The Romanian PSL looks like the famous Soviet Dragunuv rifle. It feels a lot like it too. It can hold the role and with extreme scarcity of the authentic rifle and its authentic clones, it found a solid niche.
But once it found that niche, gone were the days of the $499 PSL-54c.
The rifle itself is nothing more than an elongated AK for the x54r instead of the x39, an incredibly Soviet solution to the problem of needing a DMR type rifle. It served in the role to an adequate degree and most technology coming out of Russia was meant for adequacy, not excellence. There’s a problem, here is a simple solution to that problem.
Yes, $499
On the shelf too. With the PSO-1 optic even. I remember walking into my LGS and seeing the rifles, with or without scope, for $499.
And. I. Didn’t. Buy. One…
Why? Beyond being a poor junior reserve Marine in the late 00’s working sub $10/hr gigs, because I didn’t have foresight enough and patience enough. Back in those days I bought and sold to get the next thing I wanted to buy and try. I bought a $600 Arsenal AK that was being clearance price cleared for the new model. Bought an AR-10B from Armalite, considering it the more practical 7.62 option. I was probably right but that rifle faded to obscurity and has been updated past several times. PSL-54c’s have more than tripled in price and remained largely the same.
I goofed there.
Enough of nostalgia, how does the rifle actually perform in its role? Well if you’re done watching the 9-Hole video you probably have a fair idea.
If you don’t want to watch the video and have it answered in text here.
Meh.
