I am a lucky owner of a Russian SVD imported by KBI. Why is my receiver different from military SVDs?
Update: At some point around 1993 Izhmash updated their receiver design at the request of foreign end-users and ommited the outside lightening cut for both military and sporting rifles. This was to add strength to the receiver because the factory had been getting many requests to produce an SVD in non-standard calibers. The main difference between the Type 1 (old style) and the Type 2 (new smooth side) receivers are the lightening cuts over the magazine well. These cuts shaved off a few ounces of weight and gave some relief to the soldier who carried it. It also aided in tactile identification of where to insert the mag in low-light conditions. (L to R: Tiger, KBI SVD, Military SVD). When KBI ordered your SVD from the Russian arsenal Izhmash, what they got were the latest specification of receiver, with lightening cuts on the inside only.
