What Happened to the MDRx?

[@TheJBerg]

"Find a girl that looks at you like MAC looks at bullpups" That is a very high bar to clear. We're talking Romeo and Juliet levels of affection here.

[@BrassFacts]

raise your standards up (and be single for the rest of your life) :(

[@FuzedBox]

@@BrassFacts Dude, my bar is very low. No fats, tatts, or brats. As a guy in my mid 30s, let's just say I haven't been laid in quite a long time. The societal bar is just that low now.

[@life_of_riley88]

​@@FuzedBoxSome of the best women are not fat, but not Instagram rail thin either. Don't lose your standards, but allocate for a couple pounds in place of no personality.

[@FuzedBox]

@@life_of_riley88 Oh, I'm aware. A few extra lbs is no big deal, and the only of the three that can be fixed.

[@life_of_riley88]

@@FuzedBox Indeed.

[@iliketojumpoffbridges4149]

Regarding the accuracy issues, especially with .308, some people in the community found that the loctite used on the screws holding the barrel block to the receiver wasn't able to tolerate the heat from shooting, and caused the barrel to shift drastically. On my own .308 MDRx, I had marked the screws holding the barrel block, and watched them slowly loosen during a range trip, while also watching my groupings open up significantly. I basically had to re-torque the screws after every 10 rounds to keep my groups from going crazy. After that trip, I applied a different thread locker that has a much higher heat tolerance. Since then I've had pretty decent accuracy, and no issues with the screws trying to evict themselves from my rifle. Since I last zeroed it, the rifle has been pretty consistently hitting 1-2 MOA groups with good ammo from the 16 inch barrel.

[@BrassFacts]

gotcha, good to know. I didn't notice that with mine, so maybe I just suck at shooting haha

[@xxxUPGRAYEDDxxx]

@@BrassFacts he is talking about the .308. I have not had this issue with my 556 forward eject. But i am averaging 1-2 MOA with a pretty similar setup to yours. also worth noting, the new barrels dont have the "waffle Iron" anymore. so i think they have essentially admitted that concept was a mistake. overall, i love mine. Its not perfect for sure, and you got most of my complaints. I do really like the forward eject feature, and i would recommend trying it, but its probably not worth another $900 for the conversion to what is essentially the same gun. The biggest problem is the weight. I do think if they made a whole new gun, taking all the lessons they have learned and just make a dedicated 556 version that is lighter, has a better handguard mounting system it could be really nice.

[@JohnBrowningsGhost]

Ill have to give that a try, just because. What is the torque spec for the reciever block?

[@Anonymous8421]

What a fucking whack rifle

[@mrkeogh]

Needs bigger bolts that are torqued to f*ck 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@exa1337]

Can confirm the barrel whip theory: While testing handloads, I shot the 20" 6.5CM with and without a can. Same load, the suppressor cut the group size down to a third, compared to the bare muzzle groups. With a suppressor, the gun shot a 0.7 MOA group, same load without a can came in at 2.1 MOA.

[@davidjones8942]

Wow!!!

[@jasonjohnson6938]

Transitional ballistics count

[@armstrong2052]

I'm just curious as a collector of pups. Should I put this at the bottom of my remaining acquisitions? P90, AUG, RDB, DT?

[@thenathanr4243]

@6:12 not only is it very awkward to lock the bolt back, you might also snap your support hand if anything goes wro- lol yep. Thanks for what you put yourself through, BrassFacts.

[@mikeiso8963]

His “aaaaaaah” made me rewind and watch again… bro puts blood sweat and tears into these reviews

[@Mantitude]

That cut scream at 6:15 is the single best thing I've witnessed today.

[@masuri2226]

8:03 Thank you for blessing us with a clip of Hop in pain. You know his audience well.

[@SenorGato237]

I think part of the reason the MDR never sold well is that it's too regular. That would make it a great military rifle, but the US military will never use a bullpup. All the other bullpups are, well, weird. And bullpup people are weird, and like weird guns.

[@BrassFacts]

that's certainly a theory with some merit haha.

[@realbaconproductions]

Bought one a couple years ago and have been waiting for you to review it ever since (kinda annoyed I missed the SS post 2 weeks ago). Been on the fence about whether I wanted to bother running the Micron conversion but I think I have to accept the MDRX will never be what it set out to be. However, this only convinced me further that the perfect bullpup hasn’t been designed yet, like you mentioned, everything on the market has quirks. Even the MDRX with multi caliber and m-lok handguard isn’t what it could be. Either way, I appreciate you’re continual help in taking an honest look at hardware. Keep up the good work 👍

[@thomkatt]

The perfect bullpup has been invented, it’s called the “AUG”.

[@ToastbackWhale]

@@thomkatt Absolutely not lefty-friendly, is begging for an aftermarket rail, and can't use a baffle can without either shaking the stock apart or installing a different gas plug. The AUG is great once you spruce it up, but it's far from perfect. And this is from someone who has an AUG as his home defense rifle.

[@dashdotdashdot8583]

⁠@@ToastbackWhale absolutely, there has been so much innovation as of recent with aftermarket parts, but steyr has the exclusive rights to produce them in perpetuity (mostly for government clients) so they have no incentive to innovate. If the AUG was subject to free market innovation in a way similar to the AR15 it would be an equivalent if not superior platform from the “factory”.

