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

#13,605
ChidJ said:
@Dogtown What bipod are you using there and what is the weight on the scale? I can't get the picture to clear up on my computer
Click to expand...
It’s a custom bipod made by Lloyd Desantis at RND Precision. I’m not sure about the weight - it was part of a thread where we were all trying to figure out how to cut down SRS weight and I suspect it reads something close to 11lbs.
 
#13,607
Anyone running the OEM 26" Desert Tech 6.5 A2 fluted barrel ? Running some numbers here, I'll take me awhile to get a custom barrel and I'm thinking of just buying the OEM conversion kit. It's about 200$ more but I get an extra mag and spare bolt. Is 1:8 still sufficient with all the newer 150+ grs out there ? Anyone knows where DTA gets their blanks from ?
 
#13,608
The factory barrels used to be Lothar-Walther, but I think are Krieger now. They are definitely good to go if they are available with the specs you want. There's no requirement to go custom unless you want something they don't offer. 1:8 twist is sufficient for heavy 6.5mm bullets.
 
#13,609
Dogtown said:
The factory barrels used to be Lothar-Walther, but I think are Krieger now. They are definitely good to go if they are available with the specs you want. There's no requirement to go custom unless you want something they don't offer. 1:8 twist is sufficient for heavy 6.5mm bullets.
Click to expand...
I agree wirh all of this. My barrels are from SAC and one from ES Tactical but I’ve seen the factory barrels shoot and they’re awesome
 
#13,611
srt-4_uk said:
I have a few A1 6.5 creed barrels if you wanted to save some money.
Click to expand...

I live in Canada and the import/export is getting worst. That’s one of the reason why it’s almost cheaper to just get a conv kit than get a custom blank (that needs to match DTA’s shank specs) to a smith plus the cost of barrel extension (which you’d also have to import) plus the cerakote plus chambering and threading ... if the oem barrel is as high quality, it’s tempting just to buy the kit, use the spare bolt for parts (importing DTA parts is the worst thing, they are terrible even with an exporter handling it) and just toss a insite muzzle brake and start shooting rather than wait 6-12 months for everything to line up.

Sure if I live stateside I’d go with SAC, ES or many of the top guys.
 
#13,612
st1650 said:
Anyone running the OEM 26" Desert Tech 6.5 A2 fluted barrel ? Running some numbers here, I'll take me awhile to get a custom barrel and I'm thinking of just buying the OEM conversion kit. It's about 200$ more but I get an extra mag and spare bolt. Is 1:8 still sufficient with all the newer 150+ grs out there ? Anyone knows where DTA gets their blanks from ?
Click to expand...
Factory barrels have been track drivers for me. I have that same barrel and love it
 
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#13,615
st1650 said:
I live in Canada and the import/export is getting worst. That’s one of the reason why it’s almost cheaper to just get a conv kit than get a custom blank (that needs to match DTA’s shank specs) to a smith plus the cost of barrel extension (which you’d also have to import) plus the cerakote plus chambering and threading ... if the oem barrel is as high quality, it’s tempting just to buy the kit, use the spare bolt for parts (importing DTA parts is the worst thing, they are terrible even with an exporter handling it) and just toss a insite muzzle brake and start shooting rather than wait 6-12 months for everything to line up.

Sure if I live stateside I’d go with SAC, ES or many of the top guys.
Click to expand...
You should try Gary at Bighorn
he orders pre made benchmark barrels and they are awesome barrels, just drop straight in
 
#13,617
Dogtown said:
The factory barrels used to be Lothar-Walther, but I think are Krieger now. They are definitely good to go if they are available with the specs you want. There's no requirement to go custom unless you want something they don't offer. 1:8 twist is sufficient for heavy 6.5mm bullets.
Click to expand...
That is incorrect, they are still Lothar blanks.
 
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#13,618
st1650 said:
Do you shoot factory ammo handloads ? How forgiving are they ? Does it prefer to be loaded deep or are they jump tolerant?
Click to expand...
I’ve been handloading 147s with RL26 and Lapua brass for almost the whole time I’ve shot my 6.5 CM factory barrel. Such a good setup that I grabbed a spare barrel off the PX here just to have when I finally burn this one out. Loaded long (2.89”) but works easily with the regular mag.
 
#13,619
st1650 said:
I live in Canada and the import/export is getting worst. That’s one of the reason why it’s almost cheaper to just get a conv kit than get a custom blank (that needs to match DTA’s shank specs) to a smith plus the cost of barrel extension (which you’d also have to import) plus the cerakote plus chambering and threading ... if the oem barrel is as high quality, it’s tempting just to buy the kit, use the spare bolt for parts (importing DTA parts is the worst thing, they are terrible even with an exporter handling it) and just toss a insite muzzle brake and start shooting rather than wait 6-12 months for everything to line up.

