F
Field Ethos
Guest
By Terry Houin
As I float through the crowd, I’m blending in pretty well. I stop to look in the shop window and check my surroundings; I start again. As I drift back into my old ways, navigating through this city is easy. Nobody cares.
Like most cities these days, everyone’s on their phone—music, podcasts, whatever noise they need to stay inside their own world. Nobody wants to make eye contact. Perfect.
I blend. Am I wearing jeans? Maybe. Could be work pants. Could be sweats. Doesn’t matter. Same with the shirt—nothing ratty, nothing clean. No bright colors. The baseball cap is forgettable and will be gone soon enough. Eyeglasses add one more layer between my eyes and theirs.
A duffel bag slung over my shoulder. I could be headed to the gym or the laundromat. Nobody asks. Nobody looks twice. That’s the point. Anonymity is built, not worn. New clothes, new bags, new habits. You don’t stand out by trying to disappear—you disappear by being exactly what everyone expects.
My location is clean. That’s what they do.
I’ve worked with these guys a long time, in other places around the world. They know what I need. They know what I like. They deliver, every time.
I slide through my space quietly double checking before I get set. The backpack comes open slowly. A pause. A look around. Nothing out of place. Windows covered. Lights killed, except what I need.
The Covert comes out, the barrel slides in smoothly, and the silencer threads on with a whisper. No rush. No mistakes. I take a look out the window.
Subsonics will be fine. Well inside 100 yards. Quiet matters here. Ultra quiet.
One press.
Bag it back up. Out the rear door. New pants. New top. New bag.
Gone back into the crowd of people who don’t care.
This is the story that plays out in my head as I unzip the Eberlestock Fade Adapt backpack and get my grubby little hands on the Barrett MRAD Covert for the first time. Let’s be honest, a legit rifle that breaks down under 20 inches with repeatable accuracy has a place in this world.
So, here’s the technical specs for those that care. From the included Atlas Bipod to the adjustable recoil pad, it’s the same MRAD we all know and love with the folding fully-adjustable stock, M4-style grip, two-stage adjustable trigger, 10-mil rail, yada, yada, yada.
Up front is where Barrett changed things up with the MRAD Covert. The handguard has just enough room and M-LOKs to house the bipod and one attachment on either side like an EOTECH OGL or the L3 SPEAR. Along with the shortened handguard, the top rail has enough room to mount a thermal if you use a compact optic like the Leupold MK5 HD 3.6-15x I have mounted.
This reduction in length keeps the receiver section at 19.25 inches in length and about 11.5 inches in height when folded and stowed away. The overall weight of the base rifle is just under 12 pounds.
The Covert they sent for my “testing” is chambered in the classic .308 Win., but you could opt for the 6.5 Creedmoor if you want to be limited and not have access to ammunition when shooting with our NATO friends around the world. The removable barrel assembly measures 19.75 inches, making it the longest piece of the puzzle when looking at packing options.
Just for the hell of it, and I know you’d do the same thing, I practiced sliding onto the shooting bench and seeing how long it takes me to pull the Covert pieces out, torque the barrel, screw the AM338 suppressor on and get rounds on target. Let’s just say I have room for improvement, but by the time I’m done with my .308 Win. ammo testing this week, I should be under a minute and not look like a clown show while doing it.
At the heart of the MRAD Covert it’s an MRAD, so the form, fit, and function are exactly the same as my MK22, which just happens to be my favorite platform for long-range work. Oh, did I mention that the Covert is compatible with all the other MRAD barrel conversion kits?
Bottom Line: The Covert is fun as hell to shoot and packs up small in the Eberlestock pack, giving you a new option for a truck gun, or anywhere else you like taking rifles and not look out of place with a long-ass rifle case.
The post Barrett MRAD Covert—the Clandestine Convertible appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
As I float through the crowd, I’m blending in pretty well. I stop to look in the shop window and check my surroundings; I start again. As I drift back into my old ways, navigating through this city is easy. Nobody cares.
Like most cities these days, everyone’s on their phone—music, podcasts, whatever noise they need to stay inside their own world. Nobody wants to make eye contact. Perfect.
I blend. Am I wearing jeans? Maybe. Could be work pants. Could be sweats. Doesn’t matter. Same with the shirt—nothing ratty, nothing clean. No bright colors. The baseball cap is forgettable and will be gone soon enough. Eyeglasses add one more layer between my eyes and theirs.
A duffel bag slung over my shoulder. I could be headed to the gym or the laundromat. Nobody asks. Nobody looks twice. That’s the point. Anonymity is built, not worn. New clothes, new bags, new habits. You don’t stand out by trying to disappear—you disappear by being exactly what everyone expects.
My location is clean. That’s what they do.
I’ve worked with these guys a long time, in other places around the world. They know what I need. They know what I like. They deliver, every time.
I slide through my space quietly double checking before I get set. The backpack comes open slowly. A pause. A look around. Nothing out of place. Windows covered. Lights killed, except what I need.
The Covert comes out, the barrel slides in smoothly, and the silencer threads on with a whisper. No rush. No mistakes. I take a look out the window.
Subsonics will be fine. Well inside 100 yards. Quiet matters here. Ultra quiet.
One press.
Bag it back up. Out the rear door. New pants. New top. New bag.
Gone back into the crowd of people who don’t care.
Barrett MRAD Covert—The Nuts and Bolts
This is the story that plays out in my head as I unzip the Eberlestock Fade Adapt backpack and get my grubby little hands on the Barrett MRAD Covert for the first time. Let’s be honest, a legit rifle that breaks down under 20 inches with repeatable accuracy has a place in this world.
So, here’s the technical specs for those that care. From the included Atlas Bipod to the adjustable recoil pad, it’s the same MRAD we all know and love with the folding fully-adjustable stock, M4-style grip, two-stage adjustable trigger, 10-mil rail, yada, yada, yada.
Up front is where Barrett changed things up with the MRAD Covert. The handguard has just enough room and M-LOKs to house the bipod and one attachment on either side like an EOTECH OGL or the L3 SPEAR. Along with the shortened handguard, the top rail has enough room to mount a thermal if you use a compact optic like the Leupold MK5 HD 3.6-15x I have mounted.
This reduction in length keeps the receiver section at 19.25 inches in length and about 11.5 inches in height when folded and stowed away. The overall weight of the base rifle is just under 12 pounds.
The Covert they sent for my “testing” is chambered in the classic .308 Win., but you could opt for the 6.5 Creedmoor if you want to be limited and not have access to ammunition when shooting with our NATO friends around the world. The removable barrel assembly measures 19.75 inches, making it the longest piece of the puzzle when looking at packing options.
Just for the hell of it, and I know you’d do the same thing, I practiced sliding onto the shooting bench and seeing how long it takes me to pull the Covert pieces out, torque the barrel, screw the AM338 suppressor on and get rounds on target. Let’s just say I have room for improvement, but by the time I’m done with my .308 Win. ammo testing this week, I should be under a minute and not look like a clown show while doing it.
Uncle T’s Take
At the heart of the MRAD Covert it’s an MRAD, so the form, fit, and function are exactly the same as my MK22, which just happens to be my favorite platform for long-range work. Oh, did I mention that the Covert is compatible with all the other MRAD barrel conversion kits?
- Quality
- Accuracy
- Consistency
- Fun as hell
Bottom Line: The Covert is fun as hell to shoot and packs up small in the Eberlestock pack, giving you a new option for a truck gun, or anywhere else you like taking rifles and not look out of place with a long-ass rifle case.
The post Barrett MRAD Covert—the Clandestine Convertible appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