[@budget-88]

Dont ever forgët the USS Libërty and the men who died on that day

[@zits56able]

​@@thomkattactually it's the rdb if keltec was a serious company with good QC. If they free floated the barrel and added a dust cover it would be near perfect

[@Briggattonii]

“Get someone who looks at you like how MAC looks at Bullpups” Or Hungarian Dragunovs

[@RevolverOcelot79]

Oof

[@almaadams3631]

The Dragunov debacle of Copper Customs threw much shade on Timmy's military rifle lust. It seems he high jacked the load of them and them all his "outlets/distributors put outrageous prices on them or jacked the bid price up sooooo high $250,000 high; so that they could not be sold.

[@crakt7015]

Imo, there may be some serious value in what I call the “pupbull” which basically puts the magazine *in front* of the trigger. Not sure yet though

[@BrassFacts]

nah, too revolutionary.

[@budget-88]

Dont ever forgët the USS Libërty and the men who died on that day

[@CCRRACCKK]

Kriss vector

[@ToastbackWhale]

Glad to see you reviewing this. Even post-GT/InRange "fixes," the MDRx still seems to have some severe QC issues (bolts breaking, etc). I'm curious to see how yours did. Regarding getting around to the AUG: Get the Manticore Arms Cantilever rail when you do. You'll still hate how right-handed-centric it is but it's a great platform once you stick a better rail on it. If you didn't have a FLOW556k I'd also recommend the suppressor gas plug but you likely won't need it.

[@staplersen9171]

I'd recommend trying to source a gas plug anyway, my rifle is severely overgassed out of the box even without a can

[@budget-88]

Dont ever forgët the USS Libërty and the men who died on that day

[@ChristopherHibbard]

I have one and my biggest issues are really the ones you pointed out aside from the conversion ability. I think the platform has a ton of potential, even if that means taking lessons learned and going back to the drawing board. I just wish desert tech prioritized streamlining the negatives of this rifle more than they have.

[@terrarecon]

Actually, Desert Tech has prioritized streamlining the negatives very well. They are one of if not the ONLY gun manufacturer that openly acknowledges issues and feedback from their customers and the community at large.

[@auklin7079]

It sadly just wasn't enough to save this rifle, it has too many irks for the pricetag@@terrarecon

[@BlueLoneWolf54]

Mmmmmm another expensive thing I can't afford not justifying its bonkers cost, coolio.

[@JohnBrowningsGhost]

The eternal poor!

[@Phlostonparadise2971]

The PSA in hand is worth two LMT/HK/Desert Tech in the bush.

[@BlueLoneWolf54]

@@JohnBrowningsGhost It makes us poors feel better knowing that most of the stuff we can't afford is still crap anyway :D

[@Longshot762x51]

You can bitch on the internet or go improve your life, your choice. 🤷‍♂️

[@K1dD3ath]

Ain't that the truth.

[@_null]

This rifle was my first buy after ar and a ccw i dont regret it and sbr'd mine. I think its niche (in 556) as a suppressor host that doesn't cause too much fuss.

[@randomjoker21]

Also, thank you for the comprehensive testing and openmindedness for this review. Appreciate your perspectives

[@mattburnett7816]

Hopefully in the future in the states you can get the EF88/90 we have built and designed in Aus from the base Steyr Aug. Would be interesting to see everyone's thoughts on it.

[@heyhayhay247]

A few review copies made it over here like 5 years ago before Lithgow went full lib and refused to sell them in the US.

[@redjackgunner]

Robinson XCR has caliber conversions. It was another SCAR competitor. It's even from NSL UTAH.

[@r0b3rt_959]

Fun fact: The XCR lost the contract to the SCAR because Robinson forgot to provide blank-firing adapters.

[@lolwutyoumad]

@@r0b3rt_959 Fun Fact: Those tests are rigged so well connected arms companies always win the contract. If the AR-15 came out today, a little company like Armalite would never win in the modern military industrial complex scene

[@That_Guy5575]

There's no real apparent reason to mention this, other than because I think it's cool and I hope it comes to fruition, but there's a cool bullpup design in the works designed by a one-man-band under the company name Senex Arms. It's named the MBLR-15 (I think that needs some work, personally) standing for Modular Bullpup Light Right 15. It's still fairly early in the prototype stage, only relatively recently getting to a firing prototype. As the name implies, it's based off the AR-15 platform, sharing a large number of parts including barrels and bolts, and is meant to be lightweight. It's also got a lot of rail space, various hand guard lengths for different barrels, and a neat unique design for quickly swapping barrels. The guy designing it is a former Recon Marine, and wanted it to be lightweight and quickly and easily able to swap configurations. I don't recall exactly how the hand guard locks up, but from what I can remember it seemed like a pretty big improvement over the MDRx I've yet to even fire a bullpup, and used to be really excited and all about the MDRx as a for-sure future buy, but over the years that over-idealization has waned, especially with this video. That's not an insult to Brass Facts, in fact it's a compliment. I absolutely love and appreciate how honest and blunt you are with your views and opinions that are based on actually going out there and using equiptment for a while. SO much more practical and useful than flashy "Oh check this out, seems sweet in theory so you should buy it" as is usually the case. But to get back to the point: I'm actually quite excited about the MBLRPFFT-15, even knowing more about the realistic upsides and downsides of bullpups. I hope him the best, ain ll the interviews I've seen he seems like a cool guy.

