Barrett M82A1 50 BMG

LineStretcher · February 8, 2019, 09:31 PM

Picked up a new toy today.. brand new.. Put my Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25 on it and it looks small LOL.. I actually bought a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25 and Vortex Xtra High 35mm rings but they were to low so I had to do some scope swapping.

300 Weatherby Magnum compared to a 50 BMG

Barrett M82A1 50 BMG 29" barrell.

bbqncigars · February 8, 2019, 11:53 PM

Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes frustrating world of .50BMG. Have you bought the reloading gear for it yet? Most normal presses don't have enough ram travel to size the cases. The Lee Classic Cast press is used by many FCSA members. Just be warned that just about any piece of reloading gear for the fifty is more expensive than for lesser puny rounds. ;-)
Reloading information is also harder to come by since it is not a standard round. Good luck!

stagpanther · February 9, 2019, 12:19 AM

I thought about getting one years ago--though not semi-auto. Over time I figured it would cost me as much as my divorce did so I chickened out.

LineStretcher · February 9, 2019, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbqncigars

Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes frustrating world of .50BMG. Have you bought the reloading gear for it yet? Most normal presses don't have enough ram travel to size the cases. The Lee Classic Cast press is used by many FCSA members. Just be warned that just about any piece of reloading gear for the fifty is more expensive than for lesser puny rounds. ;-)
Reloading information is also harder to come by since it is not a standard round. Good luck!

The ammo has come way down in price from the 5.00 a round that it was. I did a little research and it would take quite a few rounds for reloading to be cost effective. I have a RCBS Ammomaster II that is fairly new and doesn't need the conversion kit so it's just the cost of the dies for me. I do want to make few key chains and bottle openers but I can remove primers and seat bullets without dies for doing that stuff.

LineStretcher · February 9, 2019, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stagpanther

I thought about getting one years ago--though not semi-auto. Over time I figured it would cost me as much as my divorce did so I chickened out.

Agree, it took me a long time to convince myself that being impractical at times is what makes life worth living. I might have taken it to an extreme this time but what the heck. I haven't tallied it all up yet but I'm pretty sure I'm over 10 grand and if you're planning for your future that just might cause it to be a lonely one.. LOL..

TXAZ · February 9, 2019, 11:05 AM

Welcome to the "Grin and Barrett" / "1 Shot 1 THRILL" ckub.

I got my 29" M107A1 w/ suppressor about 2 years ago. It's a magnet for others and a great outing for friends and business associates, and everyone wants their picture (or their kid's) on the gun:

, particularly those from places where .50's (or guns in general) are 'suppressed by their governments'.

As bbqncigars and linestretcher hinted, buying .50 ammo is significantly cheaper than it used to be and the reloading equipment is a bit more expensive. Yes you can reload cheaper, but you need to be shooting a lot of rounds to break even.

AmmoSeek .50BMG

is a pretty good source for ammo. Mine likes the 660 gr M33 / XM33 ball from Lake City, which you can often find (shipped) for well under $3 a round. When others want to get their picture shooting i / just go blasting, I use the 647 grain APIT which can be had for as cheap as $2.20 a round shipped.

I've shot a mile with it, but the sweet spot seems to be 300-1,000 yards, particularly 600.

Here's a link shooting APIT at a small target at 100 yards:

You can see in the slow jpg above that the gun slows down the recoil through several mechanisms.

Here it is shooting at 1 mile with the suppressor. (The recoil is massive when suppressed.)

The only disadvantage I've found is that a fair number of ranges no longer allow .50's.

And finally, with the "right round", you can have a blast of a time:

(with help from tannerite)

LineStretcher · February 9, 2019, 08:27 PM

TXAZ, I'm trying to stay away from ball ammo because of the steel and potential for lighting up the desert. I picked up 20 rounds of the federal 650 to get it on paper and broke in and 50 rounds of the Hornady A-Max 750's for more precise shooting. I will probably reload at some point just because I like to reload.

