Like bullpups? I do, but I can never seem to find one for less than twice the price of a similar-quality conventional gun. Drop-in bullpup stocks for 10/.22s and Mossberg 500s don’t count, and kludged AK bullpups just give me the creeps. Desert Tech (formerly Desert Tactical Arms) is jumping on the bullpup bandwagon with their way-brand-new Micro Dynamic Rifle, which offers more than just a trim and trigger-forward design. It features a modular design which lets the user switch between five calibers. Without tools . . .
Judging by the lack of curvature in that magazine, at least one of the calibers is shaped a lot like the .308/7.62×51 NATO. Desert Tech hasn’t actually released the full specs yet (wait ’till next week) so this is just an educated guess, however.
And the price? Even Kel-Tec bullpups are expensive, but Desert Tech sells rifles in the “you want how much?” price range. For shooters like me who are looking for a gun to undercut the price of an IWI Tavor, I doubt the MDR is going to be much help. But for the lucky few who can afford it, this new rifle might bring some big-bore punch to the high-end bullpup market.
Isn’t it a bit odd to call a .308 a ‘Micro’ anything?
If it’s below $1400 they have a winner.
If not, it’s going to fail.
its desert tech is know for expensive rifles…I doubt it will be under 2500…Im thinking like 4k probably
As long as there is a lucrative military or LEO contract in sight they will cost 3 times as much as they are worth….makes a Tavor look ‘cheap!’ Price wise that is….
@nick, You obviously don’t know Desert Tech… It will not be below $1400. The tavor is 2000-2400… I expect to see the MDR hitting closer to double the price of the IWI Tavor, but as the author said, for those who can afford it, the MDR will bring some big bore punch to the high end bullpup market.
Also, while never being AR popular; this gun will sell plenty, will make DT boatloads of money, and will set new standards for semi-auto bullpup triggers and accuracy. I call that success in its own right.
You obviously don’t understand the DTA marketing strategy. They don’t compete with Remington 700s in their bolt guns and this isn’t going to compete with mass market rifles either. If it’s under $4K, they’ll sell all they can make. Maybe not to you, but to many others.
Given the price of their bolt-action bullpups, I’m sure this one will be up in the LaRue/POF/Noveske range. Their SRS platform bolt action is about $3K for the chassis alone, add another $2K or so for each barrel conversion. And wait a couple of years to get it after ordering.
$3k for chassis yes, but $1500-$1900 for conversions. And there are vendors with A1’s in stock, ready to ship.
I do like bullpups, but the price to join the club is about 2-3 times what I want to pay. I was interested in the kushnapup, but then I saw the Chaos Titan rail.
When Bushmaster was still making the M-17S, one could get one at sites like Gunbroker for about $700. How much is that in Obamabucks today? I haven’t looked for one lately, but I’d bet you could still get one for under a grand.
Local cabelas had a m17s for $1050. I had to explain to them what it was. They listed the manufacturer as BFI, because they didn’t know what that meant.
Sounds as if they could use you as an employee.
I wanted on as a teenager and had the Bushmaster catalog with my wish list and it was circled.
Had one, sold it, would occasionally not strip the round from the mag, same reason I got rid of my fs2000, and yes I own a tavor and a steyr, and since they are the same price-wise my two cents is get the steyr, better trigger in it, but get it with a NATO pack so u can use p mags if you are a southpaw, get the tavor
The bushmaster has been reborn with the K&M Arms M17S556. You can see it at http://www.kmarms.com
It fixes all the design flaws of the original and has a 3.5lb trigger pull. The best bullpup trigger on the market. It is also the lightest on the market and is an all metal design. NO polymer! Check it out.
Their rifles aren’t any more expensive (and are in most cases cheaper) than most high-end imports, as well as being lighter, shorter, better-balanced, and just as accurate.
That and there are a lot of options for different calibers that don’t require taking your rifle to a smith to have the barrel changed. Short Action Customs, for example, can make a barrel for it in just about any caliber and length you want.
Ah, there is that adjectival qualifier that we don’t want to see–“high end.”
High end: a $2000 plus handgun or a $3000 plus rifle. Of course, a sub $1500 optic just wouldn’t do on a high end rifle. And you might as well spring for premium ammo while your at it.
If I ever spent that much on a firearm and optic, I would never get to take possession…my wife would kill me.
This is where I win.
My wife is pretty understanding. Especially when she finds out how much certain firearms appreciate.
I never, ever let her forget hat SHE made me sell my first machine gun way back when it cost me $2,500.
I show her ads where people are selling them for $20,000 now.
Forbes listed the Thompson sub-gun as one of the top 25 year investments awhile back.
The right gun at the right time could be a home run investment.
You forgot the Mini-14 drop-in kit. I don’t know if it’s being made anymore, though. I almost bought one once. Then, when I moved to NM, the movers wouldn’t move it. Luckily, I had packed all my other guns in sealed boxes, so they got moved. But the Mini-14 stayed behind, in the care of my sister. She put it in the attic, and the inside of the barrel rusted. Or so said the FFL guy she took it to to sell. He flimmed her, and bought it back for $250, INCLUDING an EOTECH sight! Unpleasant memory, that one.
Anybody else have a mover refuse to move guns? It that against the law? I can’t imagine a good reason for that, but I’m pretty sure I can get a definitive answer from someone here at TTAG.
Liability I’d think. I wouldn’t trust a mover with my guns anyway though… but then again I don’t have so many that I couldn’t deal with them myself.
Except I own no car, and I actually FLEW the 1900 miles (+/-) to my new home. Didn’t want to have to deal with a long gun checked, since it was another 135 miles by shuttle. I slept on the floor, in an empty place, for 6 days until my stuff arrived. Kinda cool, in a way.
