top cover has been stamped with reinforcing ribs in the AKMmanner. All steel components, with the exception of the hard-chromed piston, have been provided with a black oxide finish.

The SSG 97 is manufactured by ROMARM (aka RATMIL,Dept. SGN, 48-50 Calea Victoriei, Pasajul Victoriei, sector 1,Bucharest 70102, Romania; phone: +40-1-613 43 66; fax: +40-1-312 29 88). Its overall length is approximately 45.3 inches(1150mm) and it weighs about 9 pounds (4.06kg), empty andwithout the optical sight. The scope weighs about 22 ounces(.62kg). The barrel is 24.6 inches (625mm) in length, and has

automatic is chambered for the intermediate-size 7.62x39mmcartridge, a steel reinforcing plate was riveted to each side of thePSL receiver at the rear to accommodate the greater recoilimpulse of the full-size 7.62x54R round.

There are also two prominent reinforcing ribs, one on eachside of the receiver wall and directly below the trunnion—almost3 inches in length—each attached by a single rivet—exactly asfound on the RPK squad automatic. They further serve tostrengthen the receiver and stabilize it during the recoil andcounter-recoil travel of the reciprocating parts. The sheet metal

The SSG 97 sniper rifle as imported by I.O. Inc. (Dept. SGN,P.O. Box 847, Monroe, N.C. .28111-0847; phone: 866-882-1479; fax: 704-225-8362; website: www.ioinc.us) is based

upon the Romanian PSL (Puska Semiautomata Luneta) militarysniper rifle system. Both have receivers and operating systemsbased upon the Romanian RPK squad automatic, not the RussianSamozaryadnaya snaiperskaya vintovka Dragunova—SVDsniper rifle.

The SVD receiver is a milled drop forging. The SSG 97’s is apinned and riveted sheet metal stamping. As the RPK squad

AKText and photos by Peter G. Kokalis

Steroidson

I.O. Inc’s SSG97The concept follows the SVD, but the

details are much different in thisRomanian sniper rifle.

The concept follows the SVD, but thedetails are much different in this

Romanian sniper rifle.

The Romanian SSG 97 (PSL) exhibits the usualKalashnikov robustness and reliability. It’s surprisinglyaccurate for a long-stroke piston semi-automatic rifle.

four grooves with a right-hand twist of oneturn in 10 inches (254mm) over 22.4 inches(570mm) of rifling. The bore and chamberare chrome-lined in the manner common toall ComBloc small arms.

To meet original BATFE import regulations (which currentlyno longer apply) the bayonet lug has been milled off. In anyevent, bayonets don’t belong on sniper rifles. In addition, theunique Romanian PSL flash hider has been altered to a BATFE-approved muzzle compensator configuration.

The skeletonized, wood-laminate buttstock is only somewhatreminiscent of that of the Dragunov. Instead of a removablepadded cheekpiece (all too easily lost in the field) there is a swellon top of the stock that serves as an integral cheekpiece. The rearsling swivel, located inside the rear end of the stock, retains theribbed, steel buttplate and itself is held in place by two steel pinsdriven through the laminate.

The buttplate is spring-loaded—a unique feature that helps tomoderate the substantial recoil impulse of the 7.62x54R car-tridge. A reddish-brown Bakelite pistol grip cap is held in placeby a single screw. Both the top handguard, which is part of thegas cylinder assembly, and the bottom forearm (which has fiveelongated ventilation ports) are of solid wood construction. Allof the wood furniture has a clear varnish finish.

The curved SSG 97 magazine holds 10 rounds, and since thisis a rimmed cartridge, care must be taken that the round on topis in front of the rim of the cartridge beneath it. Unlike mostKalashnikovs, there is a hold-device that locks the bolt rear-ward after the last shot has been fired. The magazine releasecatch, directly in front of the trigger, is a spring-loaded flap-

per and magazines must beinserted from the front androlled back to engage thecatch.

While similar in con-struction and appearance,Romanian PSL and RussianSVD magazines are notinterchangeable. Both arestaggered-column, detach-able boxes with reinforcingribs stamped into the sheetmetal body walls. The fol-lowers are made of steel andthey have an easily remov-able floorplate for mainte-nance. For some odd rea-son, the PSL magazine sup-plied with Shotgun News’test specimen was serial-numbered to the rifle.

