VSS

The VSS (Russian: Винтовка Снайперская Специальная Vintovka Snaiperskaya Spetsialnaya; English: Special sniper rifle) is a Russian-made suppressed designated marksman rifle (DMR) developed in the late 1980s. It fires the same special-purpose 9x39mm subsonic ammunition as the 9A-91.

Battlefield: Bad Company
In the singleplayer campaign, it can be found in the mission Par for the Course as a collectable. Right before the player crosses the bridge to Serdar's palace, it should be on a crate to the right. It can also be found in level Ghost Town in one of the buildings when area is being shelled by American artillery.

In multiplayer, the VSS is issued to the Recon kit as an unlockable, obtained by either reaching rank 25 or purchasing the Gold Edition. It has a higher rate of fire than any other sniper rifle in the game, and is in fact fully automatic, albeit the slowest-firing weapon of that type. Its lower damage and lower long-range accuracy balance it's high rate of fire (for a sniper rifle). It can normally kill in 3-4 body shots and has an integral silencer.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Only available in multiplayer, the VSS Snaiperskaya Special is the sixth sniper rifle issued to the Recon kit, requiring 26,000 points to unlock. While the VSS is equipped with a 6x scope by default, it can also be equipped with a Red Dot Sight, 4X Rifle Scope, or 12X Zoom Scope, and is also compatible with the Spotting Scope specialization. Many recommend that a player attach a Red Dot Sight or 4x rifle scope, as the weapon's low accuracy and high rate of fire make it more favorable for closer range engagements than the other sniper rifles. Plus, the recoil and relatively low damage make fully automatic fire useless at long range. Tap firing however, can still earn skilled players marksmen headshots in the low 100-category, although the large bulletdrop (being the biggest of any sniper rifle in the game) makes the VSS hard/next to impossible to use at extreme distances.

The VSS chews through ammo quickly and the ammo upgrade may be needed. This leaves the user either having to sacrifice the extra ammo for a better shorter-range optic, or leave the regular scope and resort to firing from the hip in medium-to-close-quarters battles. Sniper rifles don't have cross-hairs for hip firing, so this leaves the user at a disadvantage; they must choose between a reasonable ammunition load and better close-range capability. (However, although there are no hipfire crosshairs on the VSS, its hipfire cone of fire is extremely tight, meaning that, although it is difficult to aim, with practice, the VSS can be effectively used at close ranges.) When using the VSS, it can be a good idea to remain near an Assault-class soldier, and to carry a handgun in place of tracer darts. Despite all of these apparent short-comings, skilled recon players might find it as an ideal weapon for serving as both an urban sniper rifle and an assault rifle for indoor fighting.

Like the semi-automatic sniper rifles, the VSS requires 2 shots to the head in order to kill. Despite being fully automatic, it does not handle like an SMG or assault rifle, as it suffers from massive spray penalties, limiting the effectiveness of automatic fire. As with almost all automatic weapons in the game, firing in bursts allows for greater control without compromising power.

Unlike other sniper rifles, however, the VSS doesn't fire a supersonic bullet, meaning a bullet won't make the characteristic cracking sound of a usual sniper bullet when passing by an enemy, reducing chance of detection, and possibly enemy's likelihood of taking immediate cover, not to mention enemies won't alarm others with screaming until they are hit. This can be quite useful at longer ranges, as it allows the sniper to fire a few shots to gauge distance (by observing the impacts of the bullets) before the target notices; this is especially true if the target is distracted.

In Hardcore mode, it requires only one headshot to kill while using Magnum Ammunition. However, unless playing in Hardcore mode, it is not as effective as it won't ever lower the number of bullets needed to achieve a kill, unless the target has been previously injured.

Videos
thumb|300px|left|Gameplay with the VSS Snaiperskaya Special in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at [[Isla Inocentes and Valparaiso in Hardcore Rush mode]]