Q Research REVIEW: Barrett 82A1 .50 Cal.
The 82A1 is manufactured in the Murfreesboro, TN. It's 57" in overall length and weighs 31 lbs. with a 29" barrel (a 20" is optional) and without accessories or scope. There are two caliber options, .416 Barrett and .50 BMG (tested). It has a semi-automatic action with a 10-round magazine that's the size of a small cigar humidor. The base price is $9,345 MSRP (another "Holy Cow"). Add some options like an accessory rail and high powered scope and you're paying as much for a gun as you would for a low-mileage, two-year old, fully-loaded Honda Civic. Street prices at your local shop can be $800 lower but the demand for these rifles is keeping prices pretty high.
If you think it might be fun to shoot a .50 cal, you'd be right. When you see the size of the rounds, you can't help but feel a little nervous excitement. And you can't help thinking, "Holy Cow." The second "Holy Cow" comes when you find out that rounds cost $5 each unless you find a good online supplier of military surplus, then they can be a slow as $2.75 a piece. Holy cow!
We were shooting at about 80 yards - way too close for that rifle. Shooting a Barrett 82A1 at 80-yards is like shooting a .38 Special at 80-yards. Neither were made for that distance. While we were blowing the heck out of the small barrel we were shooting at, we didn't do any real accuracy tests except one. But most shots were pretty close to where we were aiming. The owner of the rifle did shoot a golf ball off of a golf tee, but again we were only at 80-yards. It was a direct hit first try.
If you get the chance to shoot a Barrett 82A1 or any Barrett model, jump at the opportunity! Shoot as many rounds as you can afford. I say "afford" because at $3-5 a round, do the kind thing and offer to pay for the ammo you shoot. At least offer. Then brace yourself a thrill and make sure someone is shooting some video with your digital camera.