[@VYBEKAT]

Yes the Senex bullpup looks promising. I'm gonna preorder as soon as I can afford it

[@jtylermcclendon]

I have have a 308 16" bbl MDR set up with JARD trigger, BLK LBL forend, and run it suppressed. Got it specifically for a truck gun mainly to pest control hogs on my farm. The length when suppressed plus forward eject makes it perfect for what I use it for, which is taking quick shots from the driver's seat of my truck. It stays strapped to the back of my passenger seat and needs to be because shots are usually quick and there is no time for ear pro, making a suppressor essential. The short length when suppressed makes it so I can easily access it from the drivers seat. Unless you go SBR in 308, which is a big compromise in performance for the cartridge, this gun is 6 to 8 inches shorter than an AR-10. I have never thought about setting one up like you did, but I can definitely see all the problems you mentioned if it is set up and used that way. For my use it's ideal. When I have had other accessories on it I mounted them canted off the main rail, not the forend. For what it's worth, I have two friends that have MDRx's and all three of our rifles shoot 1 MOA with Winchester Deer Season XP 150 grain. One other downside not mentioned is that it absolutely destroys brass, but I imagine that doesn't matter to a lot of people. The gun is far from perfect, but after two years I am very happy with it for my use as a truck gun.

[@NA-sb7xz]

That ow from hop was mint

[@COP0351]

Ive owned my gen 3 MDRX for almost a year and probably have close to 1k rnds of .308 and .556 through it. Most of what youve laid out has been my experience as well, while DT did fix a lot of the issues with the initial release, they still insist on shooting themselves in the foot with poor QC, and kinda "meh" customer service on a rifle that cost as much as my first beater car. After about 700 rnds of .308 my recoil spring decided to disintegrate. Getting ahold of CS took about 2 weeks but turnaround on the RMA was pretty quick. Overall ive found the rifle suppresses well, and has been very reliable after a modest break in period. It shortcomings are in line with what you said, while i dont mind the heft and I do still like the caliber conversion options. Maybe ive been lucky in that swapping mine back and forth hasnt resulted in any accuracy degredation with either barrel. The trigger is excellent for a bullpup and I enjoy the balance of the rifle as well as the manual of arms. I think this would have a better time if DT would just sell it off to a company and let them fix the parts issues and drop the price by about 500-1000k. While I do love the rifle as it stands its simply not worth its price tag.

[@COP0351]

Also, I don't think there's anything in this rifle that pisses me off more than this sloppy flaccid piece of shit safety. There's zero detents so no positive engagement, the actual thumbshelf is microscopic and ive gotten better feel from a nerf gun. They should have called up Radian day 1 and had something put together that wouldn't bring dishonor on their ancestors

[@ErxEestlane]

When I was looking at getting into bull-pups, the MDRx looked great on paper. I almost hit buy, but the more I researched and asked around, the more I hesitated. The cost, QC, silly handguard design, past customer service issues all together ultimately pushed me away. I ended up with a VHS-2 (aka Hellion) and love that thing, sure it's a bit heavy, doesn't work for everyone due to LoP, and needs a bit of aftermarket love(trigger and mag well specifically), but it works for me and suppresses nicely. If I was looking for a 308 option I'd go with the Tavor 7 personally.

[@andreivaldez2929]

"It works for me"

[@JohnBrowningsGhost]

The tavor 7 is even heavier and has reportedly even worse accuracy than the mdrx despite being 6 years newer.

[@johnsheppard7175]

Glad this came out before I bought one of these. I am a bullpup enjoyer (I have AUGtism), and definitely had this on the list. But now I'm thinking I may end up just sticking with the AUG.

[@allanjarnagin3540]

Highly regarded take (I see youuuu).

[@TIEpilot918]

Your observation about ergos is on point. I love my AUG but one thing I don't like is the necessity to use the vertical grip. Some kind of handguard should be stock on that gun (among other things) in my opinion. But if I spend hundreds of dollars, those problems can be solved!

[@ToastbackWhale]

I took my foregrip off and just C-clamp mine. Works fine. I have my WML tapeswitch on the top rail in front of the optic and can activate it no problem.

[@PrayingPanda]

0:57 thumbs up for good usage of the word "Fatwa". I'm impressed.

[@timunderbakke8756]

Been happy with the Tavor personally. Yes, it's expensive. But since I already have it, I don't really regret it. I wouldn't make it the top recommendation to someone else, but for me it was a case of dream gun (the old colonel would have called it 2nd cool) and worked very well as a rifle.

[@JohnZ556]

Same here, you chose well. I love bullpups but the MDRX I had was a huge disappointment. Amature design and poor quality. I would put X95 above VHS-2 for a much better manual of arms and ease of accessorizing. But VHS-2 is more accurate and better at suppressing.

