Barrett 50.cal

The **M82**, standardized by the US Military as the **M107**, is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American Barrett Firearms Manufacturing
 company. It is used by many units and armies around the world. Despite
its designation as an anti-materiel rifle, it is used by some armed
forces as an anti-personnel sniper rifle. It is also called the **Light Fifty** for its .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) chambering. The weapon is found in two variants, the original M82A1 (and A3) and the bullpup M82A2. The M82A2 is no longer manufactured, though the XM500 can be seen as its successor.

## Overview

The original Barrett M82

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was founded by Ronnie Barrett for the sole purpose of building semi-automatic rifles chambered for the powerful 12.7×99mm NATO (.50 BMG) ammunition, originally developed for and used in M2 Browning
 machine guns. Barrett began his work in the early 1980s and the first
working rifles were available in 1982, hence the designation M82.
Barrett designed every single part of the weapon personally and then
went on to market the weapon and mass-produce it out of his own pocket.
He continued to develop his rifle through the 1980s, and developed the
improved M82A1 rifle by 1986.

M82A1 used by the 60th Ordnance Detachment during Operation Desert Shield.

The first conventional military success was the sale of about 100 M82A1 rifles to the Swedish Army in 1989. Major success followed in 1990, when the United States armed forces purchased significant numbers of the M82A1 during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq. About 125 rifles were initially bought by the United States Marine Corps, and orders from the Army and Air Force
 soon followed. The M82A1 is known by the US military as the
SASR—"Special Applications Scoped Rifle", and it was and still is used
as an anti-materiel rifle and explosive ordnance disposal
 (EOD) tool. The long effective range, over 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) (1.1
 miles), along with high energy and availability of highly effective
ammunition such as API and Raufoss Mk 211, allows for effective operations against targets like radar cabins, trucks, parked aircraft and the like. The M82 can also be used to defeat human targets from standoff range or against targets behind cover.

M82A2 Rifle with a Leupold Mark 4 Scope

Further development led to the M82A2 bullpup
 rifle in 1987, which was a reduced-recoil design to be fired from the
shoulder. It failed to make an impression on the world firearms market,
and was soon dropped from production. However, in 2006, Barrett
completed development of the XM500, which has a bullpup configuration similar to the M82A2.

The latest derivative of the M82 family is the M82A1M rifle, adopted by U.S. Marine Corps as the M82A3 SASR and bought in large numbers. This rifle differs from M82A1 in that it has a full length Picatinny rail that allows a wide variety of scopes and sighting devices to be mounted on the rifle. Other changes are the addition of a rear monopod, slightly lightened mechanism, and detachable bipod and muzzle brake.

Another variant of the original weapon is the M82A1A Special
Application Scoped Rifle, an almost identical model but specifically
designed to fire the Raufoss Mk 211 Mod 0 round, a type of API (Armour Piercing Incendiary) ammunition.

Barrett M82 rifles were bought by various military and police forces from at least 30 countries, such as Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands,[2] Norway, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom,
 the United States, and others. The M82 also is widely used for civilian
 .50 caliber long range shooting competitions, being fired accurately
out to 910 metres (2,990 ft) and even farther.

The United States Coast Guard's Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and Law Enforcement Detachments use versions of the Barrett M107 to disable the engines of go-fast boats
 carrying illegal drugs. Barrett M82 rifles have also attracted
attention from civilian law enforcement agencies; they have been adopted
 by the New York City Police Department as well as the Pittsburgh Police. If it becomes necessary to immobilize a vehicle, a .50 BMG round in the engine block
 will shut it down quickly. If it is necessary to breach barriers, a .50
 BMG round will penetrate most commercial brick walls and concrete blocks.

According to the documentary *The Brooklyn Connection*, M82s smuggled into Kosovo by sympathizers in the United States quickly became popular long range sniper rifles in the Kosovo Liberation Army.

The Barrett M82A1 rifle was used in 2002 as a platform for the experimental OSW[*disambiguation needed*]
 (Objective Sniper Weapon) prototype. This weapon was fitted with a
shorter barrel of 25 mm caliber, and fired high-explosive shells
developed for the 25×59 mm OCSW (Objective Crew Served Weapon) automatic grenade launcher.
 The experimental OSW showed an increased effectiveness against various
targets, but the recoil was beyond human limitations. This weapon, also
known as the Barrett "Payload Rifle", has now been designated the XM109.

## M82 to M107

M107, almost identical to the M82A1M/A3.

A U.S. Navy EOD Commander fires an M107 in Afghanistan.

The **XM107** was originally intended to be a bolt-action sniper rifle, and the rifle Barrett M95 was originally selected by the U.S. Army
 in a competition between such weapons. However, under the trials the
decision was made that the U.S. Army did not, in fact, require such a
weapon.

Then the Army decided on the Barrett M82, a semi-automatic rifle. In
summer 2002, the M82 finally emerged from its Army trial phase and was
approved for "full materiel release", meaning it was officially adopted as the **Long Range Sniper Rifle, Caliber .50, M107.** The M107 uses a Leupold 4.5–14×50 Mark 4 scope.

Overwatch being provided by an army sergeant during a high level meeting in Baghdad.

The Barrett M107 is a .50 caliber, shoulder fired, semi-automatic
 sniper rifle. Like its predecessors the rifle is said to have
manageable recoil for a weapon of its size owing to the barrel assembly
that itself absorbs force, moving inward toward the receiver against
large springs with every shot. Additionally the weapon's weight and
large muzzle brake
 also assist in recoil reduction. Various changes were made to the
original M82A1 to create the M107, with new features such as a
lengthened accessory rail, rear grip, and monopod socket. Barrett has
recently been tasked with developing a lightweight version of the M107
under the "Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle Congressional Program", and has
already come up with a scheme to build important component parts such as
 the receiver frame and muzzle brake out of lighter weight materials.