I actually wanted a 107 for a number of reason but after some thought I settled on the heavier 82 with the big brake. I figured it would be more comfortable for novices to shoot and make for a pleasant rather than painful day. The 99 is actually the most accurate but they are brutal.

TXAZ · February 9, 2019, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LineStretcher

TXAZ, I'm trying to stay away from ball ammo because of the steel and potential for lighting up the desert. I picked up 20 rounds of the federal 650 to get it on paper and broke in and 50 rounds of the Hornady A-Max 750's for more precise shooting. I will probably reload at some point just because I like to reload.

I actually wanted a 107 for a number of reason but after some thought I settled on the heavier 82 with the big brake. I figured it would be more comfortable for novices to shoot and make for a pleasant rather than painful day. The 99 is actually the most accurate but they are brutal.

Not all ball is steel. The M33 660gr ball is copper clad lead.
Both the 82 and 107 are ~ 1.5 MOA rifles, but for a match, the 750 AMAX is excellent, but it's not a 1/2 MOA benchrest gun.

One of the great things about the 107A1 is the gun is timed with multiple mechanisms to spread the recoil out over time, even better than the 82. It takes ~ 2 millisecond for the bullet to transit the 29" barrel. In a bolt gun without a brake, the bulk of the recoil occurs in about 10 milliseconds (obviously dependent upon the weight of the gun). In firing the 107A1, the barrel recoils back against 2 stout springs, in concert with a very effective muzzle brake. The energy transferred from the barrel movement starts the bolt carrier back against a larger single spring and starts the body of the gun moving into the shooter's shoulder.

This whole process takes ~~ 100 milliseconds. So instead of the shooter getting 12000 ft-lbs in 10mS, they get it spread out over about 10 times the bolt gun (M99 for instance) and it feels much less painful.

Anyway, have a great time with it, it's a fantastic weapon!

LineStretcher · February 11, 2019, 12:13 PM

TXAZ, you are correct. The 107 is timed to accept a suppressor while the 82A1 is not and can be damaged if you were to do it. I have experience with the 107 and have a great appreciation for it and it's capabilities. Firing it suppressed is very tolerable but unsuppressed it's felt recoil can be more than uncomfortable. I paid enough money as it is and didn't feel like throwing more at it plus the 6 month wait to have it suppressed just so my buddies wouldn't walk away grasping their shoulders.

davidsog · February 11, 2019, 02:59 PM

Hard Target Interfiction course moto.....

Too light to fight, too heavy to run!!!

I cannot imagine the draw to own one. In the Military the cool factor lasted about 5 min.

Have you “accuratized” yours yet??

stagpanther · February 11, 2019, 04:15 PM

No offense intended TXAZ, not trying be a snarky but I noticed you're holding on to the mag when firing. Having personally blown up a semi-auto rifle, your hand is going to go with the mag if she blows.

LineStretcher · February 13, 2019, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidsog

Hard Target Interfiction course moto.....

Too light to fight, too heavy to run!!!

I cannot imagine the draw to own one. In the Military the cool factor lasted about 5 min.

Have you “accuratized” yours yet??

I have yet to accurize mine because I have yet to shoot it. As far as the attraction to owning one, let's just say she's an old friend and I missed her. I'll leave it at that because I really can't discuss if further anyway.

davidsog · February 13, 2019, 11:12 AM

Quote:

I'll leave it at that because I really can't discuss if further anyway.

If you tell me you will have to kill me!!

Cover for status, cover for action?

Accurizing an M82 involves a straight edge and a big rubber mallet...

It makes the gun a ~2 1/2 MOA if done right, LOL.

DaleA · February 13, 2019, 04:23 PM

From MY point of view the best thing about the Barrett guns is that it makes all the stuff I do seem reasonable.

Good luck!

And thanks TXAZ for the pictures although for some reason the tannerite one won't come up for me.

LineStretcher · February 13, 2019, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleA

From MY point of view the best thing about the Barrett guns is that it makes all the stuff I do seem reasonable.

Good luck!

And thanks TXAZ for the pictures although for some reason the tannerite one won't come up for me.

