M82 to M107

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

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.^[4]
     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.^[5]
     In October 2010, Barrett unofficially reported production of the M107 had ceased; and in January 2011 the company announced its successor, the M107A1 was available for commercial release. Significant enhancements include a reduction in weight of 4 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.


^Stats:

M82A1

• Caliber: .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) and .416 Barrett (10.6×83mm)^[21]
• Operation: short recoil, semi-automatic
• Overall length: 57 inches (145 cm) w/ 29 inch (73.7 cm) barrel or 48 inches (122 cm) w/ 20 inch (50.8 cm) barrel
• Barrel length: 508 millimetres (20.0 in) or 737 mm (29.0 in)
• Feed device: 10-round detachable box magazine
• Sights: Flip up, optics vary by user preference
• Weight: 30.9 lb (14.0 kg) w/ 29 inch (73.7 cm) barrel or 29.7 lb (13.5 kg) w/ 20 inch (50.8 cm) barrel
• Muzzle velocity with 660 grain, 42.8 g projectile: 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s) with 400 grain, 26.0 g solid brass projectile: 990 m/s (3,200 ft/s)
• Effective range: 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
• Maximum Range: 6,812 m (7,450 yd)^[22]
• Expected accuracy: Sub-MOA with match ammo
• Unit replacement cost: $8,900 US

 M82A2

• Caliber: .50 BMG (12.7×99mm)
• Length: 1,409 mm (55.5 in)
• Barrel length: 737 mm (29.0 in)
• Weight (unloaded): 14.75 kg (32.5 lb)
• Effective range on equipment-sized targets: 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
• Muzzle velocity: 900 m/s (3,000 ft/s)
• Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
• Unit replacement cost: $6,000
• Status: Prototype seeing combat in Iraq

 M107

• Caliber: .50 BMG (12.7x99 mm)
• Length: 1,448 mm (57.0 in)
• Barrel length: 737 mm (29.0 in)
• Weight (unloaded w/ scope): 12.9 kg (28.4 lb)
• Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
• Weight of magazine: 1.87 kg (4.1 lb)
• Accuracy: 3 Minutes of Angle (MOA)
• Muzzle velocity: 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
• Effective Range: 1,829 m (2,000 yd)^[22]
• Maximum Range: 6,812 m (7,450 yd)^[22]

^Sources

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac} Gander, Terry (2006). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2006–2007. London: Jane's Information Group. p. 22. ISBN 0-7106-2755-6.
2. ^ Ruční Zbraně Ačr (Czech). Ministerstvo obrany České republiky – AVIS, 2007. pp. 70–73. ISBN 978-80-7278-388-5. Accessed April 5, 2010.
3. ^ Disarmament.un.org
4. ^ "Georgian Army". Georgian Army. http://geo-army.ge/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9&lang=en. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
5. ^ Redaktion Heer. Scharfschützengewehr G82 (German). Deutsches Heer, 30 July 2007. Accessed April 5, 2010.
6. ^ Swami, Praveen (April 8, 2009). "Mumbai Police modernisation generates controversy". The Hindu: p. 1 ("front page"). http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/08/stories/2009040850440100.htm. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
7. ^ The Engineering Corps Prepares for 2011. IDF Spokesperson, 25 January 2011.
8. ^ Shea, Dan (Spring 2009). "SOFEX 2008". Small Arms Defense Journal, p. 29.
9. ^ Kahwaji, Riad (November 13, 2007). "Lebanon: Foreign Arms Vital to Hizbollah Fight". Defense News. http://i43.tinypic.com/52i6u1.jpg.
10. ^ "Stambaus kalibro snaiperio šautuvas BARRETT 82 A-1" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Armed Forces. http://kariuomene.kam.lt/lt/ginkluote_ir_karine_technika/snaiperiniai_sautuvai/stambaus_kalibro_snaiperio_sautuvas_barrett_82_a-1.html. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
11. ^ Thompson, Leroy (December 2008). "Malaysian Special Forces". Special Weapons. http://www.tactical-life.com/online/special-weapons/malaysian-special-forces. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
12. ^ "GROM Polish Special Forces". http://grom.mil.pl/uzbrojenie_pliki/UZBROJENIE.HTM. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
13. ^ New product offered by Barrett Arms Co. (www.barrettfirearms.com)
14. ^ ^{a b c} Cooke, Gary W. "M107 .50 Caliber Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR)". Gary's U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide. Gary's Place. http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/rifle/M107.html. Retrieved 2009-05-01.