[@onpsxmember]

7:20 With the AUG you have also 2 ejection ports but like with the Tavor you need a left hand bolt with the extractor and ejector on the opposite side, click to wonky port cover on the other side and done. There is an after market option that has a bolt that can be switched back and forth quickly though I can't remember who makes them. The big lefty downside of the AUG is the gas port on the right side. So either you are mindful and don't get too close or maybe have different bit of rail that protects your hand. If one doesn't want to buy a lefty bolt or that hybrid thing that isn't original then you better have an amazing brass deflector. If you test an AUG, you need the big ass rail config from Corvus Defensio that also attaches to the bit of mlok rail. Laizor and Illum. of the Jagdkommando are usually mounted vertically on the right side with bit of side rail. I wonder if you can get an A3 M2 in the US. 17:47 Dual Supressors makes for gnarly patrols. It really stinks that the other handguard doesn't fix things but what can they do if the attachment points stay the same and caliber conversions...

[@kenadams2124]

I can't thank you enough for this honest yet wholesome review. They sell these .223 suckers for 4000€ , where I live. That is a hard pass. Thx for saving us hard earned credits.❤ #DogsareFriends

[@cstgraphpads2091]

Bullpups in general are too expensive for the benefits.

[@Fadaar]

​@@cstgraphpads2091 I like my FS2000 purely for the fact that it's worth double what I paid for it! In all seriousness, if I was going to get a(nother) bullpup I'd go for a Tavor, likely a shorter barrel variant. Give me an unlimited budget and an Aug would definitely be in there too purely for the video game and Die Hard nostalgia. Don't know if I'd bother with any others.

[@Blue-cq2hl]

At $2000-2500 it's a lot easier to swallow given what it is if it's your jam but yeah that price is a hard no since that is what a lot of high end rifles are including big bores.

[@davidbresson8865]

The Lucky Irishman handguard uses a different attachment mechanism. It uses two metal blocks that clamp around the area of the receiver where the handguard pin goes, and instead of the standard pin uses an internally threaded dowel pin to secure the blocks. Then those blocks accept screws to secure the actual handguard. The downside is if you think the BLK LBL handguard is beefy, you won't like the girth of the Lucky Irishman. But it'll also fit over a suppressor with loads of room to spare.

[@Bad_Rattle]

Was always curious about the MDRX. I ultimately went with an X95 because it’s my favorite 😮‍💨. I changed the hand guard out to the BLK LBL (dumb name) which is great and doesn’t attach via MLOK on the X95. It’s definitely one of my favorite guns

[@davidelzinga9757]

As a bullpup guy, this used to be a dream tool of mine. Now, I’m even more content with my RDB

[@michaellowery928]

I second that emotion.

[@WearilyCorrect]

RDB is great. Probably not worth replacing till a semi AR compatible bullpup makes its mark.

[@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz]

I wanted an MDR. I now have a VHS2.1 and can do my Starship Troopers larp super hard.

[@SS-tr5ru]

Ew keltec

[@davidelzinga9757]

@@SS-tr5ru it’s ok, I love making people cringe

[@abracing199]

Just picked mine up monday. Going to get to play with it this weekend, we'll see how i like it compared to my AR.

[@chardeemacdennis357]

I'd like to give you props for being the only gun channel I can fall asleep to (I absord all data through osmosis). I'm an unapologetic Augtist but I know it's not perfect, much less bullpups in general. I would like to try out the MDRX for 6.5 Creedmoor a la Halo DMR

[@ericbergfield6451]

Got my MDRx in 5.56 last month, my mag-release button is also very difficult to depress with normal finger strength. I like it a bunch, but I wouldn't say I prefer it above my Hellion, or AUG. They're all fun in their own way

[@davidjones8942]

I added a bit of better grease, and it is resonable for one finger operation now...

[@APSupernary]

Achxtually, Robinson Arms XCR does offer interchangeable barrels from their website. They're just a forgotten member of the SCAR program trials after the flash hider technicality. Which leads to a question: How much of a bullpup's handiness can be offset (given it'd be compromised) by a conventional pattern rifle featuring folding stock?

[@BrassFacts]

I actually know about that one since a friend owns one. That , if I recall like 5+ years to get out. Or maybe I'm thinking of the ACR

[@APSupernary]

@@BrassFacts I'd be a real slut for an XCR review. Wiki seems to indicate

[@shawnpappy1538]

What a great review. You mentioned a lot of things I never considered. The scenery and video was very nice. Well done.

[@pb7087]

Caliber conversion has its uses. It’s good for custom action bolt guns. One receiver, one chassis/stock, one optic, but multiple shouldered pre-fit barrels and bolt heads to choose the cartridge you want for the particular use. Elk? Throw on the 300 win mag or 7 PRC barrel, switch it up to 6.5 CM for deer, and then put on a beefy 6 GT bull barrel for a PRS match. Re-zeroing is quick and you don’t need to always have the rifle ready.

[@JayWilkins-zh7fx]

The mdrx, and the keltech rdb or rfb are the best looking bullpups imo the x95 sbr with a suppresor is a short second place to those tho long as u remove that stupid bar and replace it with a regular trigger guard

[@PocketDrummer]

5:20 - The waffle iron has been removed from all new MDRXs. The only problem now is a waffle iron sized hole in the top rail. I'm hoping they get smart and extend the rail to make up for it at some point.

[@BrassFacts]

the website doesn't show it yet, and this is the newest production. I think the KZbin team got a bit ahead of themselves.

