True, however according to a friend PVA is pretty slow. So I guess depends on when you want your barrel if it's worth the price.
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Official (DTA) SRS, HTI, Covert, Hunter Thread
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It's probably like big pharma, nice dinners and drinks on Ronnie Barrett. Jokes aside, might have been some concern about an up and coming company meeting quotas and production schedules. Barrett has long ben established. As well, at what point in US history has any branch ever opted for a bull pup configuration? Who knows really?
I’ve used 175SMK w/ Varget in mine for ages. Velocity is around 2500fps, which will still get you to 1000 yards.
175 smk with 42ish grains of RL-15 or AR-Comp get me just over 2500 and shootes excellentWhat load combo have people found that works well in the 308 16" factory DT barrel?
Thanks
Looking into the secondhand market and to get into an SRS. Is there any merit to going with a rifle with a factory DT barrel or would a rifle with a ES tactical barrel be on par performance? I am mainly concerned about accuracy, barrel life, and weight. Any info is helpful and appreciated.
With any second hand rifle, knowing the history behind it is pretty key.
ES Tactical barrels are great. I'd say they are going to perform better than factory barrels. As they should.
Barrel life is primarily going to be on the caliber you pick and how it has been run by the previous owner and how you intend to run it. I have not seen drastic differences in barrel life between quality barrel manufacturers.
Accuracy and weight often are opposite of each other. Barrel accuracy often get better as barrels get heavier in profile.
If you are trying to keep things light as possible, but want accuracy, Proof Carbon barrels are tough to beat.
If you want things as light as possible, ultra light profile barrels with aggressive fluting are hard to beat for weight. They can be very accurate as well, but group sizes will open up as barrels heat up.
Thank you. Are ES Tactical barrels shooting better than factory something typically experienced? Even with the cost difference?
The general consensus around here seems to be that the factory DTA barrels are very good, but your choices are limited.
There are several outfits making custom DTA barrels, which can be had in just about any configuration you like, and if made from a quality blank, should shoot even better.
Check out the DTA resources page: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/resources/desert-tech-srs-hti-covert-hunter-resource.27/
Same. I don't remember my load off the top of my head, but it's 42.something grains of AR Comp. 42.2? My MV is a little higher, but it just shoots
Desert Tech has great performing factory barrels. We've sold hundreds of them. They guarantee 1/2 MOA. We've only had 2 go back for warranty under their accuracy guarantee, both of which were warranted and replaced by DT.
Generally custom barrels spun up by a good smith will outshoot factory barrels on average. Though I personally have owned a couple factory DT barrels that were extremely good shooters that rivaled my custom barrels when it came to accuracy.
Nothing wrong with factory DT barrels unless you want a heavier contour or different caliber. I just completed a 450 BM on a covert 16in 1.25 full bull and my next project probably be some kind of 30+ in 300PRC necked down to 7mm.
You can also buy your own blank and the barrel extension and sent it off to your smith and he can chamber it.
You can also buy your own blank and the barrel extension and sent it off to your smith and he can chamber it.
I bought my Gen 1 back when they were first released and only factory barrels were available. My first non-factory barrel was FireGuyTy, for all us old heads who remember him, back in 2011ish? Every factory barrel I owned has shot incredibly well. Aside from the cost, I found nothing to complain about in regards to factory DT barrels.
I don’t even know if DT responded to the RFP/RFF that the PM for that CDID/CFT put forward for that program. There are some pretty strict rules in place WRT the dinners drinks etc.
The Factory DT LW barrels are exceptional !! I have most of the conversions for the SRS and HTI.. For the SRS my 3 most used cal,s are 338l, 300WM and 6.5cm...
These all produce ragged, one hole groups at 200yds. At 1000yds when conditions allow i have shot sub 3" groups on many occasions .
I would challenge any aftermarket custom barrel to better this..
I've had some factory DT LW barrels just like yours. I've also had some that just hovered right at that 1/2 MOA guarantee. Of the barrels I've owned, I've found that generally my custom barrels would out shoot my factory barrels, but the factory offerings from DT are very good.
Augusta, WV. Waiting for the fog to burn off a bit before a re-zero of the 416...
I got Elite Iron cans. My Alpha 50 cleared on 7/7/23...273 days. My Elite Iron DT408 cleared on 6/15/23...251 days. These were submitted 5 minutes apart. It was different people that approved them, I guess that was why 1 took 3 weeks longer. Yes I shoot ATIPS.
You can order the DT375 and have them bore it for the 408. Very good business to deal with.
Its Peterson ammo. 415 gr cutting edge MTH.
I also looked inside my barrels, they look good, just need cleaned.
Have you done any load development with the 415 MTHs? If so do you use Retumbo or N570? I have some 425 grain lasers on order, trying to determine what powder to use.
Elite Iron makes an excellent bipod for the HTI. How much more recoil & POI shift do you get on the .408 with a can on it?
My barrels are Fireguyty, Shortactioncustoms, TS customs and I have one factory barrel. All shoot well. The DTA barrels back in the old days came with a screwy 3/4-24 thread pattern, not sure now. The DTA barrel is not quite as accurate as the others but in a field perspective all are very very good. I like the custom options because of thread, rifling, twist, contour and caliber choices.
Yes. A1 and older barrels all had 3/4x24 threads. When they came out with the A2 barrels that have additional fluting on the barrel shank, they put 5/8x24 muzzle threads on everything but the .338 LM and .338 Norma.
And of course, I have another special use case that I needed to accommodate my hard case to so, off to mycasebuilder.com and nearly 300 bucks later we have this absurdly obese bastard. Estimated weight with full mags and the full lot of extra ammo is ~140lbs. This is not a carry case. It's meant to contain everything to do with the rifle while I'm in a particular place doing a particular thing. Everything is labelled for your convenience. The SRS soft case w/ backpack straps forms the bulk of the top cover foam.
Top layer (has fabric pull-out straps and a rigid plastic bottom):
Bottom layer:
All in I still have less in it than I would have for just the AI ASR pack and I have more barrels and a scope. It's a shame I can't bring my hush cans back to the USA. I finally got a chance to use my .30-cal can. For only having 4 baffles it's really quiet. I just love how compact it is. That said, I could only get it in 5/8x24 thread and my .308's have 3/4" threads so it sits on an adapter that I had a machinist friend set up for me. It looks a little goofy but it works so I stopped caring about the goofy look.
Top layer (has fabric pull-out straps and a rigid plastic bottom):
Bottom layer:
All in I still have less in it than I would have for just the AI ASR pack and I have more barrels and a scope. It's a shame I can't bring my hush cans back to the USA. I finally got a chance to use my .30-cal can. For only having 4 baffles it's really quiet. I just love how compact it is. That said, I could only get it in 5/8x24 thread and my .308's have 3/4" threads so it sits on an adapter that I had a machinist friend set up for me. It looks a little goofy but it works so I stopped caring about the goofy look.
I really appreciate the insight. I am looking at a TS customs barrel and am curious how you like yours?
Travis Stevens does great work. I’m sure you’ll like any barrel he spins up.
As above he makes good barrels. I would also highly recommend Mark at Short action customs for SRS barrels and his very good .223 conversion kit.
It is listed there on the site on the .223 conversion page so it's not entirely obvious but it is there.
$150 + ooga booga milky way
Damned auto-correct.
My last one was $164.65 with the ooga booga milky way.
I am stealing the ooga booga from you. And I know exactly who I am going to say that to
I have an A2 covert in 308 with a 3/4x24 thread barrel. They even state on their website that the thread should be 5/8x24 but they must have let some out with the old thread pattern.
Anyone running a ABR with a SRS ? Can you share a pic ? Can you use the normal desert tech magazine ?
www.solidsolutiondesigns.com
Stud Mounted ABR
The Stud Mounted ABR (adjustable bag rider) for a Desert Tech precision rifle replaces the need for expensive, heavy, and bulky adjustable front rests and wobbly monopods.
www.solidsolutiondesigns.com
Does your barrel have a fluted barrel shank? A2 covert barrels are also fluted where the older A1 covert barrels were not fluted, if I am remembering correctly. It’s been a minute since we’ve had A1 conversion kits at the shop.
You may have gotten an a2 chassis, but an A1 conversion kit. The A1 kit works just fine in the A2 and vice versa.
A friend of mine likes to edit my auto-correct and auto-complete settings when I'm not looking. The list of extremely embarrassing things that I've found out about the hard way is long. I gave up fixing them a long time ago. Now I just accumulate little easter eggs. The most annoying one is that if I type "kk" on my phone it changes it to "butt sausage".
Hi All, I recently bought my first firearm, a DT SRS Gen2 in 308. Wanted to change the brake to a Precision Armament EFAB.
So I looked online, saw it had the same thread specs, was built for 308, and placed the order not thinking much of it.
Long story short, it arrived and won’t fit because the EFAB inner diameter at the back is smaller than the threaded muzzle outer diameter.
I’m weighing up my options still, but wanted to ask, has anyone had theirs smithed to accept a different brake?
So I looked online, saw it had the same thread specs, was built for 308, and placed the order not thinking much of it.
Long story short, it arrived and won’t fit because the EFAB inner diameter at the back is smaller than the threaded muzzle outer diameter.
I’m weighing up my options still, but wanted to ask, has anyone had theirs smithed to accept a different brake?
Not to accept a brake, but when I bought my first SRS, the muzzle for all barrels came threaded 3/4×24, but all my suppressors were threaded 5/8×24, so I had my smith rethread the muzzle. I admit I'm not understanding what isn't lining up on yours, though. If your muzzle device is threaded 5/8×24 and your muzzle is 5/8×24, the diameter for both is 5/8"
My ignorance is showing, I assumed my barrel is 5/8x24. Here’s a pic of my DT muzzle shims on top of a PA accu-washer.
I’ll admit to not understanding the measurements before and ordering based off my ignorance and assumptions.
/edit Like right now I’m assuming my barrel thread is actually 3/4x24 and I’ve been had by incorrect published DT specs.
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Just return this brake and get another one with compatible thread.
Check this if it works
www.shootsmallgroups.com
Check this if it works
Cart | Cortina Precision
www.shootsmallgroups.com
I’m in Australia, it took an ITAR cert to get it here, so I think I’m stuck with it.Just return this brake and get another one with compatible thread.
Check this if it works
Cart | Cortina Precision
Plus, that’s the biggest diameter hybrid brake they make.
For what it’s worth, I was able to finally get a spare Gen1 extension installed on that PVA Guinea Pig barrel and shoot it. This is a 26” (longest barrel they were doing at the time) fast 1:7 twist .300NM specifically intended to shoot the heavy 241gr Seneca solids.
I did some initial break-in with a tried and true 220 LRHT (91gr N570) load that has shot well in other barrels. Accuracy wasn’t great but wasn’t really a big deal; it would just be nice if that shot well too. Then I shot some 5-shot groups with another proven load using 212 Seneca solids and it grouped well (0.48MOA). I also shot the 241 Seneca load I settled on for the 34” ES Tactical barrel in the M2 and it shot a bit better (0.35MOA).
So, very much preliminary data, but it looks like the PVA conversion shoots their solids well.
EDIT: almost forgot - something very odd about this barrel is the offset required: -5.2 mils! Usually my short action barrels are all within +/- 0.5 mils and my magnums +/- 1.5 mils offset, but never in all my years have I seen a 5+ mils offset, let alone that much down. Very weird.
I did some initial break-in with a tried and true 220 LRHT (91gr N570) load that has shot well in other barrels. Accuracy wasn’t great but wasn’t really a big deal; it would just be nice if that shot well too. Then I shot some 5-shot groups with another proven load using 212 Seneca solids and it grouped well (0.48MOA). I also shot the 241 Seneca load I settled on for the 34” ES Tactical barrel in the M2 and it shot a bit better (0.35MOA).
So, very much preliminary data, but it looks like the PVA conversion shoots their solids well.
EDIT: almost forgot - something very odd about this barrel is the offset required: -5.2 mils! Usually my short action barrels are all within +/- 0.5 mils and my magnums +/- 1.5 mils offset, but never in all my years have I seen a 5+ mils offset, let alone that much down. Very weird.
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Earlier generation barrels were all 3/4x24 threads. When the A2 conversion kits came out, they added fluting to the barrel shank on all SRS barrels and full length flutes to the covert length barrels. All the calibers in the A2 conversion kits have 5/8x24 threads with the exception of the .338 caliber barrels.
The 3/4x24 threads for some customers was an issue and DT had many customers asking for 5/8x24. We had some customers get them turned down to 5/8x24, others bought adapters from Delta P, some just purchased different muzzle devices or suppressor mounts.
I am sure there are a number of A2 rifles out there that were sold with A1 Conversion kits, because that's what the dealer had on hand when they sold the rifle.
For my personal SRS barrels, I just purchased brakes for suppressor mounts in 3/4x24 and never worried about it.
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