The iron emergencysights on this rifle were taken directly from the Romanian RPKsquad automatic. Two ears integral with the front sight assembly(held to the barrel by two pins) protect the round front sight post,

which is adjustable for both elevation and windage zero with theproper armorers’ tools. The sliding tangent-type rear sight has anopen U-notch and is adjustable for elevation in 100-meter inter-vals from 100 to 1200 meters. The 300-meter battle-sight settingis marked with the letter for “P.”

Disassembly procedures for this rifle are exactly those of anyKalashnikov. First remove the magazine and cycle the action byhand several times to make sure no round remains in the cham-ber. Pivot the scope mount’s locking lever to the rear and slidethe scope assembly off the receiver. Push inward on the serratedrear end of the recoil spring guide rod assembly and while doingso lift off the sheet metal top cover.

Push the recoil spring guide rod assembly out of its retainingslot in the end of the receiver and lift it up and out of the rear ofthe bolt carrier. Slide the piston/bolt carrier group to the rear andlift out of the receiver after aligning it with the slots in the receiv-er designed for that purpose. Separate the bolt from the bolt car-rier. Rotate the gas cylinder’s locking lever (located on the rightside of the receiver, just in frontof the rear sight) upward untilthe gas cylinder can be lifted upand away from the barreledaction. Pivot the locking leveron the bottom forearm’s frontbracket upward until you can

Top: Romanian SSG 97 (PSL) with 6x42mm POSP scope;bottom: Russian SVD Dragunov sniper weapon system withTalon PO 3-9x42 sniper scope. The SVD is noticeably longer.

A steel reinforcing plate riveted to receiv-er rear accommodates the greater recoilof the 7.62x54R. This strengthens thereceiver and stabilizes it during recoil.

Instead of the Dragunov’s removable padded cheekpiece (all too easily lost in the field) there is a swell on top of the stock that serves as an integral cheekpiece.

The spring-loaded butt-plate helps to moderatethe substantial recoil ofthe 7.62x54R. As a con-sequence, the SSG 97is much more pleasantto shoot than the SVD.

I.O. Inc’s SSG97

The receiver’s two prominent reinforcingribs, one on each side of the receiver walldirectly below the trunnion, are almost 3inches in length and riveted in place.

slide the bracket forward enough so the forearm can be removed.No further disassembly is recommended.

Reassemble in the reverse manner after cleaning and lubrica-tion. Never lubricate either the piston shaft or interior of the gascylinder. Use the following ComBloc soldier’s trick to simplifythe final reassembly steps. Place the rear end of the recoil springguide rod assembly just in front of and below its retaining slot inthe receiver. Hold down on the top cover while retracting thecocking handle. The end of the guide rod will jump into thesquare hole at the end of the top cover and its retaining slot in thereceiver.

Evgeniy F. Dragunov used a short-stroke piston not attached tothe bolt carrier on his Samozaryadnaya snaiperskaya vintovkaDragunova—SVD sniper rifle because he felt the Kalashnikov’slong-stroke oper-ation resulted in the movement of a heavy masswhich would jar the rifle and degrade its accuracy potential.

Our test and evaluation of the SSG 97 sniper rifle did notdemonstrate this to be the case. The Russian 150-grain 7N14sniper ball ammunition that we used in our test and evaluation of

the SSG 97 shot about 1.5moa groups from the benchat 100 meters. This is reallyoutstanding accuracy for aKalashnikov action and per-fectly acceptable for a mass-produced, un-tuned semiau-tomatic sniper weapon sys-tem with a 6X scope andhorrendous trigger. In addi-tion, be advised that the6x42 scope sits too highabove the rifle for the oper-ator to obtain the cheekweld required for accurateshooting with scoped rifles.

When placed in this 9.5-pound package, the recoilimpulse of the 7.62x54Rcartridge, which has a well-deserved reputation as ahard kicker, is moderate.Furthermore, the muzzle compensator is quite effective in reduc-ing muzzle jump, albeit at the expense of a noticeably increasedflash signature. The ejection pattern of the empty cases was typ-ically that of the Kalashnikov series, about 5 to 8 feet to the rightand slightly forward.

Complete with the 6x42 scope, one 10-round magazine, agreen nylon sling, oil bottle, three-piece steel cleaning rod, AK-type buttstock cleaning kit, the SSG 97 carries a price of$799.95. When equipped with the 4x24 scope, the price is$749.95. This is a reasonable price for an accurate and legallyimportable example of the normally rare Romanian PSL sniperweapon system.

