Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert

Desert Tech · Sniper Rifle · In Production · 2013

Also known as: SRS Covert, SRS-A1 Covert, DTA SRS Covert, Desert Tactical Arms SRS Covert

Overview

The Desert Tech SRS-A1 Covert is the compact variant of the SRS-A1 bullpup bolt-action sniper rifle, purpose-designed for police and military marksmen requiring maximum concealability and maneuverability. Its bullpup layout places the action behind the trigger, allowing a full-length 16-inch barrel to fit into an overall length of just 26 inches in .308 Winchester, roughly 11 inches shorter than a conventional bolt-action rifle with the same barrel. The Covert accepts a threaded muzzle for suppressors and its fast-twist barrels are optimized to shoot both full-power supersonic and subsonic ammunition accurately. A quick-change barrel system lets the rifle convert between .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum in roughly a minute while retaining zero.

Specifications

Weight (empty)4513 g (159.2 oz)
Overall Length660 mm (25.98")
Barrel Length406 mm (15.98")
Action TypeBolt Action
Firing MechanismStriker Fired
Trigger TypeTwo Stage
Magazine Capacity6 rounds
Magazine TypeDetachable Box
Muzzle Velocity780 m/s (2559 fps)
Muzzle Energy2956 J (2180 ft·lbf)
Effective Range800 m (875 yd)
Maximum Range1200 m (1312 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Rifling Twist203 mm (7.99")
Frame MaterialAluminum
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialPolymer
FinishCerakote Black

Calibers

Features

Base model

Desert-Tech-Srs-A1

Service history

Operators

Production

Production years: 2013-present

Produced for military, law enforcement, and civilian precision markets; original company Desert Tactical Arms was rebranded Desert Tech in 2014.

Origin

Country of origin: United States

Designer: Nick Young

Notes

Desert Tech (formerly Desert Tactical Arms) guarantees 0.5 MOA or better with three-shot groups at 100 yards using match ammunition. The Covert uses a 16-inch barrel with a 1:8 twist in .308 Winchester; .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum configurations use 18-inch barrels. Muzzle velocity is reduced relative to full-length barrels due to the shortened Covert barrel. The SRS-A1 was later superseded by the improved SRS-A2.

Background

In 2013 the company (then Desert Tactical Arms) famously declined a multimillion-dollar Pakistani military rifle contract on patriotic grounds, concerned the weapons could one day be turned against American troops. The Covert's extreme compactness, shorter than many submachine guns, made it a favored covert-deployment precision platform, small enough to be carried in an unassuming case yet capable of half-MOA accuracy past 800 meters.