New “Molot” products debut for the U.S. Market. The “Sniper” Vepr

by Marco Vorobiev • October 26, 2011 • 12 comments

As I mentioned before our trip to Molot Arms Manufacturing Plant was accompanied by the trip to their range, where we got a chance to shoot some cool guns, both from Molot’s new production and from the bygone era.

In the array of weapons that were available to us, one model stood out to me the most, the new 700mm-barrel Vepr rifle in both .308 and Russian 7.62X54R calibers. Russian-made “sniper” rifles have been short in the USA, with the SVD and Tigr’s prospects of imported into the States bleak, the only ComBloc snipers that are available to the U.S. shooter were ever abundant Romanian PSL and Yugoslavian M76 rifles. Well, this is about to change.

Built on an RPK receiver, as is the PSL, the new Vepr sports a 700mm chrome-lined heavy barrel. It feels and looks like a rifle intended for long range precision fire. The finish and overall quality is impeccable. The rifles we had at our disposal were dressed in sporting wood furniture. However, all the new U.S. models will feature SVD-like black polymer stock and handguard.

Once I was behind the trigger, it felt like a quality piece of equipment. The trigger was crisp. With bulk ball ammo shooting through a less than perfect Russian hunting scope, I scored 2cm group with the .308 rifle without even trying. Then I repeated it with its 7.62X54R sibling.

All of you the Russian gun lovers, brace yourselves. Exciting things are happening.


The 700mm-barreled Vepr rifle is based on the RPK receiver. A siderail will accept a variety of ComBloc optics or the user can specify a 1913 rail to accept just about any accessory.


Vorobiev found the Vepr’s heavy receiver and barrel meant very mild recoil for both calibers. U.S. shooters will be pleasantly surprised with the gun’s handling, he predicts.


The Russian model had a cage-type flash suppressor, but import restriction mean none will be installed on the U.S. models. The front sight will also be different for the U.S. market.

In Featured, Long Guns • Tagged , ,

12 Responses

  1. matt

    Kind of bland looking. Trick it out with some adaptable items from Magpul.

    On October 26, 2011 at 4:07 pm • Reply
    • Rusty Shackleford

      no

      On November 11, 2011 at 1:23 am • Reply
  2. Marco

    The US model will look very different from the one in the picture. It will resemble closely SVD rifle.

    On October 26, 2011 at 5:04 pm • Reply
  3. Tim Harmsen

    Outstanding. I still would rather have your SVDS (and my Albanian jacket), but this looks like a great alternative for those of us who are SVD deprived.

    On October 31, 2011 at 5:10 pm • Reply
    • Marco

      You can have all the Albanian jackets, but I'll keep my Algerian Army one.

      On November 1, 2011 at 9:53 pm • Reply
  4. P. O. Patriot

    What's the big deal with the Russian cage flash suppressor?
    Isn't it long past due to get the nitpicky,ridiculous Clinton Gang & Assocs. "import restrictions" tossed into a circular file somewhere?
    Am I the only one that remembers when Norinco .45s were available and an SKS sold for $100?
    Wasn't Form 4473 originally ONLY for handguns?
    Am I dreaming when I remember UPS delivering my first rifle to my parent's house?
    Why don't we just cut to the chase and REPEAL NFA?
    I'm sick of totalitarian control freak bureaucrats and cop head hired guns stepping on my rights and using 9/11 and the trumped up "War On Terr" to throw their weight around.
    This crap has got to stop.

    On November 1, 2011 at 7:45 am • Reply
    • Jeepster

      Well said and AMEN!

      On November 1, 2011 at 11:24 pm • Reply
    • mwtyoung

      The import restrictions, sporting purpose, 922r etc are all products of George Bush 1. Learn your history. The ban on new machineguns for civilians in 1986 was engineered by Bush as VP at Ronald Reagan's request, via some arm twisting on Volkmer of NJ. The Clinton restrictions disappeared completely in 2004 although Bush Jr had making them permanent a base of his re-election campaign that year.

      On November 20, 2011 at 3:19 am • Reply
      • callenIThowIseeIT

        what ever.. The stand is, that some city loven desk jockies make laws for these poor city rejecks that don't teach anything of gun safety or even the corect way to handle one …. So the only option for them is to make the rest of us pay for thier lack of need or knowledge…. So the freedom of the responsible gets take away by the speech of the angree and ignorant… so the way of the world …..but they don't go away it just puts that weapon in acsess of the criminal and harder for the every day inthusust .. my spelling sucks but I no this is true … outlawed just means it raised the pice on black market and maid it all that more popular in the criminal rings… more money to be maid ……. less disribution in the U.S. if any thing its jumped ….not hard to get if your that kind of person; if your not good luck ……and that what the band did and thats the same with alot of things .Look what happend during probishion…and thats the truth history don't lie. thanks for my b.s. opinion

        On December 29, 2011 at 10:27 pm • Reply
  5. Mike

    When are these rifle going to be available and who is going to sell them? Are spare parts going to be available?

    On December 31, 2011 at 9:21 am • Reply
  6. Military Arms

    They are available now. I just got mine from Atlantic Firearms. They are surprisingly affordable. The last time they were in the country they were $1300. Now they're $899. I'm quite impressed with them, mine is beautiful.

    On February 16, 2012 at 3:26 am • Reply
  7. ClassicalvsTactical

    MAC, the 27in. version is not available.

    On April 24, 2012 at 7:45 pm • Reply