Russian Optical sights

The SSG 97 rifle used in our test and evaluation was equippedwith a Belarus-made POSP 6x42 scope that evolved from theRussian-made 4X PSO-1 scope with a 24mm objective lens thatwas originally fielded with the SVD Dragunov sniper weaponsystem. The POSP 4x24 and 6x42 scopes have illuminated reti-cle patterns. They take commonly available watch batteries andyou need two lithium 303/357 batteries for this purpose.

The Russian models use a battery almost impossible to locatein the United States. When turned on, the reticle pattern is illu-minated in red. A rubber eyepiece provides the correct eye reliefof 2.6 inches (66mm). Field of view is 4°. With coated lenses,light transmission is very good and the image is sharp and clearat all useful ranges. Equally important, it will hold zero withrepeated removal and re-installation. The scope comes with arubber protective cap for the objective lens, a black canvas stor-age case and a less-than-useful instruction booklet in the Russianlanguage. The 6x42 scope weighs 22 ounces (.62kg).

There is also an unusual rangefinding reticle pattern that hasbeen adapted from the RPG-7V’s optical sight. It consists of aseries of steps above a solid baseline. Every other step is markedin 200-meter intervals, from “2” (the highest step) for 200 metersto “10” (the step closest to the base line) for 1000 meters. Justalign an enemy soldier with his feet on the base line. The systemis based upon a target 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters) in height. Thestep that matches the top of his head indicates his distance to youin meters. Then dial this distance on the elevation knob’s bulletdrop compensator on top of the scope and you’re good to go.There is also a graduated scale, covering plus/minus 10 mils in1-mil increments, for windage adjustment above the elevationreticle pattern. Use the tip of the centerline in the center of the windage scale as your aiming point. Both the Israelis and Swarovski of Austria have copied this rangefinder reticlepattern.

We also fired the SSG 97 with the Russian Talon PO 3-9x42sniper scope. It’s a 3-9X variable scope with an exceptionallysharp image at all power ranges. Equally important is its simple,but ingenious, rangefinder reticle pattern.

The center of the reticle contains a graduated scale, coveringplus/minus 10 mils in 1-mil increments, for windage adjustmentwith the aiming point in the center, in a manner similar to that ofthe PSO-1. Five arrows arranged vertically below the primaryaiming point provide elevation holdover for distances beyond900 meters—out to 1400 meters.

The numbers “3” to “9,” with marks in-between, are arrangedaround the circumference of the reticle together with an indexmark at the very top of the reticle. Rotating the power knob onthe right side of the scope tube will both power the magnifica-tion up or down and increase or decrease the size of the reticlepattern.

There is a small vertical rectangle above the aiming point witha horizontal line directly under it. The width of the box subtends.5 meter (about 1.6 feet). The distance from the top of the rec-tangle to the line below it is 1.5 meters (4.9 feet). The length ofthe box itself is exactly half that (.75 meter).

Determine the approximate length of the target, place it eitherin the rectangle or with its feet on the line and its head toward thetop of the box, then power up or down until the target exactly fitsin that space and pull the trigger. It’s simple. It works. It’s soldier-proof. It produced the same accuracy as the POSP 6x42 scope.

The SSG 97 (PSL) Sniper Rifle: How It Operates

All Kalashnikov rifles, squad automatics and the SSG 97 aregas-operated, without an adjustable gas regulator (with theexception of the caliber 7.62x51mm NATO Yugoslav RPK) andfire from the closed-bolt position. After ignition of the primerand propellant, gases are diverted into the gas cylinder on top ofthe barrel.

The hard-chrome-plated piston is an exceptionally long 9.65inches (245mm) in the case of the SSG 97/PSL series, to accom-modate the gas vent’s location farther down the barrel (becauseof the 7.62x54R chambering). It is driven rearward and the boltcarrier, attached to the piston extension, goes through about8.5mm of free travel until the gas pressure drops to a safe level.The piston and bolt carrier are threaded and pinned together witha slight amount of free play that is designed to absorb the initialimpact of the recoil impulse.

Like all Kalashnikovs, the bolt has three locking lugs. Thelargest lug, which has slot cut into it to accommodate the extrac-tor, also has a projection on it that serves as the cam that rides in

The PSL flash hider has beenaltered to a BATFE-approvedmuzzle compensator and thebayonet lug removed. In anyevent, bayonets serve nofunction on a sniper rifle.

The rear sight has anopen U-notch and isadjustable for eleva-

tion in 100-meterintervals from 100 to

1200 meters. The 300-meter battle-sight is

marked with a “P”.