How the Barret .50 Caliber Rifle has revolutionized the world

     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/25 mm), 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 also is 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 heavy weight. It is usually carried in a special carry soft or hard case.
     The M82A2 differed from M82A1 mostly in its configuration—that the pistol grip along with trigger had been placed ahead of the magazine, and the buttpad has been placed below the receiver, just after the magazine. An additional forward grip was added below the receiver, and the scope mount has been moved forward too.
     The maximum range of this weapon (specifically the M107 variant) is 7,450 yards (6,812m). The maximum effective range of the M107 is 2,000 yards (1,829m). This is, in fact, the distance as quoted in the owner's manual that should be allowed downrange for bullet travel. 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.
     The Barret .50 Caliber rifle has revolutionized the world in many ways, mainly pertaining to the military world. With the versatility and mobility of this high powered rifle, it can be deployed almost anywhere and used by many. With it's high .50 caliber shot, it can carry a lethal shot ranging miles and miles long. The advantages of taking enemies out at long range is basically getting rid of the risk of taking them out without the chance of being shot back at in the process, or wasting resources for an air strike etc. If a soldier needs stop a car or a LAV, certain armor piercing rounds are capeable of stopping a car or LAV with very little shots, without risking the lives of soldiers. Also, if a high priority target is needed to be eliminated, a lethal shot from a Barret .50 Cal can travel from a  long range. By firing from a long range, this eliminates many problems that infantry might encounter, or avoiding the high destruction of an air strike or mortar. Many of the advantages can be catagorized underneath the ability of s sniper, but with the Barret, you have greater distances, accuracy, and killing power.
     The Barret .50 caliber rifle has many unique uses, and also many unique problems along with it. One of the problems many agencies face is a place to thoroughly learn the system and the cartridge. These systems truly are not like anything else, and many ranges in fact won’t allow them. Since many police agencies share with civilian ranges make sure this is not an issue before you get one. For those agencies that have ranges, many are limited to 400 yards or even less. Even if you do not intend to use a .50 BMG at extremely long ranges you still need a place to fire it enough to learn the ins and outs of the system and the cartridge. Since what this rifle does best is go through stuff, then quite frankly you need to shoot “stuff” with it. That means cars, busses, walls, trains, what ever it is you anticipate on using this on in the real world. Make certain you have some sort of paper target, or item that gives you an idea of the shrapnel that this round can create when going through a car, bus, or other metal object.
It does not always make one hole in and one out. Trust me: The hole on the other side of the block wall is bigger than the one at the front (if you can even find it). If it is being used in a hostage situation this is something you need to know before you use it. It does you know good to stop the car and kill the hostage at the same time. What is a really good backstop for a .308 does not really slow a .50 BMG down a whole lot. You really need to know how far down range this round can go AFTER it goes through the hardened target. Let’s go back to my energy analogy: A local agency here shot a hostage-taker with a 165-grain tactical round through a glass window. It went through the glass, him, two rows of Halloween costumes and lodged in a counter, intact. Now, consider that the 661-grain .50 BMG has almost twice that energy at 1000 yards with a bullet that is four times larger! You simply have to know what the round will do before you use it in the field.
Also, your really need to consider that this weapon system is under a ton of scrutiny right now. We still have states trying to ban it, and at least one already has. When you use this system, depending on where you are it is likely the world will know, and there will be someone (probably with J.D. after their name) looking at your training and policy with a microscope. You really need to have your training and policy squared away, and in writing. There are as many things that can go wrong with a deployment of this rifle that can go right, maybe more, and you had better have trained for these things. I would not suggest it be chosen lightly, taken for granted, or deployed without significant consideration.



Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_M82#Technical_description
http://www.tactical-life.com/online/exclusives/how-and-when-to-deploy-a-big-barrett/

Ronnie Barret, Inventor of the Barret .50 Cal

Ronnie Barrett (born 1954) is an American firearms manufacturer, the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, and the designer of the first .50 caliber rifle for civilian use.