Sure if I live stateside I’d go with SAC, ES or many of the top guys.
Click to expand...
I bought a srs a2 covert and two conversions from sac and imported them with profit river and it was no problem
 
#13,620
65x55guy said:
I’ve been handloading 147s with RL26 and Lapua brass for almost the whole time I’ve shot my 6.5 CM factory barrel. Such a good setup that I grabbed a spare barrel off the PX here just to have when I finally burn this one out. Loaded long (2.89”) but works easily with the regular mag.
Click to expand...
That’s what I plan to do. Although Sierra 150 seems easier to find than ELD 147. What kind of velocity do you get ? Are you able to keep it 0.5 moa at high velocities? Seems like RL26 give you an extra 100fps but slightly less accurate than h4350.
 
#13,621
st1650 said:
That’s what I plan to do. Although Sierra 150 seems easier to find than ELD 147. What kind of velocity do you get ? Are you able to keep it 0.5 moa at high velocities? Seems like RL26 give you an extra 100fps but slightly less accurate than h4350.
Click to expand...
I caught a node at 2907 and hung with it. Faster one at 2990, but was worried about it getting hot on me (tested both at 80 degrees.) 46.9g of RL26 is my number for 2907. Work up blah blah blah.

I mainly shoot steel so I don’t measure MOA as much at distance, but I can peg the head on a 2/3 IPSC steel at 500-600 yards repeatedly. I would say I’m a decent shot, but I only get out 2-3 times per year at distance.

I can’t speak to a comparison with other powders. Rumor is that RL26 runs pretty hot, so I won’t be completely surprised if my barrel is toast at 1500-1800. But with factory barrels at $750-800 on here, I would rather have my fun than conserve a barrel.
 
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#13,622
I’m excited!
I found a really good deal on a used 223 conv and on the factory 6.5 creedmoor kit so I can dedicate the spare bolt to 223 and use the other one for the 26” CM and my factory 16” 308. I also found a way to attach the area419 weighted arca rail to get a full length rail.
 
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#13,623
Mother fuckers, even though DTA assured me a A2 conv kit would fit my Gen 2, it absolutely does not. The extensions has been changed, the bottom used to measure 0.591" and the new one is 0.579" which means I can't fully seat that barrel in the receiver. I should get the 223 conv at the end of the week, wondering if it'll fit ...
 
Last edited:
#13,625
pinhead said:
Sounds like an out-of-spec extension. Does the barrel tenon measure the same or is it a little smaller than the extension?
Click to expand...

Length is the same, 1.759 on the 6 ocloak position of the extension

I really think the issue is the width of the extension, by being narrower (by at least 10 thou), I can't push it down all the way to the receiver.

So now the 2000$ question is: is it my old gen 2 receiver that is out of spec or is it the new A2 conv kit that uses a different standard. Could anyone measure theirs ?

LBXb5o5.jpg


qVTZN43.jpg


AA5sQZL.jpg


AE7Ex6p.jpg


Is out of spec extension common issue on a factory kit ? I've never heard of it being a possible issue and I've heard some issues and tolerance stacking with other DTA products ...
 
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#13,627
Ok, I started measuring barrels & was getting measurements that were varying from 0.588 to 0.595. Upon closer inspection, the alignment notch has big radius’s at the bottom & appears to have a little taper also. When I install my barrels, I always turn them clockwise, same direction as the bolt rotates when closing. Then I close the bolt. Then I torque from the rear to the front. I can slip a piece of paper between the boss the notch locates on & the notch. The paper measures 0.004”. Lastly, it is really easy to see the notch over the boss when the barrel is installed. So, having said all that, my measurements won’t help you. Have you compared what it looks like with your barrels installed?

image.jpg
 
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#13,628
rust4brains said:
Ok, I started measuring barrels & was getting measurements that were varying from 0.588 to 0.595. Upon closer inspection, the alignment notch has big radius’s at the bottom & appears to have a little taper also. When I install my barrels, I always turn them clockwise, same direction as the bolt rotates when closing. Then I close the bolt. Then I torque from the rear to the front. I can slip a piece of paper between the boss the notch locates on & the notch. The paper measures 0.004”. Lastly, it is really easy to see the notch over the boss when the barrel is installed. So, having said all that, my measurements won’t help you. Have you compared what it looks like with your barrels installed?

View attachment 7572409
Click to expand...

I tried wiggling it with different angles, it's just too tight and I'm afraid that to use a mallet or something I wouldn't be able to get it out.

UGDiRPg.jpg
 
#13,629
2 More pics ... quite a big of gap ... I'll see what DTA support says .. they do confirm that A2 is backward compatible with A1 and Gen 2. I just think it's the extension that's screwed which is a big relief because then I'll just return it.

fTDNgEB.jpg


hdJGFMO.jpg
 
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#13,632
srt-4_uk said:
Take the feed ramp off and take pics. Then the receiver isn't in the way.
Click to expand...
You're right.
I can seat the barrel by removing the feed ramp, putting the bolt in then seating the barrel.