Two ears integral with the front sight assembly (held to the barrel by two pins) protect the round front sight post, which is adjustable for both elevation and windage.

Both the top handguard, which is part ofthe gas cylinder assembly, and the bottomforearm (which has five elongated ventila-tion ports) are of solid wood construction.

A reddish-brown Bakelite pistol grip cap is held in placeby a single screw and adds an unexpectedly classy touchto this mass-produced military sniper weapon system.

AK on Steroids

the bolt carrier’s cam path to rotate the bolt 35° to the left tounlock it from its recesses in the barrel extension, and during thecounter-recoil stroke to rotate it into battery. Unlike many otherdesigns, the Kalashnikov provides no primary extraction duringthe bolt rotation. Thus, an exceptionally large extractor claw isrequired in all calibers. The fixed ejector is part of the left sidereceiver guide rail. The cocking handle is permanently attachedto the bolt carrier and reciprocates with it.

As the bolt travels back, it rolls the hammer over and com-presses the recoil spring. The bolt group ceases its rearward trav-el when the carrier slams into the rear end of the receiver. Therecoil spring then drives the bolt group forward, another round isstripped from the magazine and chambered, and the bolt thencomes to rest. The bolt carrier continues onward for about5.5mm after the bolt’s two locking lugs have engaged theirrecesses in the barrel extension.

The SSG 97’s long, multiple-strand recoil spring is wrappedaround a two-piece, telescoping guide rod assembly. The frontretaining cap permits user separation of the spring and rodassembly. The rear end of the guide rod assembly slides into anotch on top of the receiver’s end piece and serves to hold thestamped sheet-metal receiver top cover in place.

The trigger mechanism is based upon the U.S. .30 M1Garand’s. The hammer has two hooks, and there are two sears: aprimary sear on an extension of the trigger and a spring-loadedsecondary sear directly to the rear. When the hammer is cocked,its left side hook is held by the primary sear. When the trigger ispulled, the trigger extension rotates forward and the primary seardisengages, leaving the hammer free to rotate forward.

In semiautomatic fire, when the bolt rolls the hammer back, itis caught at the rear by the secondary sear. When the trigger isreleased, the trigger extension and primary sear move back tocatch the hammer as it is released by the secondary sear. In full-auto, a mode in which the SSG 97 is not capable of firing, a boss(missing on the SSG 97) on the selector-lever axis pin forces thesecondary sear back so that it plays no role in controlling thehammer.

The trigger mechanism’s mainspring is of the multiple-strandtype, which lasts longer and offers better performance under

adverse conditions. Trigger pullweight on SGN’s test specimen was4.25 pounds, and exhibited the hor-rendous creep associated with allKalashnikovs.

The auto-safety-sear, which pro-trudes through a slot in the rightreceiver rail of almost all selective-fire Kalashnikovs, is not present onthe SSG 97. In full-auto. the auto-safety-sear holds the hammer backand must be tripped by the bolt car-rier to free the hammer to fireanother round. The five-componentanti-bounce device added to thetrigger mechanism when pinnedand riveted, sheet-metal receiversreplaced the milled, forgedreceivers of the AK47 series, hasalso been deleted from the SSG 97.

Its primary function is to prevent firing out of battery duringburst fire sequences.

The selector lever, a stamped sheet-metal bar on the right side of the receiver is manipulated by the thumb and remains, in my opinion, one of the Kalashnikov’s few defects. It is noisy,stiff and difficult to operate (although much less so on the SSG 97). There are no selector markings on the receiver body. The top position is safe. In this position, the trigger is blocked, but the bolt can be retracted just enough to see if the chamber has a loaded round. The lower position is for semi-automatic fire.

The 7.62x54R Cartridge

The 105-year-old Russian 7.62x54R cartridge has outlivedsome glorious military contemporaries, such as the French 8mmLebel, .303 British and U.S. .30-‘06. Adopted in 1891 for theMosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle, and also known as the “3 lineMosin Nagant”, this supposedly outdated rimmed cartridge isstill going strong as a machine gun (PK series) and sniping(Russian Dragunov and Romanian FPK) round. It appears that itwill continue to be fielded well into the foreseeable future, asthese latter two weapon systems remain in production in severalcountries and popular throughout the world.