     Barrett was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1954, and graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School.^[1] He started his career in 1972 as a professional photographer. In 1982, while he owned a photography studio, he got his initial inspiration to create what would become the Barrett signature product. On January 1, 1982, when Barrett was photographing a river patrol gunboat on the Stones River near Nashville, Tennessee, he created an award-winning picture that made him start thinking about the .50 caliber cartridge because of two Browning machineguns mounted prominently on that boat.^[2]
Since no commercially available .50 caliber rifle existed at that time, he decided to make a semi-automatic weapon.^[3] With no background in manufacturing or engineering, Barrett sketched a cross-sectioned, full-size rifle, adding different components to it. Once he decided on the concept, he approached some machine shops with his drawings. They told him that if his idea was any good, someone smarter would have already designed it.^[1]
A few days later, Bob Mitchell, a tool and die maker and machinist in Smyrna, Tennessee, agreed to help. After their regular job responsibilities, the men would start working on Barrett’s ideas, sometimes laboring together all night in a one-bay garage using a small mill and lathe. Barrett also found support from a sheet metal fabricator who allowed him to visit the owner’s shop and work directly with one employee, Harry Watson. The resulting gun was the shoulder-fired Barrett rifle, which was created in less than four months.^[4]
While fine-tuning the first prototype rifle, Barrett began designing a second prototype that featured an improved and sleek exterior and other improvements learned from the first prototype. He made a video of the first prototype being fired, then prepared the second prototype so it would set on a table. He displayed the latter at a Houston, Texas, gun show where three people gave him deposits to make a rifle for them. With a limited amount of money, Barrett set up a small shop at his residence in a gravel-floored garage. He began by building a batch of 30 rifles, mainly because the two wooden gun racks he made in his father’s cabinet shop held 15 rifles each.^[2]
     Using his hand-drawing of the new rifle, he placed an advertisement in Shotgun News and soon sold-out the first batch. Barrett was contacted by the CIA who purchased a number of rifles for the Afghan Mujahideen for use in their war against the Soviet Union.^[3]
Both of Barrett’s children, Christopher and Angela, began working in the company following graduation from school. Chris brought modernization and technology into the manufacturing operation by introducing the first computers to the design process. Angela joined the team to set up a bona fide marketing and advertising department, which at that point was almost non-existent.
Ronnie and Chris Barrett worked jointly on the Model 98 semi-automatic design. Also at that time, the younger Barrett became the dominant designer with most of the publicly-known work at Barrett Firearms, leading the way with product development.
In the last 100 years, only seven individuals have invented firearms adopted by the United States Military: John Browning, John C. Garand, Eugene Stoner, John Taliaferro Thompson, Melvin Maynard Johnson JR, Eugene Reising, and Ronnie Barrett. The first three referenced had their designs perfected and mass-produced by either the U.S. government or another manufacturing company.^[5][6][7] With the exception of 2 of Stoner's designs that were bought for limited use from ArmaLite, Barrett is the only one of the four to create, manufacture, market and mass-produce his firearm for the United States government.^[3]


Sources

1. ^ ^{a b} Barrett Firearms got its start on the dining-room table, Nashville Business Journal, March 14, 2008
2. ^ ^{a b} Lewis, Jack (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. Gun Digest Books; 7 edition. pp. 94–97. ISBN 978-0896894983.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Clancy, Tom (1996). Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Berkeley, California: Berkeley Trade. pp. 59–61. ISBN 978-0425154540.
4. ^ Ian V. Hogg, John S. Weeks (2000). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Iola, WI: Krause. pp. 399–400. ISBN 9780873418249.
5. ^ Taylor, Chuck (1981). Complete Book Of Combat Handgunning. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press. p. 200. ISBN 9780873643276.
6. ^ Chivers, C. J. (2010). The Gun. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 292–295. ISBN 9780743270762.
7. ^ Walter, John (2006). Rifles of the World (3rd ed.). Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 142. ISBN 0896892417.
8. ^ ^{a b} Ronnie Barrett, President and founder of Barrett Firearms, named as an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2006, The Lincoln Tribune, July 6, 2006
9. ^ Barrett elected NRA Board of Directors Article

History of the Barret .50 Caliber Rifle (M82)

History of the Barret .50 Caliber Rifle (M82)

     The M82 is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American Barrett Firearms Manufacturing company. 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 x 99 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.

     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.

     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. 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.

Sources

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_M82

2.^ Barrett Rifles

3.^ The weapon is in use by Dutch marines, as part of ISAF. Bemmel, Noël van (2009-08-11). "Met aangepaste Vikings en een reuzengeweer de Chora-vallei in". de Volkskrant. http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1274815.ece/Met_aangepaste_Vikings_en_een_reuzengeweer_de_Chora-vallei_in. Retrieved 2009-08-13.

4.^ "16.9 Based on the findings of the investigation concluding that the Barrett .50 calibre rifle used on 12 February 1997 was not the same weapon used in sniper shootings in South Armagh between 1990 and 1994..." Police Ombudsman report, 13 December 2006.