My next one is going to be a MRAD with all the barrels. Nah, just kidding. Already have most of those calibers.

TXAZ · February 13, 2019, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleA

From MY point of view the best thing about the Barrett guns is that it makes all the stuff I do seem reasonable.

Good luck!

And thanks TXAZ for the pictures although for some reason the tannerite one won't come up for me.

Here is the tannerite link you can load in your browser:

https://m.imgur.com/s8aR1X8

DaleA · February 14, 2019, 04:53 AM

Thanks for the tannerite link, it worked fine.

silvermane_1 · February 17, 2019, 04:37 AM

Ah the "look i can 'kill' a car" rifle that is the Barrett M82A1 .50BMG.

LineStretcher · March 7, 2019, 11:58 AM

I thought I would post this since getting it wrong can be expensive or at the least, frustrating. The correct rings when using a Leupold Mark 5 scope with a 35mm tube are the Talley Tactical 6 Screw Rings, part number BAT356X. Their height is 1.41" (Extra High). If you want to substitute with another brand DO NOT go by the Extra High designation, call to ensure that they are at least 1.40" high. This applies to this combination but may also apply to others.

riffraff · March 7, 2019, 12:21 PM

It's such an epic rifle - thanks for sharing! I am seeing more and more of these pop up in pictures on facebook and other places, yet to see one at the range or a shop yet though.

I think a bolt action magazine-fed model is in my list, but more like a year out - basically it's like a year of gun budget for me so I think I'm going to prioritize a handful of other toys this year that may be a pain to find next year if we see pre election panic buying.

Interestingly there is also a similar bushmaster model, not sure if it's new or if I just noticed it.

Please keep us updated on how you like your the Barrett.

LineStretcher · March 7, 2019, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riffraff

It's such an epic rifle - thanks for sharing! I am seeing more and more of these pop up in pictures on facebook and other places, yet to see one at the range or a shop yet though.

I think a bolt action magazine-fed model is in my list, but more like a year out - basically it's like a year of gun budget for me so I think I'm going to prioritize a handful of other toys this year that may be a pain to find next year if we see pre election panic buying.

Interestingly there is also a similar bushmaster model, not sure if it's new or if I just noticed it.

Please keep us updated on how you like your the Barrett.

There are several models available from Barrett. The 95 is a mag fed bolt action, the 99 is a single shot bolt action. The 99 is just slightly more accurate than the 95. The 107 is semi auto with a 10 round mag and is 4 lbs lighter than the M82A1. The rifle with the least amount of recoil is the M82A1. The bolt action rifles are more accurate than the semi's and typically the ones people choose for competition shooting.

riffraff · March 7, 2019, 04:10 PM

The 95 is what I want - I figure a quick follow up shot is kinda inconsequential given the recoil and it ought to be a real trouble free rifle that way too (not like I'd be able to take it to a local gunsmith if it failed to cycle 3 years later).. but the bushmaster is out there and may be a good option too, is also a magazine fed bolt action.

kymasabe · March 8, 2019, 11:53 PM

Years and years ago, I was shooting at a range in Pa. called Sunset Hill, and they had large steel plates hanging from two chains each, I'm guessing in the 300 yard range. New shooter shows up, breaks out his .50 cal, and proceeds to effortlessly shoot the chains, and starts dropping the steel. Range officer finally came over and politely asked him to stop. He packed his gear and left, but with a huge grin on his face, that "this b*tch is perfectly dialed in" grin. Was an awesome day on the range, except for the guy that had to rehang those big steel plates.

Art Eatman · March 9, 2019, 10:28 AM

kymasabe, you saw a true example of slimebag. That creature was just a vandal, happy to spoil other people's enjoyment.

LineStretcher · March 9, 2019, 11:30 AM

Fortunately, I have a lot of open desert to shoot mine. There is a window where fire danger is minimal and I can shoot without worry of lighting up the desert. I still take a 2 gal yard sprayer with soapy water and a good round point shovel to put a fire out before it gets out of hand. It's actually required here in Nevada.