First bullets for this cartridge were flat-based, round-nosedprojectiles weighing approximately 211 grains. In 1908, a 149-grain spitzer projectile with a conical hollow base (whichexpands to form a gas seal to enhance accuracy in worn barrels)was issued as the Type “L.” In 1930, a boattail 182-grain projec-tile with lead-alloy core, designed as a long-range machine gunround, was introduced as the Type “D” (heavy ball—yellow-tipped projectile color code).

The current boattailed bullet, called the Type “LPS” (lightball—white- or silver-tipped projectile color code), has a mildsteel core and weighs about 150 grains. This latter bullet leavesthe muzzle at about 2750 fps. Performance of this cartridge, andthe various full metal jacket bullets developed for it, is equiva-lent to U.S. military .30-‘06 ball.

By the late 1970s, Type LPS ammunition had completelyreplaced both the Type L light ball and the Type D heavy ball. As

a consequence, it was nolonger necessary to color-

code the bullet tips and 7.62x54R ball ammunition manufacturedafter this time usually, but not always, omits this feature.

Early 7.62x54R case lengths measured 53.5mm. Current typesmeasure 53.65mm in length. The rim diameter is 14.3mm andthe head diameter is 12.2mm to 12.3mm. Except for commercialammunition manufactured by Norma and in Yugoslavia forexport to the United States, the brass, copper- or brass-washedsteel or lacquered-steel rimmed cases are Berdan-primed.

Cases in this caliber can be instantly recognized by their pecu-liar partially convex base contour. Headstamps are found eitherimpressed or raised around the edge of the base. Bullets measure.311" in diameter. In addition to either heavy or light ball rounds,this caliber will be encountered with tracer (since 1972 this pro-jectile exhibits a step just forward of the case mouth), AP, API,APIT, ranging high explosive incendiary (HEI) projectiles,

I.O. Inc’s SSG97

The side mount rail will accept a substantial number of optical sights, includingRussian night vision scopes, which still have a reputation for grainy imagery.

Light transmission of the Belarus-made6x42mm scope is very good and the

image is sharp and clear. The rangefind-ing reticle pattern has been adapted

from the RPG-7 sight.

The Russian Talon PO 3-9x42 sniperscope, shown here attached to anSVD Dragunov rifle, is a 3-9X variablescope with an exceptionally sharpimage at all power ranges.

This wooden crate contains 880 rounds of Russian 7N14sniper ball ammunition. Only the crate and sealed tinsidentify the ammunition as the rare sniper ball ammo.

Russian 7N14 sniper ball ammunition is packed in sealedtins with 440 rounds in 20-round paper packages. Qualitycompares well with U.S. Lake City match-grade ammunition.

crimped blanks for grenade launching, short-range practice balland drill rounds.

Since 1945, 7.62x54R ammunition has been manufactured inBulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, East Germany, Finland,France, Hungary, Iraq, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Spain, theSoviet Union, Sweden, Syria and Yugoslavia. Prior to World WarII, it was also produced in Britain, Germany, Mexico and theUnited States.

The existence or not of match-grade ammunition for theM91/30 and Dragunov sniper rifles puzzled cartridge collectorsand small arms authorities alike for many years. In fact, the fac-tory making match-grade 7.62x54R ammunition is located inNovosibirsk and their headstamp code during the Cold War was“188.” The new headstamp is “LVE”, which stands for the nameof the factory, “Low Voltage Equipment Plant.” Unfortunately,match-grade 7.62x54R ammunition cannot always be identifiedby the headstamp alone, as this factory makes standard ammuni-tion also. Only the wooden crates and the two sealed tins theycontain, which in turn each hold 440 rounds in 20-round paper-wrapped packages, state whether or the ammunition wasdesigned for the Dragunov.

During the war in El Salvador, I used to cull out from capturedlots all 7.62x54R ball with a “188” headstamp for the NationalPolice’s Special Reaction Team’s captured SVD. It never shotwell and in the end I assumed it was standard ball ammunitionthat the FMLN was probably using in the PKM GPMG. Theguerrillas always destroyed the packaging, as they thought thatwas the only way the country of origin could be determined.

Several years ago I obtained two wooden crates (a total of1,760 rounds) of Russian 7N14 7.62x54R sniper ball ammuni-tion. Some of this was used in SGN’s test and evaluation of theSSG 97. The copper-washed steel case carries a “188 97” head-stamp, indicating manufacture at the Low Voltage EquipmentPlant in 1997. It is Berdan-primed with two primer pocket holesand with a red primer annulus and red case mouth sealant.

