Barrett M82
Summary
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Category | Anti materiel sniper rifle |
| Manufacturer | Barrett |
Technical specifications
| Barrett M82 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | Single shot rounds/min. |
| Caliber | .50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm) |
| Magazine | 10 rounds |
| Length | 1448 mm (57.0 in) |
| Weight | 12.9 kg (28.4 lb) |
| Range | 1800 m (5906 ft) |
Description
The Barrett M82 is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing in the United States. It is also known as the Light Fifty because it chambers the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge, originally developed for the M2 Browning machine gun. Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was founded by Ronnie Barrett to build semi-automatic rifles chambered for this ammunition.
The weapon was first sold to the Swedish Army in 1989. In 1990, the United States armed forces purchased the M82A1 during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The M82A1 is known by the U.S. military as the SASR, Special Applications Scoped Rifle. In 2006, Barrett completed development of the XM500, which has a bullpup configuration similar to the M82A2.
The M82 is a short-recoil semi-automatic firearm. When fired, the barrel recoils a short distance while locked by the rotating bolt. An accelerator arm transfers recoil energy to the bolt to cycle the action, unlock from the barrel, and extract/eject the spent case. The bolt then strips and chambers a fresh cartridge from the magazine and locks to the barrel. It is fed from a detachable box magazine, typically holding ten rounds. The receiver is made from two stamped steel parts connected by pins. The heavy barrel is fluted and fitted with a large, effective muzzle brake. Earlier models had round muzzle brakes; later models have two-chamber rectangular brakes. M82A1 rifles are fitted with a scope mount and folding backup iron sights. US military M82 rifles are often equipped with Leupold Mark 4 telescopic sights, while M82A1M (USMC M82A3) rifles have long Picatinny accessory rails and US Optics telescopic sights. Every M82 rifle is equipped with a folding carrying handle and a folding bipod. The M82A3 is fitted with a detachable rear monopod. M82A1 and M82A3 rifles can be mounted on M3 or M122 infantry tripods or on vehicles using a special Barrett soft-mount.
The M82 family includes several variants:
- The original M82
- The M82A1, featuring a redesigned muzzle brake
- The M82A1A, optimized for the Raufoss Mk 211 .50 caliber round
- The M82A1M, including a lengthened accessory rail, rear grip, and monopod socket
- The M82A2, a bullpup variant made to compensate for recoil by being shoulder-mounted (no longer manufactured)
The M82A3 consists of new production rifles built to M82A1M specifications, featuring a lengthened accessory rail but not including the rear grip and monopod socket. The XM107 was initially intended for the M95 bolt-action rifle but was later designated for a product improved M82A1M variant, including a lengthened accessory rail, rear grip, and monopod socket. It was officially adopted as the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle and uses a Leupold 4.5–14×50 Mark 4 scope. The Barrett M107A1 features a muzzle brake designed to accept a suppressor and is made out of titanium.
About 125 M82A1 rifles were initially bought by the United States Marine Corps, with orders from the Army and Air Force following. The M82A1 was and still is used as an anti-materiel rifle and explosive ordnance disposal tool. In summer 2002, the M82 was adopted by the U.S. Army as the M107. The M107 was voted one of 2005's top 10 military inventions by the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps plan to field the Mk22 MRAD in 2021 to replace the M107. Despite being designated as an anti-materiel rifle, the M82 can also be deployed as an anti-personnel system. The Barrett M82A1 rifle was used in 2002 as a platform for the experimental OSW prototype, firing 25 mm high-explosive shells, which showed increased effectiveness against targets but had recoil beyond human limitations; this is now designated the XM109.
Barrett M82 rifles have been acquired by military and police forces from numerous countries, including the United States, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Turkey, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Yemen. Non-state users have included the Afghan Mujahideen, Al Qaeda, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Kosovo Liberation Army, and the Provisional IRA.