We do have public ranges here but the 50 isn't appropriate unless I reserve the range for myself. I can do that free of charge on the weekdays when it's not crowded but I don't plan to.

February 8, 2019, 09:31 PM	#1
LineStretcher Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2018 Posts: 619	Barrett M82A1 50 BMG Picked up a new toy today.. brand new.. Put my Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25 on it and it looks small LOL.. I actually bought a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25 and Vortex Xtra High 35mm rings but they were to low so I had to do some scope swapping. 300 Weatherby Magnum compared to a 50 BMG Barrett M82A1 50 BMG 29" barrell.

February 8, 2019, 11:53 PM	#2
bbqncigars Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 525	Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes frustrating world of .50BMG. Have you bought the reloading gear for it yet? Most normal presses don't have enough ram travel to size the cases. The Lee Classic Cast press is used by many FCSA members. Just be warned that just about any piece of reloading gear for the fifty is more expensive than for lesser puny rounds. ;-) Reloading information is also harder to come by since it is not a standard round. Good luck! __________________ "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." A. Brilliant

February 9, 2019, 12:19 AM	#3
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,772	I thought about getting one years ago--though not semi-auto. Over time I figured it would cost me as much as my divorce did so I chickened out. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

February 9, 2019, 11:05 AM	#6
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	Welcome to the "Grin and Barrett" / "1 Shot 1 THRILL" ckub. I got my 29" M107A1 w/ suppressor about 2 years ago. It's a magnet for others and a great outing for friends and business associates, and everyone wants their picture (or their kid's) on the gun: , particularly those from places where .50's (or guns in general) are 'suppressed by their governments'. As bbqncigars and linestretcher hinted, buying .50 ammo is significantly cheaper than it used to be and the reloading equipment is a bit more expensive. Yes you can reload cheaper, but you need to be shooting a lot of rounds to break even. AmmoSeek .50BMG is a pretty good source for ammo. Mine likes the 660 gr M33 / XM33 ball from Lake City, which you can often find (shipped) for well under $3 a round. When others want to get their picture shooting i / just go blasting, I use the 647 grain APIT which can be had for as cheap as $2.20 a round shipped. I've shot a mile with it, but the sweet spot seems to be 300-1,000 yards, particularly 600. Here's a link shooting APIT at a small target at 100 yards: You can see in the slow jpg above that the gun slows down the recoil through several mechanisms. Here it is shooting at 1 mile with the suppressor. (The recoil is massive when suppressed.) The only disadvantage I've found is that a fair number of ranges no longer allow .50's. And finally, with the "right round", you can have a blast of a time: (with help from tannerite) __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes Last edited by TXAZ; February 9, 2019 at 09:59 PM.

February 11, 2019, 04:15 PM	#11
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,772	No offense intended TXAZ, not trying be a snarky but I noticed you're holding on to the mag when firing. Having personally blown up a semi-auto rifle, your hand is going to go with the mag if she blows. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

February 9, 2019, 08:27 PM	#7
LineStretcher Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2018 Posts: 619	TXAZ, I'm trying to stay away from ball ammo because of the steel and potential for lighting up the desert. I picked up 20 rounds of the federal 650 to get it on paper and broke in and 50 rounds of the Hornady A-Max 750's for more precise shooting. I will probably reload at some point just because I like to reload. I actually wanted a 107 for a number of reason but after some thought I settled on the heavier 82 with the big brake. I figured it would be more comfortable for novices to shoot and make for a pleasant rather than painful day. The 99 is actually the most accurate but they are brutal.

February 11, 2019, 12:13 PM	#9
LineStretcher Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2018 Posts: 619	TXAZ, you are correct. The 107 is timed to accept a suppressor while the 82A1 is not and can be damaged if you were to do it. I have experience with the 107 and have a great appreciation for it and it's capabilities. Firing it suppressed is very tolerable but unsuppressed it's felt recoil can be more than uncomfortable. I paid enough money as it is and didn't feel like throwing more at it plus the 6 month wait to have it suppressed just so my buddies wouldn't walk away grasping their shoulders.