[@PocketDrummer]

@@BrassFacts Ah, that's good to know. I was under the impression they already updated their production line before putting out that statement.

[@touge242]

Yup. I really wish someone made a bullpup with modern ergos and capabilities in mind. Yes, that means the rifle will have a 20" barrel because the handguard needs to be long to fit stuff. Rumor has it blk lbl ipa is brewing a tavor-7 batch, I might hate that rifle less.

[@misterquintus]

You covered pretty much everythign I've been asking Desert Tech to do for months Dedicated x45mm version No hot swap barrel Monolithic upper Forged or milled internals instead of sintered metal AR compatible pistol grip User swappable cheek pad Much MUCH more robust charging handles Then it could really be something

[@texasranger24]

Same here, i've spammed that under every single video they made. But so far, nothing...

[@ryotatakuma6117]

I also mentioned that in the bullpup groups too. Also the gas block to be not exposed on the top rail and the bolt to be redesigned to be more like a ar18 than thier scissor bolt design with the charging handle canting joint system that breaks.

[@Jrocc811]

I wanted one of these but decided to get the LWRCI IC A5. I'm pretty happy with my choice. Maybe you and Hop will get to review/roasting the IC A5 at some point. Ill be looking forward to it 😅

[@notme3184]

Why would you want them to roast the ica5

[@Jrocc811]

@@notme3184 Because they seem to roast anything no matter how good it is. Its entertaining to me.

[@draxianhyserski1654]

an the DI version! It's really cost competitive, and still a solid gun.

[@jackusmc2542]

Good Video. good breakdown on this rifle. The obligatory Nova segment is always welcome.

[@thomassymonds6308]

thanks for making this! I was curious about what happened to the MDR too! I handled one at a gunshow and thought "this thing is DENSE"

[@benhetland9409]

Did I miss something? That little upward groove catch at the back on the charging handle slot is there to lock the bolt to the rear without having to do the hokey pokey. At least, that's how it was the last time I messed with one.

[@BrassFacts]

yeah you missed something lol. I literally explain about 5 seconds before I smash my finger.

[@iamcondescending]

I love my BLK LBL for my X-95. night and day better than that forend, it's a way better profile, and updating to M-Lok allowed me to keep my light setup pretty streamlined. I also appreciate the section of pic rail on top, I figure one day I might be able to add an IR device there.

[@kalashnikovdevil]

I really appreciate this review! I still want a .308 MDRX for reasons that... are complicated to me. I really dig the BLK LBL hand guard that has the built in bipod.

[@ryotatakuma6117]

@BrassFacts , if you are going to try the Hellion, be sure to get the newer model with the new safety selector because the trigger too is just slightly improved. Also be sure to buy the Lunartech bolt catch release, magwell, and magazine button enhancement. Lastly if you cant stomach the LOP, get the Manticore arms buttstock that will help reduce the LOP by 1" and add a 1" larger rear contact point.

[@TeensierPython]

So. Buy this gun. Then add all these parts to make it good. Checks out.

[@540isilver]

After around 2k rounds thru my 20 in 308 mdrx I have had really good luck with it. Great farm gun easy to take yotes at 600 yards. Good with night vision I havey it laser on a unity riser back in the receiver. Definitely not the best gun in the world but easy to have with you.

[@mizuian]

I have a gen 4 in 300 blk. It had a lot of issues initially, including a bolt that couldn't be removed from the carrier, frequent failure to eject through the forward ejection port, and the billion tiny screws holding the guts inside falling out while shooting. I sent it back to DT, and now it hasn't had an issue in over 1000 rounds. It's picky about ammo, but loves cheap AAC 110gr. It does about 1.5 MOA generally. My only gripe now is that it is the absolute worst rifle to clean, and needs you to at least confirm zero anytime you take the barrel out to clean it.

[@tytly-ro7vt]

I think doing dedicated caliber uppers would definitely bring the weight down, also the bcg design of the Hellion vs the weird finger ejectors of the MDRX would be beneficial

[@crrc4s]

Love that you’re running all that gear on the factory hand guard.

[@dingdongheadyuue]

You guys are methodical and honest. Almost fell for that Des-Tech, as far as Hop liking anything Kiltak is amazingly sacrificial. My ODG X95 finally arrived! And besides supporting Israel, for me it is the best blessed Bullpup, like Samson's jawbone. Thank you!

[@DeadlyBreath9790]

It may help if you add a low profile sling point between the gas block rail and hand guard to stop it from shifting. The Magpul RSA comes to mind.

[@shootinbruin3614]

It would also help prevent burns on your hand

[@jamesgraham8386]

Jard makes a really nice drop in the adjustable trigger.

[@stevedo18able]

My 308 experience Pros: -Best accuracy for bullpup (1moa) -Best stock trigger -Slim Handguard for traditional AR15 ergos/feels -HK lockback feel mandatory on bullpups for clearing malfunctions easier. Cons: -Handguard not optimal for lasers -my safety was mushy. Just moved into place, no positive click -mag release was stiff, almost requiring shifting of grip to put additional pressure to engage it. Did jam up when debris got into it at a sandy/loose soil tree farm, hog hunting. -malfunction? Gl quickly checking the ejection chute. Let alone quick remedial action. -something was out of spec to where the JARD trigger was getting binded. Confirmed by “dry firing” with upper and lower separated. No issues. Pin them together and some trigger pulls were what felt like 10lb.

