AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY: BARRETT'S .50 BMG Rifles

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2001 by Charles Cutshaw

IN A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF AMERICAN INGENUITY, RONNIE BARRETT'S HOME-GROWN DESIGN HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR MILITARY GRADE .50-CALIBER RIFLES.

Superlatives come very easily to those of us who are captivated by fine firearms. Seems that every time many of us meet a new gun, we immediately fall in love with it. On the other hand, there are those firearms of which legends are made and for which superlatives are inadequate. Ronnie Barrett's legendary rifles chambered for the .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge fall into this category.

The big "fifties" of Barrett dominate the large caliber rifle market, not only in the United States, but worldwide. Other manufacturers of .50-caliber rifles claim superiority in one respect or another, but in the real world of military and law enforcement, Barrett is the standard by which all others are compared. Just how overwhelming is Barrett's dominance in the world of very high-power shooting? Consider that 35 nations worldwide use Barrett's rifles, most of them the M82A1. or its latest iteration, the M82AIM. What makes these rifles so popular? In short, proven accuracy and reliability. How accurate can the Barrett M82A1 be?

Flashback to 1994. The place is Marine Corps Base Quantico. I was enjoying a rare opportunity to be on this range, shooting all types of Marine Corps small arms, up to and including the MS2A1. These M82A1s were the very same guns that had performed so admirably in Desert Storm. When my turn came, I dropped down prone behind the Barrett and was handed a magazine of five rounds of armor-piercing incendiary ammo. After assuring himself that I did, indeed, know how to operate the big rifle, the Marine "gunny" explained that the rifle was zeroed on an old AMTRAC hull waaaay downrange. I noted the hull and confirmed its location with the gunny. He affirmed that I had the right target and gave permission to lock, load and commence firing.

I inserted the magazine, racked the bolt and responded that my point of aim was the small 3x4-foot access door which was standing open on the AMTRAC's rear. Carefully, the first shot was squeezed off. A few moments later, a fireball produced by the impact of the API bullet appeared on the AMTRAC hull just above the top-left corner of the small access door. I moved the scope's cross hairs down to the lower-right corner of the door and squeezed off the next shot. HiT! Then the next. HIT! Then the next. Again, HIT! The final shot was also a solid center hit. As I arose with a satisfied grin, I asked the gunny how far away that AMTRAC hull was.

"Sir, that damn thing was 2,000 yards out. Good shooting!" he responded.

Given that one mile equates to 1,760 yards, that AMTRAC hull was well over a mile distant, and yet the semi-automatic Barrett put every shot essentially where it was aimed! The semi-automatic Barrett is not a "match" rifle intended for artificial and highly structured competitions where the rifles are fired off a concrete bench using a machine rest. On the contrary, all Barrett rifles are built for the real world, whether it is military, law enforcement, or very long distance field shooting. That said, Barrett's rifles, especially the bolt action Model 95 and single shot Model 99, have established an enviable reputation for accuracy.

The Marines are replacing their old Barretts with some 400 of the latest version of the M82A1, the M82A1M, designated M82A3 by the Marine Corps. I maintain a very close scrutiny of military weapon purchases worldwide, and I have not heard of a single instance of a dissatisfied military Barrett customer. In point of fact, I have spoken with several civilian Barrett owners, and all have been enthusiastic in stating their pleasure not only with their rifles, but also with the consideration that Barrett's has extended to them. Barrett rifles carry an unconditional warranty on parts and labor for a year, but if older rifles need repair that is attributable to a factory defect, the company will usually repair the gun at no cost. Although no product is perfect and there is no such thing as 100-percent customer satisfaction, Barrett rifles have earned a reputation for quality and reliability.

A Humble Beginning

These renowned rifles have their genesis in Ronnie Barrett's love of firearms. He grew up in middle Tennessee, where shooting was and remains a way of life for many inhabitants. In Barrett's case, however, his love of shooting went beyond simply running to the range on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Barrett is one of those rare individuals who not only enjoyed shooting, but carried his passion into competition and then into improving the guns that he used.

Once he got this far, Barrett began to think of designing a firearm of his own, but not just any firearm -- Barrett wanted to take on the challenge of designing a self-loading .50 BMG caliber rifle. In 1981, this was unheard of, but he approached a major firearm manufacturer who stated that they would consider producing such a rifle, if Barrett could design it.