Which means it could feedramp that's causing the issue. But then it doesn't solve my problem since you need the feedramp to index against.

Maybe DTA changed their feed ramps design:

www.midwestgunworks.com

Desert Tech SRS Feed Ramp, Rev B

Check out the deal on Desert Tech SRS Feed Ramp, Rev B at MGW
www.midwestgunworks.com www.midwestgunworks.com
 
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#13,637
So changing topics....not trying be a d-bag or anything because I know some of you have had a good experience with ES-Tactical, but after 7 months I ended up going through Paypal and getting my money back on a .308 barrel I ordered back in August.

I was running out of time on the PayPal timer as to when I could initiate a request back for money so I did it. I'm thankful to the guys here that posted they were still waiting 12 and 14 months from him for their barrels as it helped make my decision and save me $1k plus the coming months of frustration dealing with Eric at ES. And yes, I did give him the opportunity to reply multiple times. At first he replied with the "..I got busy with other stuff, let me check.." (and I never heard back), then I reached out again, "...opps, let me check I must have missed it cause I'm all caught up..." (and never heard back from again), to finally ignoring my emails and phone calls altogether. Even if he would have kept me in the loop of a status I would have felt better, but I heard nothing. (And yes, I saved all communication after the first sketchy response just in case I would have to go the paypal-refund route after his first reply that didn't sound quite truthful, but I'm not going to beat the forum posting dead-horse with them just to showcase my issues ad-infinitum).

Just hoping to save someone else the future frustration on a DTA barrel purchase.
 
#13,639
kevad68 said:
So changing topics....not trying be a d-bag or anything because I know some of you have had a good experience with ES-Tactical, but after 7 months I ended up going through Paypal and getting my money back on a .308 barrel I ordered back in August.

I was running out of time on the PayPal timer as to when I could initiate a request back for money so I did it. I'm thankful to the guys here that posted they were still waiting 12 and 14 months from him for their barrels as it helped make my decision and save me $1k plus the coming months of frustration dealing with Eric at ES. And yes, I did give him the opportunity to reply multiple times. At first he replied with the "..I got busy with other stuff, let me check.." (and I never heard back), then I reached out again, "...opps, let me check I must have missed it cause I'm all caught up..." (and never heard back from again), to finally ignoring my emails and phone calls altogether. Even if he would have kept me in the loop of a status I would have felt better, but I heard nothing. (And yes, I saved all communication after the first sketchy response just in case I would have to go the paypal-refund route after his first reply that didn't sound quite truthful, but I'm not going to beat the forum posting dead-horse with them just to showcase my issues ad-infinitum).

Just hoping to save someone else the future frustration on a DTA barrel purchase.
Click to expand...

Did you ever get a tracking number or notification of shipping? I noticed a lot of us got a FedEx email from es tactical back in January but not many actually got a barrel out of that tracking email.
 
#13,640
Yes, I received a FEDX tracking number back in January I think (I'd have to go check the email for the exact date) and got excited, thinking it was finally coming, but it was just one of those, "Label was Created" functions. I kept looking at it up until the end hoping, but nothing was ever shipped.

I'd like to hear any feedback on DMR Rifles as well if anyone has it!
 
#13,641
That's too bad about ES Tactical. He makes a hell of a barrel, but timeliness and customer service (or lack thereof) will make or break you.
Last I spoke to DMR (late Dec or early Jan), they didn't really have any blanks in stock, so you basically have to source all your own parts and send them. I've heard they turn out an excellent barrel, but have no direct experience.
 
#13,642
I've had him do four barrels in the last year. The first one took 8 weeks tops, the next couple took 4 months, and the last took 7 months. The most recent one I got a FedEx notification, but the barrel didn't actually ship until a couple days later. I'm kind of torn over it all - everyone is slow these days, and one-man shops tend to be pretty spotty on communication (from my experience), and while I've had mixed results on wait times with ES, I can't deny that the barrels are excellent and a hard to beat value.
 
#13,643
Reload10 said:
Does anyone have reviews of the DTA barrels from DMR Rifles out of Vegas? Lead times and communication efficiency?
Click to expand...
DMR is solid.

I have a 22.5” 6.5 cm barrel from DMR, HH blank. Thing hammered from very first group with practically zero load dev. I posted a few pictures earlier in the thread you can find it if you search.

He doesn’t have many blanks on hand but has extensions so if you send him one he can still turn it around in a couple weeks. 3rd Gen keeps a few Benchmark DT blanks in stock.
 
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#13,644
I’m looking to replace my current rings with an Era-Tac adjustable mount. Is there a preferred methodology for figuring out if I have enough distance between the bottom of the objective bell on my NX8 and the top of my SRS A2 handguard to adjust the base the full 20 mils? I’m going to get the higher mount to hopefully get more wiggle room.
 
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