February 11, 2019, 02:59 PM	#10
davidsog Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2018 Posts: 1,326	Hard Target Interfiction course moto..... Too light to fight, too heavy to run!!! I cannot imagine the draw to own one. In the Military the cool factor lasted about 5 min. Have you “accuratized” yours yet??

February 13, 2019, 04:23 PM	#14
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,312	From MY point of view the best thing about the Barrett guns is that it makes all the stuff I do seem *reasonable*. Good luck! And thanks TXAZ for the pictures although for some reason the tannerite one won't come up for me.

February 14, 2019, 04:53 AM	#17
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,312	Thanks for the tannerite link, it worked fine.

February 17, 2019, 04:37 AM	#18
silvermane_1 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: Burien,WA Posts: 897	Ah the "look i can 'kill' a car" rifle that is the Barrett M82A1 .50BMG. __________________ Rugers:SR1911 CMD,MK 3 .22lr 6",Sec. Six '76 liberty .357 4",SRH .480 Ruger 7.5",Mini-14 188 5.56/.233 18.5", Marlins: 795 .22lr 16.5",30aw 30-30 20",Mossberg:Mav. 88 Tact. 12 ga, 18.5",ATR 100 .270 Win. 22",S&W:SW9VE 9mm 4",Springfield:XD .357sig 4", AKs:CAI PSL-54C, WASR 10/63, WW74,SLR-106c

March 7, 2019, 11:58 AM	#19
LineStretcher Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2018 Posts: 619	I thought I would post this since getting it wrong can be expensive or at the least, frustrating. The correct rings when using a Leupold Mark 5 scope with a 35mm tube are the Talley Tactical 6 Screw Rings, part number BAT356X. Their height is 1.41" (Extra High). If you want to substitute with another brand DO NOT go by the Extra High designation, call to ensure that they are at least 1.40" high. This applies to this combination but may also apply to others.

March 7, 2019, 12:21 PM	#20
riffraff Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2016 Posts: 629	It's such an epic rifle - thanks for sharing! I am seeing more and more of these pop up in pictures on facebook and other places, yet to see one at the range or a shop yet though. I think a bolt action magazine-fed model is in my list, but more like a year out - basically it's like a year of gun budget for me so I think I'm going to prioritize a handful of other toys this year that may be a pain to find next year if we see pre election panic buying. Interestingly there is also a similar bushmaster model, not sure if it's new or if I just noticed it. Please keep us updated on how you like your the Barrett.

March 7, 2019, 04:10 PM	#22
riffraff Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2016 Posts: 629	The 95 is what I want - I figure a quick follow up shot is kinda inconsequential given the recoil and it ought to be a real trouble free rifle that way too (not like I'd be able to take it to a local gunsmith if it failed to cycle 3 years later).. but the bushmaster is out there and may be a good option too, is also a magazine fed bolt action.

March 8, 2019, 11:53 PM	#23
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	Years and years ago, I was shooting at a range in Pa. called Sunset Hill, and they had large steel plates hanging from two chains each, I'm guessing in the 300 yard range. New shooter shows up, breaks out his .50 cal, and proceeds to effortlessly shoot the chains, and starts dropping the steel. Range officer finally came over and politely asked him to stop. He packed his gear and left, but with a huge grin on his face, that "this b*tch is perfectly dialed in" grin. Was an awesome day on the range, except for the guy that had to rehang those big steel plates. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

March 9, 2019, 10:28 AM	#24
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	kymasabe, you saw a true example of slimebag. That creature was just a vandal, happy to spoil other people's enjoyment.

March 9, 2019, 11:30 AM	#25
LineStretcher Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2018 Posts: 619	Fortunately, I have a lot of open desert to shoot mine. There is a window where fire danger is minimal and I can shoot without worry of lighting up the desert. I still take a 2 gal yard sprayer with soapy water and a good round point shovel to put a fire out before it gets out of hand. It's actually required here in Nevada. We do have public ranges here but the 50 isn't appropriate unless I reserve the range for myself. I can do that free of charge on the weekdays when it's not crowded but I don't plan to.