Barrett M82
The Barrett M82 is a United States-made, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle that fires the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge. It is recoil-operated and designed to disable equipment, destroy material, and can also be used against personnel at long range. It is also known as the Light Fifty.
Variants and names
- M82A1 and M82A3: the original models used by many forces.
- M82A2: a bullpup version (no longer in production).
- M107: a refined version with a muzzle brake, titanium parts, extended rails, and improved ergonomics.
- XM500: a bullpup design seen as a successor to the M82A2.
- The M107 has also been referred to as the Barrett Light Fifty.
History and use
- Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was founded to build semi-automatic rifles for the powerful .50 BMG cartridge.
- The M82 was first sold to the Swedish Army in 1989.
- In 1990, the U.S. armed forces adopted a version as the M82A1 (called SASR by the military) for Desert Shield and Desert Storm. About 125 rifles went to the U.S. Marine Corps, with the Army and Air Force soon following.
- The M82 family has been used by many countries and by various police and military units.
- An experimental version, the XM109, used the M82 platform to fire 25 mm high-explosive rounds, though it faced recoil challenges.
- The M107 is planned to be replaced in some units by the Mk22 MRAD bolt-action rifle.
What it’s like to shoot
- It’s a large, heavy rifle designed to absorb recoil with its barrel assembly, a big muzzle brake, and a heavy construction.
- It feeds from a detachable box magazine that holds 5 or 10 rounds (a 12-round magazine was used briefly during Desert Storm).
- It can be fitted with different optics on a MIL-STD-1913 rail; some models have folding backup sights and other accessories like a bipod and monopod.
Key specs (at a glance)
- Caliber: .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
- Weight: about 29.7–32.7 lb (13.5–14.8 kg)
- Length: about 48–57 inches (120–140 cm)
- Barrel length: about 20–29 inches (51–74 cm)
- Muzzle velocity: around 2,799 ft/s (853 m/s)
- Effective range: about 1,800 m (1,969 yd)
- Magazine: 5- or 10-round detachable box
Other notes
- The M82 has also been used in fiction and real-world gun rights discussions, including legal actions involving weapon sales.
- In 2016, the state of Tennessee named the Barrett M82 the official state rifle.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:11 (CET).