At the 2016 edition of the IWA OutdoorClassics expo in Nuremberg (Germany), we received confirm of what the Utah-based Desert Tech, LLC. company had already stated back in January at the SHOT Show: the MDR ("Micro Dynamic Rifle"), one of the most interesting rifle designs of modern times, should enter mass production and mass distribution before the end of the year.
The Desert Tech MDR is a bull-pup rifle built around a polymer lower receiver and a black hard-anodized aircraft-grade aluminum upper receiver, sporting fully ambidextrous controls − namely the cocking handle, the safety switch or fire selector, the magazine release catch and hold-open device.
The Desert Tech MDR comes with a full-length top MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail for optics, and three shorter rails around the polymer ventilated handguard for accessories. The MDR was designed to be lightweight, handy, modern-looking, ergonomic, and user-friendly.
One of its main features is the ejection system: the ejection window is located on the right side of the upper receiver, and is covered by a flip-up port that dubs as a forward ejection chute. When the round is fired, a spring-loaded hook-shaped ejector violently pushes the spent cases forward, through a hole in front of the port cover, and away from the shooter's face at a safe angle.
This means that the Desert Tech MDR is the only forward-ejection bull-pup rifle manufactured in the West that will work reliably in every condition − not only it can be fired from the hip, but he will also be reliable when firing with the muzzle upwards, which is necessary more often than not in urban close-quarters combat situations: other Western-made forward ejecting bull-pups, such as the Belgian FN F-2000 or the American Kel-Tec RFB, may experience jams and failures if fired from that position.
This also means that the Desert Tech MDR is right-hand and left-hand capable right out of the box, and allows quick shooting position transition to adapt to different cover situations.
Based on a short-stroke piston and an adjustable gas system, the Desert Tech MDR bull-pup rifle will be manufactured in a semi-automatic only version for civilian users and in a select-fire version for military, law enforcement, and government users.
Another important feature of the MDR system, adding up to its modular concept, is the capability to switch from its native caliber to at least four more by replacing the barrel and bolt head, and by placing an insert in the magwell if necessary. The Desert Tech Micro Dynamic Rifle is compatible with 7,62x51mm (.308 Winchester), 5,56x45mm/.223 Remington and .300 AAC "Blackout"; other caliber options will include 6,8x43mm Remington SPC and 6,5 Grendel.
The Micro Dynamic Rifle will be manufactured in two basic variants: the standard MDR will feature a 406mm/16" barrel with a screw-on flash hider, which can be replaced by an integrally-silenced one; the compact MDR-C ("Micro Dynamic Rifle - Covert"), conceived for close VIP protection and for personal defense, will come with a 267mm/10.5" barrel and a "Birdcage"-style flash hider.
For further information, visit the Desert Tech website