It’s more than that–it is the risk of criminal liability under federal law, so I have been told. Something about PUC regs and the interstate shipping of firearms. Don’t know the details.
I know Allied Van Lines (and their subs) won’t move guns/ammo/cash/gold. It is in their contract. Along with food/liquid in glass jars and paint/solvents/acids/oil etc. When I asked the guy he said the latter is too dangerous but the firearms and cash/gold get stolen too often and cause them too many claims. They did move my gun safe but I had to show them it was empty.
I should have read the contract, I guess. As for “liquids in bottles”, they DID (unknowingly) move my entire hot sauce collection!
I move every two years or so and the gov contracted movers will move guns. The problem is you have a good chance of losing a few. When I move again I will be moving them with me like last time. It isn’t easy and I never had to drive through NYS last summer. I was hoping I made it to Ohio before I had to stop for fuel. I made it.
Some movers will accept firearms and some won’t. It depends on the movers, your destination and the states through which the movers need to pass. But NO movers accept ammunition.
If you want your guns moved with your household goods, talk to the movers until you find one who will work with you.
Thanks.
Honestly I think the best answer for moving with firearms (and any other valuables you actually want to keep intact) is to just rent a uhaul and drive.
Former mover here. Firearms are a felony iirc booze is a stiff fine. Like tens of thousands. That being said we don’t search closed boxes sooo… One of the craziest moves was moving this woman into a house that it turns out was her exes. She planned to surprise him when he returned from out of town. On top of moving most of his furniture into his steel building the woman asked no to ” do something” with three shotguns she found in a closet. She said she had a 17 year old kid she didn’t want around guns ( no teaching safety I guess) and after assuring her they were unloaded I walked away. Next time I saw them they were thrown into a pile of wet leaves behind the house. I convinced her that might sour her reception and found a locking door to hide them behind. I honestly expected to be moving her out with in days or to see her face on the news but never heard how they made out.
I don’t see how this is jumping on the bullpup bandwagon. Desert Tech is most well known for their bullpup sniper rifles.
I would be happy to see this if it takes SR25 Pattern Mag, Pmag and now Lancers would be fun to add and I love my 308’s. But the SCAR17s has set me back enough that another rifle of that magnitude would likely not enter the fray at an equivalent price. Looking forward to PSA’s 308 too btw, they tend to be ridiculously affordable by comparison and putting some FN barrels in the guns is a nice touch.
Bullpups look really cool and they are much shorter than traditional rifles, which is all good. That said, I’m not a fan of having a controlled explosion with tens of thousands of pounds of pressure going off so close to my face, but that’s just me.
I haven’t really found that to be a problem, as long as the muzzle is pointed in the other direction. Which is pretty much how they’re intended to be shot.
“That said, I’m not a fan of having a controlled explosion with tens of thousands of pounds of pressure going off so close to my face…”
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you just described every long gun on the planet.
He prefers slightly in front of his face to between his skull and shoulder, I guess.
Actually, between my hands :).
And we all can rest assured they will NOT be exporting these to Pakistan!
I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe the whole “Multi-Caliber” pitch anymore. I know their precision rifles have them available, but when you think of the Tavor, ACR, and every other rifle that never came through with their caliber conversion promises, I’d definitely be hesitant to buy in.
Jack of all trades, master of none…? I wonder what kind of magazines this would take – if they’re proprietary, I suspect that will significantly dampen enthusiasm for what otherwise looks like a cool gun. If that was the case, then no thanks – I’ll take a Tavor that eats the same food from the same magazines as my AR.
Not a fan of bull pups, usually too expensive and I can’t find a real need for one…
If I can’t get it done it with a standard rifle or shotgun, I probably just can’t do it, or shouldn’t be doing it.
Agreed. I’m sorry but they’re ugly ass guns – functionality notwithstanding. Maybe it’s just me but it seems like more and more manufacturers are producing guns whose POU is undefined. Guns looking for problems to solve, if you will.
To many guns to many calibers to many options, all problems worth having.
I hear that, man. Maybe I’m stuck in the wrong century, but I’m just not ready for the bullpups.
Unless it retails for 1200-1400 bucks it will just be another waste of time.
I will buy one in a heartbeat if they actually follow through with the caliber conversions.
So far every bullbup I’ve bought that supposedly were going to get caliber conversions ended up.. not.
I’ve never used a bullpup but it would seem they would feel heavy for the size and a little weird to reload, can anyone say what the feel is?
The M-17S doesn’t “feel heavy for its size”; it’s actually heavy, period. A bit over 8 pounds, with a magazine, I think.
As for “feeling weird to load”, well, I’m not sure exactly what you mean, so I’ve leave that one be. It feels different; I can’t deny that. That’s just something you have to get used to. And you do.
What I meant with the reload is that if it’s a major change with magazine closer to your body, but you’re probably right, just something you get used to in training.
I wonder about the fortuitous timing of this new product announcement combined with Desert Tech’s “turning down” a “lucrative government contract.”
Reminds me a lot of a Kel-Tec RFB, but with better fit-and-finish.
I have to give Kel-Tec credit for coming up with a lot of innovative guns, but they’re often unable to deliver a quality end-product.
What is it about a bullpup that increases the price of an average gun by $500-1000? I mean really? Does egronomics and cool cost that much?
I have wanted a 308 bullpup ever since the RFB came on the market a couple years ago. Problem is, in all that time I have only seen ONE at a gunshow. And I hear they do not function very well. If Desert Tech can produce these in acceptable numbers, for a good price (under $2K) and they work, I will get one.
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