PSL rifles are made at the Fabrica de Arme Cugir
SA Cugir arsenal in Cugir, Romania. Their primary purpose
is to be used by a designated marksman and is used
to extend the range of the average soldier beyond the
capabilities of their issued AKM carbines. It is built
around a stamped steel receiver similar to the RPK
light machine gun's receiver. The PSL's operation is
the same long stroke action of the Kalashnikov family
of weapons. Its appearance is similar to the Dragunov
Sniper Rifle though the Dragunov uses a different action
altogether. The PSL is chambered for the same venerable
M1908/30 7.62x54mmR (rimmed) cartridge as the Dragunov,
and feeds from a ten-round detachable box magazine.
The magazine used on the PSL differs from that of the
Dragunov in that it is stamped with an X shaped pattern
on the side, rather than the waffle style stamp found
on the Russian magazines. The magazines, though they
look similar in shape and size, are not interchangeable
between the Dragunov and PSL without modification.
The PSL is typically issued with a version of the
PSO-1 telescopic weapon sight, this version lacking
the battery compartment and IR detection screen. The
reticle is illuminated by mildly radioactive Radium
rather than the lamp of the Russian PSO-1. The optical
sight is of 4X magnification and the lens is 24 mm
in diameter. It shares the basic design and rangefinder
found in the reticle of the original Russian PSO-1
scope.
The scope can be easily removed from the receiver
of the rifle by swinging the locking lever open, then
sliding the scope mount to the rear. This allows easy
use of the iron sights and storage and protection of
the scope when in transit or at other times when it
is not needed
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