The PSL receiver is a stamped sheet metal design which has reinforcements below the barrel trunion and at the rear cut-out to prevent cracks due to the strong recoil. The gas system is like an AK series with the gas piston being attached to the bolt carrier. The ROMAK (ROManian Avtomat Kalashnikov) 3 was made at the Regia Autonoma de Tehnicå Militarå (RATMIL)and had their bayonet lugs removed to meet import restrictions. After a consolidation of military arsenals after Romania joined NATO, production of the PSL is now at the ARMS arsenal in Cugir, Romania and is completely retooled with all brand new state-of-the-art modern equipment purchased from Belgium and Croatia.

Even a hole that is welded up is still considered illegal by the BATFE.

The true military PSL made for the Romanian armed forces are very rare in the USA and are said to have a slightly higher quality finish, though the performance should be the same as on the commercial ROMAK 3 and SSG-97.

These military versions have the prohibited third axis hole drilled through the receiver. A rifle with this extra hole has been deemed to be a machinegun, regardless if it has the internal parts for full-auto fire.

A Romanian-built commercial PSL sold in the US and imported by either Century Arms International or InterOrdnance (above).

Century Arms International called the rifle a ROMAK-3 (early imports) and PSL-54C (current imports).

InterOrdnance called the rifle SSG-97.

The Tennessee Guns rifles are assembled in the US on Romanian receivers which are stamped either DRAGUNOV or FPK.

All these versions are PSL rifles.

All recently imported PSL rifles are manufactured in Romania on commercial receivers and assembled with parts from demilled military rifles that are refinished.

The magazines are marked with the receiver's serial number are are often hand-fitted to the rifle. The scopes are also hand-fitted to the side rail on the receiver. Many recent imports of PSLs do not have factory fitted scopes or magazines. This results in scopes that either do not fit the rail or are mounted slightly crooked making the scope reticle off-center, and magazines that will not lock in place or will not feed reliably.

Other common problems are canted (crooked) front sights and receivers not drilled for all the butt stock mounting screws.

Don't know if your PSL was built from a demilled kit?
Click for a discussion about PSL kits #1 | #2 | #3

The scope is the Romanian version of the PSO-1 which has no battery compartment. It is designated LPS 4x6° TIP2. These scopes are manufactured by IOR and have high quality lenses. The reticle is illuminated by mildly radioactive tritium. Almost all scopes that came with commercial PSLs have dead or expired tritium so don't expect to see the reticle in low light. These scopes are normally equipped with a rubber shock absorbing eye piece and a front rubber cover which is held to the scope by a rubber collar around the scope tube.

Some owners feel that the comb of the butt stock is not high enough to get a proper cheek weld when using the scope.

Internals of this rifle also differ considerably from the Dragunov design. The PSL, with it's stamped steel receiver, has trigger and hammer components that will be very familliar to AK-type owners. The Dragunov design, on the otherhand, has a trigger assembly that removes as a unit from the receiver.

More information can be found in the FAQ.

The gas system on the ROMAK 3 consists of the gas piston and bolt carrier which is one piece, also similar to the AK series rifles.

The buttstock is made from laminated wood and differs from the SVD by having a cheek pad designed into the comb. The SVD has a detachable leather cheek pad.

The muzzle device is a brake that reduces felt recoil very effectively. It is generally screwed on to barrel threads and locked in place with a spring-loaded pin at the base of the front sight. Some PSL rifles imported have the muzzle brake welded in place instead of pinned. Of those that are welded, some have no threads at the muzzle and are simply pressed on and welded.

These stocks were made by dragunovparts dot com and featured an extended wooden buttstock with pistol grip. These are no longer in production.

...and Ed's Polymer Stock set up, also (possibly) no longer in production.

"Made in Romana"

Early ROMAK-3 package came with two 5 round mags, original Romanian scope and green nylon sling.

A PSL with the big 8x42 POSP scope.

This PSL shows how thin the barrel is under the hand guards.

The "paratrooper" PSL before being assembled in to a rifle. These were never used in any military but should be good shooters.

The so-called "Para" PSL. These short barrel rifles were sold on a very limited basis and were converted in the US from Romanian parts.

These are actual Romanian military PSL's. If your rifle doesn't have these arsenal markings then it was built for commercial export.

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