Barrett M82

Overview:

The M82 (also more recently known as the M107) is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. A heavy SASR (Special Application Scoped Rifle), it is used by many units and armies around the world. It is also called the "Light Fifty" for its .50 caliber BMG (12.7 mm) 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, in that it also employs a bullpup configuration. Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was founded by Ronnie Barrett for the single purpose of building semi-automatic rifles chambered for the powerful 12.7x99mm 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 continued to develop his rifle through the 1980s, and developed the improved M82A1 rifle by 1986. 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 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-matériel weapon and EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) tool. The long effective range, over 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), 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. However, anti-personnel use is not a major application for the M82 (or any other .50 BMG rifle, for that matter). There is a widespread misconception that a number of treaties have banned use of the .50 BMG against human targets, and recruits have been advised by generations of drill instructors to only aim a .50 BMG at an enemy soldier's web gear or other equipment worn on his body. However, the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's office has issued a legal opinion that the .50 BMG and even the Raufoss Mk 211 round are legal for use against enemy personnel. 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 the XM500, which has a bullpup configuration similar to the M82A2.

Specifications:

Type

• Anti-materiel rifle.

Place of Origin

• United States.

Weight

• 30.9 lbs (14.0 kg) (with 29 inch barrel) or 29.7 lbs (13.5 kg) (with 20 inch barrel) (M82A1).

Length

• 57 inches (145 cm) (with 29 inch barrel) or 48 inches (122 cm) (with 20 inch barrel) (M82A1).

Barrel Length

• 29 inches (73.7 cm) or 20 inches (50.8 cm).

Cartridge

• .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO).

Action

• Recoil-operated.
• Rotating bolt.

Muzzle Velocity

• 853 m/s (2,799 ft/s).

Effective Range

• 1,850 m (6,070 ft).

Maximum Range

• 6,800 m (22,310 ft).

Feed System

• 10-round detachable box magazine.

Sights

• Fixed front.
• Adjustable rear sight.
• MIL-STD-1913 rail provided for optics.