[@Meyer-gp7nq]

I watched all the videos Ian and Karl did about this gun a while back and that got me intrigued. It is very expensive for all its flaws though,

[@kcamroccamian]

Also, I had an MDR for like six months and ended up selling it. Cool gun, great to shoot and made for a good suppressor host, but the weight, and its tremendous pickiness with ammo (accuracy was fine, but it refused to cycle like a quarter of the brands of 223 or 5.56 I fed it, regardless of gas system experimentation). It seems like a good bullpup CAN be made, it just hasn't yet. There is a startup called Senex arms working on a bullpup that takes ar barrels and bolts, though, and I am casually keeping an eye on them.

[@VYBEKAT]

I'm definitely going to preorder a Senex bullpup soon. He has shared a lot about the design and it seems well thought through

[@kcamroccamian]

@@VYBEKAT yeah at the very least, I am curious about it. Maybe it isn't "battle tested", but building it to use AR components is smart. Hoping the Senex hand guard doesn't have the issues the MDR does

[@michaele1564]

Where did you get the turkish elcan? will there be a review coming for it?

[@milkisspicy5840]

.308 20in MDRX from 2020ish. $1650 (made an offer). Planned on doing the .556 micron SBR conversion, it’s not worth it. Put on an Elcan and its biggest issue by far is weight. 1.5 MOA. Have had 3 malfunctions (one requiring complete tear down and cleaning). A Strike Industries Oppressor ($100 and fits the OEM SI brake) was a game changer. Way more pleasant to shoot, changed the recoil impulse in a pleasant way (more horizontal) while shooting from a bipod, it’s very fun. The thing is at the end if the day it’s just too darn heavy to be practical. Still love the gun.

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

To be fair, you DO have the heaviest configuration.

[@doozycs]

I picked up the newer tungsten MDRX in 308 and I have the same handguard, and an exps3-2 / g43 on unity mounts. I'm newer to guns and I've only put a couple hundred rounds through it, but I love it so far. Initially the gun was under gassed and rounds were getting caught in the ejection port, but after dialing it I've had no issues so far. I have forward-eject and honestly think it might be nicer to have side-eject to make ejection easier, and then you can tell if you are over/under gassed by the ejection angle. Hope this platform continues to see some support and innovation from DT.

[@JohnBrowningsGhost]

Its been constantly updated for years now, no worries about DT dropping support for the mdrx.

[@nf1]

​@@JohnBrowningsGhostThat aged badly lol

[@CyberCrusader27]

I've heard many stories of quality control issues from Desert Tech especially the 308 MDRX.

[@kwinzman]

Confirming what was said in the video. You didn't say if those issues are also affecting the 2023 improved MDRX version. And that's the problem!

[@CyberCrusader27]

@@kwinzman Current experience with two 2023 models with people I know personally would dictate unfortunately it is still an issue.

[@kwinzman]

@@CyberCrusader27 Thanks for the reply! What seems to be the issue with the 2023 models?

[@tsuchinokoz5036]

Ah I had on og 308 1.5 pre x and it was great

[@CyberCrusader27]

@@kwinzman One of them had an out of spec BCG that caused malfunctions until it was replaced by Desert Tech. The rifle also had forward eject related jamming issues. The second one purchased around the same time suffered a malfunction either resulting in or caused by the extractors lip sheering off in the cup of a casing and subsequently jamming.

[@gavincline209]

What about a comparison to there new wlvrn? Seems like they really listened and fixed up a lot of the bad things you mentioned from this video. Weight, barrel clamping, fewer parts ect. Be interesting to see a review from same person on both to get a level idea of the new weapons performance vs old.

[@theroguenob]

Magazine release cover is most likley broken but you've got the 556 magazine adapter that covers it up and keeps it together better than the 308 so it's mushy instead of broken

[@BrassFacts]

gotcha good to know

[@ParrotTactical]

Will be posting my own inferior review soon, but sent mine back to DT twice for the mag release and it never got any better. Also, the same QC person signed off on it (3) times [once from factory and twice when I sent it back] leading me to believe they’re understaffed in that area and -name redacted- doesn’t care about the mag release feel.

[@JohnBrowningsGhost]

If you arent happy with the newest safety linkage youre going to just use it so it wears in nicely.

[@jb8086]

I personally am not a fan of bull pups, never have I had an interest in getting one. Yet I still watch your reviews. Good stuff made all the better for some fine Nova content.

[@kcamroccamian]

Woah we gonna get a review of the AVCI optic? I have been super curious about any Elcan competitors, and I would happily chip into subscribestar to see that review.

[@BrassFacts]

next week, it's already on substar

[@kcamroccamian]

@@BrassFacts you've earned a patron 😎

[@Ejk2969]

The MDRX is an awesome piece of weaponry, modular, upgradeable, and caliber interchangeable, what more can you ask for?

[@chadhaire1711]

its junk

[@MrGible]

1:18 I cannot believe that is you! Wow, makes me think how old you actually are. Thanks for the video

[@thetrainshop]

I love my 5.56 MDRX forward eject. It runs reliably at a "paltry" 1500 rd count. The ergos are great, manual of arms was easy to adjust to, and it's accuracy is pretty damn solid for what I would expect for it's class. She's a fat bottomed girl, but with a can, a light, XPS3, and a G43 magnifier, it balances well. Not for everyone, but it has it's market. As you mentioned though, I'll probably never utilize it's caliber conversion feature.

