The Romanian FPK or PSL (Puşcă Semiautomată cu Lunetă) sniper rifle (stamped FPK on the receiver, but called both PSL and FPK by the Romanians) was developed in the 1970s as their version of a designated marksman rifle, much like the M21 system used by the U.S. Built using an RPK stamped receiver with the AK long stroke piston but is chambered for 7.62x54mm R. The Romanians never really used the PSL/FPK as a sniper in their armed forces, instead choosing other long range weapons (such as commercial bolt action rifles) for that task. The Romanian PSL sniper rifle is commonly encountered in the U.S. and is often sold as a Dragunov to the uninformed. Known as and referred to in the U.S. as the PSL, FPK, as well as the names ascribed by U.S. distributors like ROMAK-3 and PSL-54C (Century Imports), SSG-97 (as called by Interordnance) and the Romanian "Dragunov" or Romanian "FPK" (as sold by Tennessee Guns which are assembled in the U.S with Romanian parts).
Specifications
Error creating thumbnail: File missingRomanian FPK/PSL sniper rifle - 7.62x54mm R. Compare to the SVD Dragunov; note longer exposed part of the gas piston, straight safety lever, "X" shaped stamping on the magazine, and magazine located immediately in front of the trigger guard rather than some distance ahead.
Type: Sniper Rifle (Designed for use as a DMR)
Caliber: 7.62x54mm R
Capacity: 10 round box magazine
Fire Modes: Safe/Semi
Receiver: Stamped Steel
The Romanian FPK / PSL rifle has been used by the following actors in the following:
