Official (DTA) SRS, HTI, Covert, Hunter Thread

The rifle I bought is coming with a 6.5x47 Lapua barrel. I shoot a .260 and have all the components for that, so I'll likely get a .260 barrel for the DTA in the future and not mess with the 6.5x47

Why don't you just get the chamber reamed to 260 spec? Its the same bore and the chambers are nearly identical other than length...the 260 being longer so it should be possible to open it up to 260 and not wait 6 months for barrel. Mags and bolt are the same.
Frank
 
Hello All

Question. Can I get my Gen 1 (PIN) SRS converted to a Covert. I have 338.Lapua 260Rem and 308Win Barrels.
Thanks for reply in advance.
Copk9


Sure you can, just swap out the long handguard for the short one. They list it on the company website and it comes with a wrench to remove the old and install the new. I did my gen 1 rifle some time back and won't be putting the long handguard back on.

Rifle Upgrades - Accessories - Desert Tactical Arms

Frank
 
For anyone out there wanting an SRS that doesn't want to wait for us to build it then our dealer Doug's Shoot n Sport in Utah has a black Gen II in stock on the shelf. (801) 966-1802

Last time I was in there, they had two - and yes, I fondled them both! :)

I just called to check - their 308 is gone, but they've still got one rifle. It has both the 338 and 308 conversions.
 
Well thanks to Psyops, I have joined the ranks of DTA owners. He was kind enough to hook me up with one of his DTAs. The rifle is in great shape, and is the second gun I've purchased from Psyops. He really takes care of his gear and is very knowledgable. THANKS PSYOPS!!!

The DTA has a new DTA 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, and my Premier Reticle 5-25x56 scope. The rifle is amazingly accurate. I am using the same load I used in my Custom 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, and the DTA is so accurate already, that I may not have to do much load development.

Right now, I don't have my Thunderbeast Arms can on the gun. I have the required brake on order. Its hard to imagine the gun getting more accurate, but it may since the recoil will be reduced with the brake/can on it.

I love the trigger, it has a light but crisp pull. I like the ergonomics of the gun. The cheek weld is just right, and the shorter gun is easier to handle when standing or sitting. The bolt location is different, but not a detriment.

The only downside is that the DTA is heavy. I know I can buy a covert forearm, but I am thinking about just cutting the SRS forearm down to covert size. My bipod is already mounted far enough back to use a Covert sized forearm. Would it be a mistake to cut the forearm with a hacksaw and a dremel?

I am looking to pick up another barrel in a couple of months. I am considering a 7mm Rem Mag, a 300WM, or maybe even a 338LM. I hope I can pick the brains of this knowledgable group for suggestions at some point.
 
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Sure you can, just swap out the long handguard for the short one. They list it on the company website and it comes with a wrench to remove the old and install the new. I did my gen 1 rifle some time back and won't be putting the long handguard back on.

Rifle Upgrades - Accessories - Desert Tactical Arms

Frank

I will probably do this at some point. Did you have any problem with the handguards lining up with the receiver rails? So you just spin one off and screw the smaller one on?
 
I will probably do this at some point. Did you have any problem with the handguards lining up with the receiver rails? So you just spin one off and screw the smaller one on?
I had no problems whatsoever. It went right on, lined up and I locked it with the original key and screw. My 26" barrels work fine with the short handguard and I can now use the 16" barrels I wanted for the subsonic rounds I load.....338BR and 12.7X48. Anything over 16" for the subs is a waste. The original handguard was pretty tight and I did have to remove the skins and lock the receiver in my mill vise to get it loose. Once it broke loose it came off easy. The new handguard took just a little bit of pressure to line up so its tight and perfectly aligned. I wouldn't hesitate to swap them out.

Frank
 
Anybody know what on earth is going on with DTA customer service lately??? Ordered a .308 22" for gen 1 6 weeks ago. Told it was going to take 2-3 months. Fine. Suprisingly I get a shipped notice 2 weeks ago. The next day, after it shipped, I can an email saying that they were reviewing my order and it had not been paid for. I called them and said, well you shipped it and you took the money from my checking account 6 weeks ago. They but me on hold for a while and came back and said that they had mixed up the orders and all was well. The barrel shows up 3 or 4 days later and its loose in the box banging from one end to the other. I open the box and its a gen 2 barrel. Call DTA on the following Monday and explain. A couple days later I get a response that the coding in the computer is complicated and the coding was wrong for some reason. THey continue to say I will receive and email with a return shipping label and will be placed first in line for the correct barrel. Well that was 10 days ago. I have talked to them everyday for the last 3 days and have been promised my return shipping label. Everyday, nothing. What the heck is going on in that place. It used to be a smooth operation. Seems like nobody has a clue.
 
That's too bad to hear Thor. It's pretty trying times now for manufacturers (enormous backlogs). I'm sure it's just a hiccup. I had a warranty issue several weeks ago that was butt plate related and my experience could not have been better. I had heard from a friend that he has the part I needed on order for a while; however, when I needed the part it was almost like DTA has a reserve for warranty work.
 
I don't own one of their rifles yet. HTI is on the horizon. But I don't hear of many complaints about customer service from DTA. I would guess like any company no one is 100% perfect no matter how hard they try. They made a mistake and I'm sure will make it right. It's just an unprecedented busy time in this industry right now. Try and be patient, they will take care of you.

I sure wish things would get back to normal. It's almost like everyone still thinks the bans are coming or something? So tired of back-orders and ammo shortages???
 
I don't own one of their rifles yet. HTI is on the horizon. But I don't hear of many complaints about customer service from DTA. I would guess like any company no one is 100% perfect no matter how hard they try. They made a mistake and I'm sure will make it right. It's just an unprecedented busy time in this industry right now. Try and be patient, they will take care of you.

I sure wish things would get back to normal. It's almost like everyone still thinks the bans are coming or something? So tired of back-orders and ammo shortages???

You would be surprised how many Pms I have received with complaints. I've had my dta for a while and have had nothing but great service until now. You say be patient but four days of " I promise you will have it today, if you don't for some reason call me back the next day and ill take care of it." Gets old and I have much better things to do then call every day.
 
It's certainly not unique to DTA right now.....the entire industry is on its ear.

That being said, you couldn't pay me enough to work in the customer service department for a firearms company......especially right now. Gun owners can be worse than a gaggle of soccer moms at Starbucks complaining about the lack of whip in their double chai venti breve latte.
 
It's certainly not unique to DTA right now.....the entire industry is on its ear.

That being said, you couldn't pay me enough to work in the customer service department for a firearms company......especially right now. Gun owners can be worse than a gaggle of soccer moms at Starbucks complaining about the lack of whip in their double chai venti breve latte.

THat's no shit, I can only imagine how shitty any job in the firearm or reloading component business has been since last December.
 
I think I am ready to order the srs. I just have a few of questions about specifics. My questions have kind of been answered in the thread, but I am hoping someone will have a few direct answers for me.

1. Has anyone tested the velocity difference from the 16" to the 22" .308 barrel? I will likely use varget and for sure 155 gr scenars.
2. Any accuracy differences in the 2 barrels, specifically with 155 gr bullets?
3. I plan on mounting the Kahles 624i on the srs covert. I have only seen pictures of the scope mounted on a full length srs and it looks to me it would hang at least 1" over the end of the 16" barrel. Anyone tried this and do you think it would cause problems even without a brake? And yes I plan on running a suppressor eventually, but may not get one for some time.
 
I have a custom SAC 17" barrel for my DTA Covert. Running Varget at my accuracy load of 43.5gr and 167 gr Scenars, I get 2530 fps.

The nice thing about the short barrel is it doesn't droop much when I attach on the suppressor. I get .1 mil left of shift with suppressor on.

I don't have a 22" barrel so I'll let others chime in. I'm sure you can just look up regular .308 22" barrel results to broaden your sample size.

A Bushnell HDMR currently sits on my DTA Covert and I still have room to spare on the rails before the bell would extend past the rail.
 
Well thanks to Psyops, I have joined the ranks of DTA owners. He was kind enough to hook me up with one of his DTAs. The rifle is in great shape, and is the second gun I've purchased from Psyops. He really takes care of his gear and is very knowledgable. THANKS PSYOPS!!!

The DTA has a new DTA 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, and my Premier Reticle 5-25x56 scope. The rifle is amazingly accurate. I am using the same load I used in my Custom 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, and the DTA is so accurate already, that I may not have to do much load development.

Right now, I don't have my Thunderbeast Arms can on the gun. I have the required brake on order. Its hard to imagine the gun getting more accurate, but it may since the recoil will be reduced with the brake/can on it.

I love the trigger, it has a light but crisp pull. I like the ergonomics of the gun. The cheek weld is just right, and the shorter gun is easier to handle when standing or sitting. The bolt location is different, but not a detriment.

The only downside is that the DTA is heavy. I know I can buy a covert forearm, but I am thinking about just cutting the SRS forearm down to covert size. My bipod is already mounted far enough back to use a Covert sized forearm. Would it be a mistake to cut the forearm with a hacksaw and a dremel?

I am looking to pick up another barrel in a couple of months. I am considering a 7mm Rem Mag, a 300WM, or maybe even a 338LM. I hope I can pick the brains of this knowledgable group for suggestions at some point.



D,

Ahhh, crap! You can shoot anything and now you have an awesome platform to be even better, if that's possible. You and that DTA will be truly amazing!

Congrats, let's hit some BLM land and shoot stuff really far away.

--fellow DTA lover :)
 
dreamlander,
1. check our facebook page for info on velocities between the 16" and 22" barrels, it was 1-2 years back that we tested them.
2. our tests were with 175 and 168 matchkings so no comment on the 155's
3. The k624i will come to the edge of the handguard but not hang forward.


Thor2j,
I am sorry to hear of your mixup, it was a simple error that shouldn't have happened. We are always trying to improve our processes and if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you would PM me the complaints that you have heard of so we can see where we are going wrong and fix our procedures that may have flaws in them.

Guys,
Many times then customers will PM us on the hide, this forum is not our official form for communication and we try visit frequently but I have had guys get pretty upset because I didn't see there PM for a long time. The best and fastest way to contact us is by calling our office 801-792-6853 or emailing whichever department that you need to get in contact with, there is a list on our website.
 
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wasn't upset about being sent the wrong barrel, that stuff happens. I was bothered by the fact it took 8 days, 5 phone calls, and a few emails to get a return shipping label that was promised every day. It's been resolved now and hopefully the correct barrel will come soon.
 
Not sure if this has been asked before. I am reading the whole thread but have only made it to page 41 so far. But I have a SRS a1 on order with 22 inch 308 and 26 inch 338LM and a DTSS in 338. I have a night force ATACR sitting in my safe waiting for the gun. I have been thinking about changing my order to a covert but am worried the ATACR would hang over the end of the 16 inch barrels. Has anyone tried this yet and is it a problem? Should I stay normal SRS or go covert?
 
Not sure if this has been asked before. I am reading the whole thread but have only made it to page 41 so far. But I have a SRS a1 on order with 22 inch 308 and 26 inch 338LM and a DTSS in 338. I have a night force ATACR sitting in my safe waiting for the gun. I have been thinking about changing my order to a covert but am worried the ATACR would hang over the end of the 16 inch barrels. Has anyone tried this yet and is it a problem? Should I stay normal SRS or go covert?


I would order the covert handguard if I was you, as its user swapable. I wish I would have went that route instead of the covert with 16" barrel. If you change your order you will be waiting a year at least. I would order the handguard now because that will probably take 4 months+ to get. I have a Covert with a beast on the way, and from what I've gathered, it will be right at the edge. I have 2 DTA mounts and may use my mark 4 4-14 for the 16" and the beast for the 26" 338lm. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a DTA but I got the Leupold now so it's no big deal. As long as there is no MOA shift when swapping I should be good.
 
You say that, but that's not how it's working......not for everyone.

Everyone that works at my lgs has a brand new truck. Prices are way overpriced on everything, and most in the industry have the chance at overtime to meet demand. If someone in the firearms business is not making money then they need to find a new profession, because the opportunity is there to make a killing.
 
Everyone that works at my lgs has a brand new truck. Prices are way overpriced on everything, and most in the industry have the chance at overtime to meet demand. If someone in the firearms business is not making money then they need to find a new profession, because the opportunity is there to make a killing.

You have to remember that some of the smaller gun stores are having difficulty getting anything in. Not to mention, I would bet that most companies didn't give their employees a raise just because the store raised their prices.
 
Everyone that works at my lgs has a brand new truck. Prices are way overpriced on everything, and most in the industry have the chance at overtime to meet demand. If someone in the firearms business is not making money then they need to find a new profession, because the opportunity is there to make a killing.


Consider this...... DTA did not make drastic price increases when this scare started. DTM did not make any price increases when this whole thing started.

Desert Munitions, and I can say this as I AM Desert Munitions sold out of every single piece of ammo on the shelf and backordered the crap out of EVERYTHING! We did not increase prices to make an extra penny. Sure we could have made a huge profit by doing so, but after talking to Nick and deciding we weren't going to take advantage of our customers by doing so, we opted to stand by our pricing, pre scare and be loyal to our customers.

Now I ave to deal with pissed off customers that want their ammo NOW. I am backordered with my distributors and in the same boat as all the guys who have ammo back ordered with us as well.

We aren't all rolling in the dough as some may think, we chose to be loyal to you, not sell out and increase prices through the roof. Hopefully the end customers remember that when things start to settle down and they realize that my 338 Lapua stayed at $89-95 per box and not raised to 119-150 like other companies. We didn't raise our 308 prices to over $30-35 per box.

Stand by gents. It will settle down and we will catch up on our rifle and ammo orders.

Russ @ DTM
 
I stand corrected and the crow tastes disgusting. True that components and guns are unable to be picked up by the smaller guys. It's just the A*holes on gunbroker that are making the killings. Bad karma will soon even that out to the crooks.
 
Consider this...... DTA did not make drastic price increases when this scare started. DTM did not make any price increases when this whole thing started.

Desert Munitions, and I can say this as I AM Desert Munitions sold out of every single piece of ammo on the shelf and backordered the crap out of EVERYTHING! We did not increase prices to make an extra penny. Sure we could have made a huge profit by doing so, but after talking to Nick and deciding we weren't going to take advantage of our customers by doing so, we opted to stand by our pricing, pre scare and be loyal to our customers.

Now I ave to deal with pissed off customers that want their ammo NOW. I am backordered with my distributors and in the same boat as all the guys who have ammo back ordered with us as well.

We aren't all rolling in the dough as some may think, we chose to be loyal to you, not sell out and increase prices through the roof. Hopefully the end customers remember that when things start to settle down and they realize that my 338 Lapua stayed at $89-95 per box and not raised to 119-150 like other companies. We didn't raise our 308 prices to over $30-35 per box.

Stand by gents. It will settle down and we will catch up on our rifle and ammo orders.

Russ @ DTM

While you may not be making a killing now, eventually when things go back to normal, people will remember that you guys didn't gouge. It's very rare that companies didn't gouge throughout all this and will be loyal customers from here on out for people like you!
 
I stand corrected and the crow tastes disgusting. True that components and guns are unable to be picked up by the smaller guys. It's just the A*holes on gunbroker that are making the killings. Bad karma will soon even that out to the crooks.

I hope karma does catch up to them, I am tired of all this bullshit along with others. I remember which vendors kept their inventory at normal prices and which chose to gouge. Unfortunately, it was very few that chose not to take advantage of the situation. I will say that most of Sniperhide's vendors are still GTG in my book.
 
While you may not be making a killing now, eventually when things go back to normal, people will remember that you guys didn't gouge. It's very rare that companies didn't gouge throughout all this and will be loyal customers from here on out for people like you!

Thank you! I hope people will remember these things in the future. It was a decision that was made and Nick and I both felt we owed our customer base that much. We whole heartedly disagree with the gouging and we have actually dropped distributors for jacking up prices when they admit they still pay the old prices for the components. I can't speak for the rifle side of the house as raw materials for the chassis really don't come from inside the industry.

I had no clue how much "we" eat our own. I will give Nick huge props for backing the decision not to gouge. It may have cut the profit for now, but in the future we will know who is for pushing the industry forward and who is out for the short term buck and hopes that you guys will forget their decision to bend you over.
 
Not trying to stir shit here, but I have noticed a fair old price increase on the cost of rifles, parts and accessories this year. Ie: HTI mount has gone up a fair bit.
 
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