Few weapons on the hardware side have had so long-standing an effect upon war in the postmodern age as has the .50 caliber sniper rifle. It is associated with raw strength, unparalleled reach, and flexibility, and is now shorthand for strength and precision to soldiers. To understand how vital it is, one needs to see it come into existence, the idea, tried and developed on the battlefield.
It is based on the .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) cartridge, developed by John Browning and originally made in 1921. It was originally designed with heavy machine gun use, i.e., the M2 Browning, to possess colossus muzzle velocity and stopping power—stopping power that would blast a bullet-sized hole in armor and aircraft. Anti-materiel use was found later as it evolved. It is a 12.7x99mm punch, and that’s just lethal at out range.
They soon came to realize in the early 20th century that there was a missing link between issue rifles and crew-served machine guns. The issue rifle simply could not be effective on fortifications and vehicles, and something handheld and shoulder-fired had to be owned. Ronnie Barrett, gun engineer and designer, in the early 1980s, tried to come up with a semi-automatic rifle that would utilize the .50 BMG to its full potential without placing the weight on one individual.
It spawned the Barrett M82, a cartridge that revolutionized firearms. Hand-built in a backyard garage, it focused gun power into rifle portability. Recoil-operated semi-automatic function enabled it to deliver repeatable, accurate follow-on shots on target without battering the gunner with ordnance. Weighing about 28–30 pounds and measuring some 57 inches long, it was weather stability, ruggedness, and repeatable function.
The military didn’t take it for granted initially. But during the late 1980s and early 1990s, B. Arnett’s talents no longer went unnoticed. The M82 was the darling of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, incinerating and destroying tanks and other vehicles, all shot up and blowing targets to 1,800 meters. Success begets ever-broader utilization, and today the M82 and its variants are stock-issue with the military forces of dozens of countries worldwide.
Biking gear placed everybody in their best working order. The standard American gear was the M82A1, the M82A3 with the enhanced optic mounts and accoutrements. The M107, or Long Range Sniper Rifle, offered more accuracy and more recoil. Outstanding out to 2,000 yards, these are the same rifles that perform what the smaller-caliber rifles do best, and that is out in the wide-open spaces or in urban areas where range and accuracy are a requirement.
Barrett rifles also have other features like a double-chamber muzzle brake, double-spring recoil system, and recoil control with an extended mainspring. High-quality Leupold Mark 4 scopes are equipped as an optional feature with modular rails to accommodate bipods, suppressors, and night vision accessories. Armor-piercing incendiary to tracer, and explosive types of ammunition make them even more lethal for various missions.
As a weapon of war, the .50 cal rifle serves to knock out equipment—blow up guns, trucks, and fortifications—but it is there to be an extended-range manslayer. It intimidates, and troops attacking intimidate one by their presence.
There are numerous mind-boggling examples in history. Carlos Hathcock, an American Marine sniper, confirmed a kill at 2,250 meters using a specially created .50 caliber machine gun during the Vietnam War. M82 and M107 have been utilized for overwatch, sniper cover, and small, accurate fire on open terrain and urban combat in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts, as well. Records such as Rob Furlong’s record shot at 2,430 meters for the Canadian sniper confirm the record range of the rifle.
.50 cal sniper rifles are being replaced by lighter, modularity-oriented models with quick-detach barrels and multicaliber guns constructed under military ventures. Rifles with the long shot capability without added weight and recoil are being targeted by special operations units to be more mobile.
Garage to world class, the .50 caliber sniper rifle and indeed the Barrett M82 confirm that precision and brute force need never become mutually exclusive ideals in a single rifle. Its effectiveness in delivering finishing rounds in keeping records at bay has set a strategy, saved lives, and written war history and war into an unerasable memory.