By: Warren Gray
Copyright © 2024
“The [Ukrainian] marksmen…utilize…the .338 Lapua Magnum…
for effective shots at distances up to .93 miles [1,500 meters]…
paired with top-notch rifles like the Desert Tech SRS-A2…
and thermal-imaging sights, compose a deadly mix.”
— Essanews.com, March 21, 2024.
The Desert Tech (of West Valley City, Utah) Stealth Recon Scout (SRS) bolt-action, bullpup sniper rifle was unveiled at the 2008 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, originally designed for the .338 Lapua Magnum (.338 LM) cartridge, although it’s now available in many other calibers, all of which can be changed within one minute.
The rifle is constructed of polymer, aluminum, and steel, and is produced in olive drab, tan, or black. Due to the unique bullpup design, it measures only 37.5 inches long, with a standard, 26-inch barrel, making it one of the shortest rifles in the world in this powerful caliber, averaging 10 to 11 inches shorter than most other rifles firing this cartridge.
The .338 LM, developed since 1984 specifically as a sniper round, typically fires a 250-grain Lapua (of Finland) Scenar GB488 VLD (very-low-drag) bullet at a blazing 3,030 feet per second, resulting in 5,112 foot-pounds (more than 2.55 tons!) of kinetic energy upon impact, and has a maximum effective range of 1,750 meters, although British Corporal Craig Harrison scored a confirmed kill against a Taliban insurgent in Afghanistan in November 2009 at a phenomenal 2,475 meters, setting a new world record at the time.
The Desert Tech SRS-A1 rifle was the original version, until 2019, when the newer SRS-A2 model was introduced, shedding 2.1 pounds of unnecessary weight, including fluting the stainless-steel barrel to shave off excess steel. This dropped the overall weight from 12.37 pounds to 10.3 pounds in .338 LM. One of the most controversial changes was to replace the fully adjustable (and easily accessible) trigger with an excellent, adjustable, 1.5- to 7-pound “field-match” trigger, which requires some rifle disassembly. The rifle is fed from a five-round, detachable box magazine ($90).
According to Jeff Wood of Versacarry.com on August 30, 2019, “The SRS incorporates these design advantages, in addition to adding quality and a stellar record of performance…[for] military and precision shooters…The SRS features an all-aluminum receiver, sandwiched between two polymer skins.
“The rifle seemed to shoot better with a sound suppressor installed…Whether shooting inside a 100-yard, underground tunnel or shooting 1,200-yards across a breezy, mountain ridge, the SRS-A2 ultimately tackled targets with ease.” Demonstrated accuracy was .53-inch (.5-MOA) at 100 yards, and Desert Tech guarantees .5-MOA accuracy.
Since 2015, the Desert Tech SRS-A1, and newer SRS-A2 ($5,899) later, have been selected and operated by the armed forces of the Czech Republic, Georgia, Lithuania, and by the Ukrainian National Guard since 2016. These are primarily the elite sniper units of the Omega, Ares, Odesa, and Scorpion Special Forces detachments, the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion “Donbas,” and the Azov Special Operations/Assault Brigade.
Using modern technology, including thermal-imaging scopes and ballistic computers, these Ukrainian snipers have been wreaking havoc upon opposing Russian forces with amazing precision and the element of surprise, even at night. One video released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense shows their snipers dropping six Russian soldiers within the brief span of only 40 seconds.
View from the thermal-imaging scope of a Ukrainian sniper. Photo credit: Special Forces of Ukraine
Many thermal-imaging scopes (such as the $3,700-to-$8,100 Pulsar Thermion series) may now be enhanced with ballistic computers and laser rangefinders for very precise measurement of the range to a target. Some scopes enable the identification of human-sized targets from up to 1.12 miles away, while the built-in computer calculates wind direction, humidity, and even Earth’s rotational velocity. In addition, a Tactacam 5.0 Hunting Action Camera or similar video device often records sniper combat moments for positive confirmation of kills.
John B. Snow wrote for Outdoor Life magazine on January 12, 2023, that, “The Desert Tech SRS is a true, multi-purpose, precision rifle…handy to maneuver in compact spaces. It’s easy to understand the appeal of the Desert Tech SRS-A2 for military and law enforcement in urban environments…The trigger on my sample broke at two pounds, 10 ounces, with a small amount of take-up that made it almost feel like a two-stage trigger. The break is exceptionally crisp…it shoots well enough to hang with the big dogs in that world…in terms of being a blast to shoot, it doesn’t have many equals.”
On a related matter, the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) recently announced their exacting requirements for a brand-new Extreme, Long-Range, Sniper Rifle (ELR-SR). It should be a bolt-action weapon no more than 56 inches long (50 inches preferred) and weighing no more than 22 pounds (18 pounds preferred), with a desired effective range of 2,500 meters, and a required accuracy of .75 MOA at 100 yards. Very few existing rifles meet these strict specifications.
An absolutely perfect candidate would be the combat-proven Desert Tech HTI (Hard-Target Interdiction) rifle ($7,599), introduced in 2012, at just 45 to 45.75 inches long, weighing 19.5 to 20.35 pounds, and available in four calibers, including .375 CheyTac or .408 Cheytac, both of which have effective ranges exceeding 2,500 meters. This is a larger, heavier version of the Desert Tech SRS-A2, built for these more-powerful, longer-range cartridges. The HTI uses a 29-inch barrel and five-round magazine.
Desert Tech HTI sniper rifle. Photo credit: Desert Tech
Interestingly enough, the Desert Tech HTI has already been officially adopted by the armed forces of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine (for the National Guard Special Forces, since 2020). After 2017, the Czechs received 30 rifles for their elite 601st Special Forces Group, with conversion kits for either .50 BMG rounds, or the much-newer, longer-range 375 CheyTac load. The .375 CT (9.5x77mm) is a necked-down variant of the .408 CT (10.36x77mm), and the slimmer projectile allows for a better ballistic coefficient and slightly longer range, reaching out to an impressive 2,750 meters!
In early February 2024, a Ukrainian Border Guard sniper nicknamed Krasivyi (“Handsome”) spent 11 hours waiting in the snow to kill a Russian commander near the Kupiansk front. He used two rifles, a Ukrainian-made Zbroyar UAR-10 in 7.62x51mm for anti-personnel work, and a Desert Tech HTI in .50 BMG to disable enemy vehicles. As he reported, “After 11 hours of observation, I managed to hit the target with the first shot (from the UAR-10)…What’s the point of shooting a Ruscist (Russian) with that (HTI)? It would tear off his arm or leg!”
So, the innovative Desert Tech SRS-A1, SRS-A2, and HTI models have all seen significant combat action over the past two years, or more, in embattled Ukraine, and the superb HTI may yet prove to be USSOCOM’s next Extreme, Long-Range, Sniper Rifle, if they can overcome the conventional bias against odd-looking, bullpup-configured rifles. Years of successful combat experience in Ukraine may be the deciding factor.
Desert Tech HTI sniper rifle. Photo credit: Desert Tech
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Warren Gray is a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, with experience in joint special operations and counterterrorism, and is an NRA member. He served in Europe (including Eastern Europe) and the Middle East, earned Air Force and Navy parachutist wings, four college degrees, and was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Intelligence Operations Specialist Course, and the USAF Combat Targeting School. He is currently a published author, historian, and hunter.