[@Tiger_actual]

Came for the review, and was delighted to see Luna as an endcap.

[@fuhq5121]

When that charging handle dropped, he made the same noise as the aliens from Mars attacks.

[@outboardprsnlstndup]

What prism optic is that near the beginning??

[@tonyv6815]

I maintain that if the X95 and MDR could be sold for $1500, bull pups would be immensely more popular. At their cost point they are competing with som pretty high end AR platforms and as great as bullpups are they also suck in many ways

[@cxerphax1]

X95 cost $1700 basically there…

[@tonyv6815]

@@cxerphax1 it msrp's for ~$1800 and requires another $500 to get it to not suck. I know, I have one

[@cxerphax1]

@@tonyv6815 I have one too brother. It’s good out of the box. Could it be better? Sure. Mine has a manticore extended Handguard, overwatch rail, curved buttpad, and geissele trigger pack and trigger. The Israelis currently in combat don’t use any of this stuff and use it in combat as we speak. It is just fine. And ya about $1795 before tax is what an x95 costs

[@tonyv6815]

@cxerphax1 Don't get me wrong I love it and there is nothing else on the market that gives you a full size rifle in as small a package but ultimately for the vast majority of people you can get a similar quality ar15 for $700 less

[@matthewsmiley3630]

Aren’t the people who operate it or somebody involved have a family that does stuff like T. Rex family does?

[@DustyGamma]

18:12 There should be handguard that connects to the waffle iron... But it'd probably need a heatsink and handstop built in.

[@brennanbagel8293]

Mine is fantastic, shoots MOA with good ammo, once I cleaned it and set the gas block appropriately I’ve never had issues. Haven’t shot it in a while now and went to sell it but it feels like an impossible feat and I have it listed for $400-$600 less than others in my area lol

[@MightyMaynes]

What color is it? Where did ya list it?

[@LDB670]

I haven't had any problems with my 556 mdrx (newest iteration). I sold my gen 1 .308 MDR. I felt like I needed a mouthguard to keep my teeth in place with that recoil.

[@Berserkable]

I’d like a redesign to make a DEDICATED 5.56/300Blk. Smaller, lighter and maybe cheaper version that doesn’t prioritize quick swapping calibers. Just a simplified version that retains accuracy and reliability. It has potential to easily be the best bullpup but it kinda seems like they don’t know what they want it to be and prioritize swapping from 308, 6.5CM, 300Blk and 5.56. They just need to make solid bombproof options and honestly separate calibers into a “large frame” and “small frame” versions of the rifle.

[@danielmacdonald8358]

Good video, I appreciate the time and effort spent on showing us the pros and cons.

[@Ammotax]

I was in the bathroom at work. when that charging handle dropped on your hand and I was laughing so hard. someone asked if I was crying in the bathroom.

[@davidjones8942]

I'm confused about the screwdriver and cuts from sharp bits thing..... I use a spent case (6.5CR) to swap the two coverplates to opposite sides and it ejects the other way, about 90 seconds. Also, if you just keep your hand sliding up when the mag seats, you will trip the bolt release with no additional steps or effort....

[@SPECIESUNKN0WN]

Awwwwww look at the baby faced brass facts ❤️

[@notajaxon9476]

I always love the thing, but I always thought that it's price was too much considering for what it was.

[@bananaoperations7624]

Yeah the really big issue with the MDRx is the price and the QC. For its price, I demand my rifle to be near perfect... but with Desert Techs QC it isnt. When you start looking into the rifle you really start seeing it. You're paying to be a beta tester with the damn thing. I used to have one, forward eject, it came with a broken charging handle, an accidental binaryish trigger, and one of my mlok slots broke on the shitty OEM handguard installing a vert grip. Oh and I wanted to run steel case the thing just died. I have an AUG now and sold my MDRx to buy an Elcan to put on the AUG, zero regrets. It doesnt have the most "modern" features but I dont mind. It does what I need to do. Hopefully though they will get their shit together and get it to being a more solid rifle. Yours with the new charging handle and side eject seems to be fairly decent. Maybe I would have felt different if I had something like yours at the time.

[@CaptGus]

I popped it open unhooked the linkage from the hammer and where the hook goes over it was very rough and just sanded it with some 400 and smooth it out, made a difference, and it was only a five minute fix if that, but I was surprised that it was that rough

[@braxtonnelson7976]

I honestly love mine..... but its in .308 and its an OG MDR. 2019 upgrades and it.... just...... runs. I would like to get a 5.56 kit and see if it continues that trend..... as for re-zeroing between caliber swaps its not a problem at all. You literally zero to your most desired cartridge, then you swap you make note of the adjustment (write it down) and then when you swap calibers you adjust your optic... this is crazy easy with LPVO's and scopes and we've been doing it with long range bolt gun systems with caliber conversion systesm for years. It's a non-issue. You can also do this to "rezero" for suppressor POI shift when removed. I get 1 MOA ish sometimes sub with 168gr's of certain brands, I use a JARD trigger because its nearly unobtainable to get 1 moa or sub with the OG trigger, but since DT makes this I still think its sad that its not ALWAYS sub moa with high end ammo. I think a ES tactical barrel would be the final win in the accuracy department but a thousand dollar barrel... yikes.

