armoury
RAPTOR SV-98 DELUXE
shame that no matter how tight we try to
fasten the hand spinners, we still get slop
side-to-side. That kind of sets the pattern
that we experienced with RAPTOR’s SV-98;
great functionality with slight question
marks over the end result.
For instance, we love the fact there’s an
under-barrel bipod included - but you have
to yank it so hard out of its recess that
you feel you’re going to break something
every time. That eases with use. We’re also
not convinced the mount that secures it
to the body is robust enough to withstand
too much rough and tumble. Similarly, the
height-adjustable rear monopod doesn’t
seat firmly unless you really crank that
knob in and we suspect that will also not
wear well over time.
We were more impressed by the way
you can adjust the silicone butt pad to
slide up and down through an arc of
about 5cm. That might not sound like a
lot, but it really helps to tailor the shooting
experience.
And the contours of the grip, thumb
holes and trigger guard are curvaceously
smooth with plenty of room for thick
winter gloves. I don’t know what material
has been used for the synthetic dimpled
inserts to either side of the grip, but they
work to provide a firm grasp.
Overall, this replica captures the
versatility of the SV-98 platform that’s light
years ahead of more popular rifles in terms
of ergonomics.
POWER AND PERFORMANCE
With UK site limits for sniper rifles generally
in the 400s, you might be disappointed
to learn that this SV-98 returns just
277FPS/0.71J on average using .20 BBs.
But that’s actually about the same as the
perennial favourite - and admittedly much
cheaper - VSR-10 as standard. RAPTOR
claims 130-135mps (approx 427FPS) on
their website but doesn’t state the weight
of BBs they used to reach this figure.
However, we all know that FPS is far
from the be-all-and-end-all in airsoft (don’t
we?) - especially for a sniper rifle where the
almighty hop-up is king. So how does the
SV-98 perform in terms of accuracy?
We gave it an easy test for a sniper at
just 25m, for no other reason than that’s
the space I have to work with. As it turns
out, that was ample. After running a few
mags through it over several days to ease
everything in, I managed a 2-inch grouping
using .25s with several fliers that went
high and left of the 6in target, but that
could be down to shooting between gusts
of wind. I’d expect better results indoors
with practice - and a more talented shooter
behind the trigger.
Things were much improved with .30
BBs when most shots landed on target for
a one-and-a-half inch group. But fiddle as
we might with settings, there was still an
arc to the trajectory requiring hold over
- aiming above the objective, rather than
each shot travelling straight and true with
the sights on centre target. And that’s at
25m - less than the Minimum Engagement
Distance for snipers at many sites.
Purely for the sake of a thorough
test, we found that .43 dedicated sniper
ammo struggled to even make it the full
range. Given the 277FPS output that we
measured earlier, we can’t say we were
surprised. As standard, it seems the sweet
spot for ammo for the SV-98 as standard is
.30 BBs, with upgrades on the cards sooner
rather than later to enable use of those
heavier spheres beloved of all snipers.
BEST SNIPER OR BEST SV-98?
The SV DX’s not inconsiderable £650
asking price pitches it right up against - or
even above - two of the finest proponents
of the good-to-go sniper rifle right now;
Silverback’s SRS and the SSG24 from
YouTube darling, Novritsch.
But that may be missing the point.
What we have here is an accurate replica
of a rifle that’s under-represented in airsoft
- and I’m the first to support manufacturers
willing to take a risk and bring something
new and distinctive to market.
Perhaps more importantly, I know that
many airsofters have a passion for Russian
hardware in general - and many of those
have a specific desire to add an SV-98 to
their collection. If that’s you, then we think
you’ll enjoy this offering from RAPTOR.
With its physical dimensions, there’s no
getting away from the fact that this sniper
rifle has undeniable presence and with
that wooden finish, it’s a beautiful object
to handle. This may not be the best out-
of-the-box sniper rifle …but it IS the best
SV-98 in airsoft. AA
RAPTOR SV-98 Deluxe Edition Airsoft
Sniper Rifle
Price: £649.95
Available from: Airsoftworld.net
Weight: 6.5kg (Claimed)
Length: 120cm-142cm (standard/
suppressed) (Tested)
Inner barrel length: 600mm (Claimed)
Inner barrel diameter: 6.04mm
(Claimed)
FPS: 277 avge (Tested)
Construction: Wood and metal
Power source: Bolt/spring
Magazine type: Polymer
Capacity: 50 rounds
“IN TERMS OF ERGONOMICS, THE SV IS STREETS AHEAD OF MORE MODERN FARE
- INCLUDING ONE VERY POPULAR BULLPUP BY SILVERBACK. NOT ONLY CAN YOU
ADJUST THE LENGTH OF THE STOCK BY ADDING OR REMOVING SECTIONS, BUT
THERE’S ALSO AN ADJUSTABLE CHEEK RISER.”
www.airsoft-action.online
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