The Barrett M107, like previous members of the M82 line, is also
referred to as the Barrett "Light Fifty." The designation has in many
instances supplanted earlier ones, with the M107 being voted one of
2005's Top 10 Military Inventions by the U.S. Army.[3]

### Barrett M107CQ

A commercial development of the "new" M107, the M107CQ is
specifically designed where the firepower of a .50 caliber rifle is
required, but the bulk of the M82/M107 series prevents the weapon from
being used. The M107CQ is 9" shorter in overall length (all in the
barrel) and 5 pounds lighter than the M107. According to the
manufacturer, the M107CQ is suitable for use in helicopters,
 force protection watercraft, tactical scout land vehicles, and as an
urban soldier's combat multiplier for close quarter battles.[4]

### Barrett M107A1

In October 2010, Barrett unofficially reported production of the M107
 had ceased; and in January 2011 the company announced that its
successor, the M107A1 was available for commercial release. Significant
enhancements include a reduction in weight of 5 pounds, a new
cylindrical titanium muzzle brake and titanium barrel key/recoil buffer
system which allows the weapon to operate with a Barrett-designed
suppressor, and other functional modifications that increase durability
and operator utility.[5]

## Technical description

A U.S. Army sniper using an M107.

Demonstration of an M82 during a training course at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

A USMC Scout Sniper with an M82A3.

A U.S. Coast Guard TACLET marksman uses an M107 from a helicopter.

The M82 is a short recoil semi-automatic firearm.
 When the gun is fired, the barrel initially recoils for a short
distance (about 1 in or 25 mm), while being securely locked by the
rotating bolt. After the short travel, a post on the bolt engaged in the
 curved cam track in the receiver turns the bolt to unlock it from the
barrel. As soon as the bolt unlocks, the accelerator arm strikes it
back, transferring part of the recoil energy of the barrel to the bolt
to achieve reliable cycling. Then the barrel is stopped and the bolt
continues back, to extract and eject a spent case. On its return stroke,
 the bolt strips the fresh cartridge from the box magazine and feeds it
into the chamber and finally locks itself to the barrel. The striker is
also cocked on the return stroke of the bolt. The gun is fed from a
large detachable box magazine holding up to 10 rounds, although a rare
12-round magazine was developed for use during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The receiver is made from two parts (upper and lower), stamped from
sheet steel and connected by cross-pins. The heavy barrel is fluted
 to improve heat dissipation and save weight, and fitted with a large
and effective reactive muzzle brake. On the earlier models the muzzle
brakes had a round cross-section; later M82 rifles are equipped with
two-chamber brakes of rectangular cross-section.

M82A1 rifles are fitted with scope mount and folding backup iron sights, should the glass scope break. The U.S. military M82 rifles are often equipped with Leupold Mark 4 telescopic sights. The M82A1M (USMC M82A3) rifles have long Picatinny accessory rails mounted and US Optics telescopic sights. Every M82 rifle is equipped with a folding carrying handle and a folding bipod
 (both are detachable on the M82A3). The M82A3 is also fitted with a
detachable rear monopod under the butt. The buttpad is fitted with a
soft recoil pad
 to further decrease the felt recoil. M82A1 and M82A3 rifles could be
mounted on the M3 or M122 infantry tripods (originally intended for machine guns)
 or on vehicles using the special Barrett soft-mount. The M82A1 can be
fitted with a carry sling but according to those who carried it in the
field, the M82 is too uncomfortable to be carried on a sling due to its
excessive length and weight. It is usually carried in a special carry
soft or hard case.

The M82A2 differed from M82A1 mostly in its configuration— the pistol
 grip along with trigger was placed ahead of the magazine, and the
buttpad placed below the receiver, just after the magazine. An
additional forward grip was added below the receiver, and the scope
mount moved forward.

The maximum effective range of the M107 is 1,830 metres (2,000 yd).
The maximum range of this weapon (specifically the M107 variant) is
4,000 metres (4,400 yd), as quoted in the owner's manual. Fifty caliber
(and larger) rounds have the potential to travel great distances if
fired in an artillery-like fashion, necessitating the observance of large safety margins when firing on a range.

☀Type
Anti-materiel rifle
Place of origin
United States
Service history
In service
1984–present
Used by
See *Users*

Production history
Designer
Ronnie Barrett
Designed
1980
Manufacturer
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing
Unit cost
$8,900[1]

Produced
1982–present
Variants
M82A1, M82A1A, M82A1M, M82A2, M82A3, M107, M107A1, M107CQ
Specifications
Weight

M82A1:

* 29.7 lb (13.5 kg) (*20-inch barrel*)
* 30.9 lb (14.0 kg) (*29-inch barrel*)

Length

M82A1:

* 48 in (120 cm) (*20-inch barrel.*)
* 57 in (140 cm) (*29-inch barrel*)

Barrel length

M82A1:

* 20 in (51 cm)
* 29 in (74 cm)

Cartridge

* 50 BMG
* .416 Barrett

Action
Recoil-operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity
853 m/s (2,799 ft/s)
Effective firing range
1,800 m (1,969 yd)
Feed system
10-round detachable box magazine
Sights
Fixed front, adjustable rear sight; MIL-STD-1913 rail provided for optics