The case is filled with 49 grains, nominal, of an extruded

tubular kernel powder that produces a muzzle velocity ofapproximately 2670 fps (830 m/s). The boattail 150-grain FMJbullet has a steel core and a gas cup at the rear inside the jacket.The quality and performance of this ammunition is certainlycomparable to U.S.-made Lake City match-grade ammunition.The Low Voltage Equipment Plant also manufactures match-

grade 7.62x54R ammunition with200-grain boattail projectiles, dis-tributed in the United States by WolfAmmo.

Stukeys Sturdy Shooting Bench

Testing sniper weapon systems foraccuracy requires no small amountof shooting off a bench. Most of theso-called portable shooting benchesavailable are too insubstantial to pro-vide the solid support needed toevaluate the system’s accuracypotential. Stukeys Sturdy ShootingBenches (Dept. SGN, P.O. Box 136,Kaycee, Wyo. 82639; phone: 307-738-2245; website: www.shootingbenches.com) makes the bestportable shooting bench I have everused.

The 40x32-inch top, cut for right-or left-handed shooters, is madefrom heavy cabinet-grade plywood.The three powder-coated steel legsinterface with the top using a uniquefloating-nut plate/socket and collararrangement that eliminates wobbleand provides an exceptionally solidlock-up between the legs and thebench top.

A carrying handle is attached toboth the top and one of the legs. Thetop weighs approximately 30 poundsand the leg bundle about 35 pounds.Easy to set up, it will fit in most cartrunks. The bench costs $395 plusshipping and handling. A leg caddyto secure the legs is an additional$35.

A final useful addition is the Contico Shooters Box/Seat foranother $35. It includes a tote caddy with a slide-out tray. I nowkeep everything required for testing off the bench stored perma-nently on the shooters box, as I usually get to the range only todiscover I have forgotten something. I can recommend this trulyexcellent equipment without reservations of any kind.

Kokalis found the portable bench from Stukeys SturdyShooting Benches perfect for supporting the SSG97 dur-ing testing. It’s a substantial unit with a 3/4" plywood top.

AK on Steroids

Caliber: 7.62x54R.

Operation: Semiautomatic; locked breech; gas-operatedwith long stroke RPK piston; three-lug rotary bolt dupli-cating Kalashnikov method of operation; AK-type safetylever.

Weight: (with scope, empty) 9.5 pounds (4.3kg).

Length, overall: 45.3 inches (1150mm).

Barrel: Four-groove with a right-hand twist of one turn in10 inches (254mm) over 22.4 inches (570mm) of rifling.

Barrel length: 24.6 inches (625mm).

Feed mechanism: Five- and 10-round, staggered-col-umn, detachable box-type magazines. One 10-roundmagazine supplied.

Optical sight: 6X42mm POSP with battery-powered ret-icle illumination; field of view is 4°; rangefinder reticlepattern after that of the RPG-7V. The optical sight’sWarsaw Pact side mount is integral with the scope tube.

Emergency sights: AK-type: round front sight post,which is adjustable for both elevation and windage zero;sliding tangent-type rear sight with an open U-notch,

adjustable for elevation in 100-meter intervals from 100to 1200 meters. 300-meter battle-sight setting ismarked with the letter for “P”.

Furniture: Skeletonized, wood-laminate buttstock with aswell on top of the stock that serves as an integralcheekpiece. Both the top handguard, which is part of thegas cylinder assembly, and the bottom forearm are ofsolid wood construction.

Finish: Black oxide.

Manufacturer: ROMARM (aka RATMIL), Dept. SGN,48-50 Calea Victoriei, Pasajul Victoriei, sector 1,Bucharest 70102, Romania; phone: +40-1-613 43 66;fax: +40-1-312 29 88.

Importer: I.O. Inc., Dept. SGN, Box 847, Monroe, N.C.28111-0847; phone: 866-882-1479; fax: 704-225-8362; website: www.ioinc.us.

Price: $799.95, complete with 6x42mm scope and car-rying case, one 10-round magazine, a green nylon sling,oil bottle, three-piece cleaning rod and AK-type butt-stock cleaning kit. When equipped with the 4x24mmscope, the price is $749.95.

T&E summary: The usual Kalashnikov robustness andreliability. Surprisingly accurate for a semiautomatic rifleoperated by means of a long stroke piston. Reasonablypriced. Highly recommended, especially to military smallarms collectors.

Specifications

SSG 97