[@mtnbound2764]

@7:35 what optic is that? it kinda looks like an elcan, but not

[@Tactonyx]

Bought one last spring and sbr'd it. Chose this over other bullpups on the market because it suppressed the best. Right out of the gate the flange on the bolt broke off when i pulled back the charging handle, didnt even fire it yet. Three bolt heads, six torx bolts, and a broken charging handle spring later, i was able to fire 100 rounds consecutively through. Very poor quality control, but the warranty dept took care of me. Kinda regret getting my MDRX, but im stuck with it since I sbr it, and going to make the best of it.

[@kevinalmgren8332]

You can de-register an SBR

[@UndertheTreesPNW]

I bought a 308 MDR in Jan of 2019, it felt great for a bullpup and shot well enough. The ambi controls were very stiff to the point that they didn't actually work all the time, trigger was good for a bullpup, accuracy was above average but not amazing, recoil was more than my Scar 17. I ended up trading the MDR for another Scar 17, which with a Geissele trigger does everything I need/want in 308

[@TheSonsOfSimon]

DT recently (2023) rolled out more updates for the MDRx. The “gen 3” and earlier folding charging handles were a serious weakness of the design. Not only were they easy to break (seriously; while just dry charging the weapon), but when they do, they inhibit the normal operation of the charging system in general. Even if you use the opposing side charging handle, the charging system seems to be obstructed or locked up. To be fair, their customer service was friendly and responsive though the repair took months. However, when I got the rifle back, the other charging handle broke on the first charge. That time, I asked that they sent me the parts, and I fixed it myself. Other cons: -The forward eject system tends to indicate malfunctions. -The front handguard flexes too much. The positive: -It was noticeably more accurate than the X95 that I shot side by side. -The ergonomics are good.

[@breckfreeride]

You needed the blhh lublag with the bipod! Still waiting for one for the tavor7

[@MrCashewkitty]

Clcouple of comments on barrel swaps. The XCR had available barrel swaps early. I'm not sure how well it worked as the system has been refined so much since then. My friend shoots long range competitions and has a Berrett MRAD. I have personally seen him switch from 300 to 338 and have less than 1/4 inch in shift. Not sure if that's normal but he seemed nonchalant enough about it that I assumed it was.

[@jrodom2411]

Mine has the sticky mag release too. I got the 20" .308 because they wont ship 16" to CA for some stupid reason. Its really picky with ammo or mine is just a special snowflake, Saltech M80 jams and rips rims, but Winchester and federal are no problem. I hope Desert Tech keeps iterating on the MDRX, an 8.6 or 300blk version of the micron would be super cool for home defense.

[@TJ4774]

Aug doesn't need to be "a whole left hand version". Just needs a left hand bolt

[@dingdongheadyuue]

PS, and thanks for Venture Surplus and discount code. Can't wait to get my chest-rig and star light laucher

[@gansior4744]

When you buy Corvius Defense brass deflector for the Aug, you can shoot it left handed. Aug with the current aftermarket support and New A3M2 is the best bullpup

[@BrassFacts]

you "can" but it requires you to pull your head *way* back. You can even see it in the demo. If you shoot the rifle normally as a lefty, you still need a left eject variant.

[@ToastbackWhale]

Titus Arms makes snap-on brass deflectors that mimic the Corvus ones but are significantly cheaper, and lighter (being carbon-fiber nylon instead of aluminum).

[@gansior4744]

​@@BrassFacts im left handed. I just learned to shoot right handed and I don't suffer on AUG. Sad reality if you don't want to change anything on the gun. Not like Stock AR is left hand accessible either

[@dallenhumpherys7911]

It seems like a great bullpup could still made. If someone made one that had the modernizations of the mdrx, avoided the quirks of the other designs, fixed the rail problem, ditched the caliber conversions (at least for diferent sizes of calibers), made the magwell and mag release smooth and well done, put in a decent trigger, and made it accurate and reliable with good QC, and preferably offered it at a decent price, then it could be a great rifle and give the bullpup concept a better reputation. So just give us a reliable, accurate, ergonomic, non-quirky and not over-priced gun, and people will buy it.

[@OakleyWaltman]

What's the scoop on the Elcan at home? We need a review on it lol

[@outboardprsnlstndup]

Any idea what brand?

[@Blue-cq2hl]

I have an mdrx and I like it quite a bit and want one of those mantis rails on it but those things are stupid pricey. The basic aluminum one looks nice compared to the poly rail but not worth at least to me. haven't had issues so far but mine is also new. I do wish the charging handle folded or one sided personally. It's not perfect but it's quite nice and I think it's the closest right now and that trigger is definitely nice I think the problem this rifle suffers from too is that it's just expensive. Somewhere between 2000-3000 when you can get a more traditional platform for less or just get a more refined rifle for the same price. Definitely heavy but I still like it What muzzle device did you go with on that? Kind of curious about suppressing mine but still waiting

[@spencerglenn4404]

I have a black mantis I will sell. It's new