Barrett 82A1 Light Fifty
Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 15:57 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 16:28
The Barrett 82A1 Light Fifty is a .50 calibre anti-material sniper rifle. It is recoil-operated and fires in semi-automatic mode. It was designed by Ronnie Barrett and is manufactured by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. It is used by many countries across the globe.
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was started by Ronnie Barrett to manufacture rifles capable of firing the high-power 12.7x99mm NATO ammunition. He designed the first rifle in 1982 and thus the rifle is designated as M82. Several improvements were made subsequently to the initial design. The version is designated as M82 A1.
The first country to adopt the M82 A1 was Sweden. Subsequently, the United States Army adopted the rifle during the First Gulf War. Today, more than 30 countries such as Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway and many others use the M82 rifle.
The massive round fired by the M82 has very high stopping power. It is commonly used against material targets like helicopters, light vehicles and aircraft. It is also used to destroy enemy targets of strategic value such as radar and radio communication systems.
The M82A1 is very heavy at 14.7 Kgs and is also very long. When compared to the M16 rifle, the M82 is four times as much heavy and one and half times longer. It uses an 11-round box magazine as its feed system and comes with an integral bipod.
When compared with other rifles, the Barrett M82A1 is very costly. It is not designed for the ordinary soldier. In the hands of an experienced sniper, the M82A1 can be very effective in paralysing enemy operations and communication systems from beyond the reach of the enemy.
Share this on
