Desert Tactical Arms

[WildBill3/75]

I used to do accuracy-testing for DTA back in 2009 in between trips overseas. It is nice to be able to burn Lapua boxed .338 LM all day on someone else's dime.
For military use, my whole perspective on the gun was that it takes up way less room in vehicles and for dismounts, so it really sells itself in that regard.

Light-skinned vehicles are extremely limited in stores capacity, so long guns like the legacy bolt guns in even a soft case present load issues for working from the trucks and ATV's, while the SRS and German DRS-1 that inspired it present a shorter profile.

I personally am a gas gun guy to a fault, even for my long sticks, which is why I like the .260 Remington AR10 combo so much. I carried and used the M24, which I think was a mistake from inception, but SF had tried everything with accurizing the M21 with the M25 program, but it's just too much to ask for logistically to keep the M21 running and consistent. It was such that you had a hard time even getting guys to qualify in a formal sniper course, so the easy answer was a bolt gun, which is fine for laying in the prone on a flat range, but sucks bigtime humping as a dismount, especially when you need to defend yourself.

If only the SR-25 had been developed 3 years earlier, I think we would have been much better off. SF, Squeals, and JSOC were the first military customers of the SR-25 in the early 1990's, and it has taken decades for big Army and Marines to come around on the gun we should have had in the 1950's, but Army small arms development and procurement....sigh.

It's a trickle down process....the best of the best get the best of the best as far as weapons and equipment. It trickles down the tiers slowly.

I also never had an issue with sniper rifles and vehicles. The only vehicle I know of that has a potential issue is a HUMVEE.

In modern combat I agree that the role of a semi auto precision platform is optimal. Unless of course you are doing a sniper only mission, where I'd give the role to a bolt gun. Out of all the sniper systems in my disposal my favorite for engagements of 0-800m(which is basically everything) was the SR-25. That's why I picked up on the 6.5 grendel. It had the performance of a MK11 in a MK12 package.