseal(~525/.2g), and the sears are a known weak link. Upgrade the spring at your own risk. Truly, it's not necessary if your field has a 550fps cap.