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Barrett M82


Anti-Tank / Anti-Material Rifle (AMR)


United States | 1982



"The classic Barrett M82 anti-material rifle has become a widely-accepted heavy caliber sniping system."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Barrett M82. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,850 ft
563.9 m | 616.7 yds
Max.Eff.Range
10
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
2,799 ft/sec
853 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the Barrett M82. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,450 mm
57.09 in
O/A Length
508 mm
20.00 in
Barrel Length
29.98 lb
13.60 kg
Weight
Semi-Automatic; Recoil-Operated; Rotating Bolt
Action
.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Caliber(s)
10-Round Detachable Box Magazine
Feed
Adjustable Rear; Fixed Front; MIL-STD-1913 Accessories Rail.
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Barrett M82 Anti-Tank / Anti-Material Rifle (AMR) family line.
M82 - Base Designation
M82A1 - "Improved" M82; redesigned muzzle brake.
M82A1A - Optimized for Mk 211 Mod 0 12.7mm ammunition.
M82A1M - Rear grip; provision for monopod; redesigned rail.
M82A2 - Shoulder-fired bullpup configuration.
M82A3 - Based on M82A1M; sans rear grip and monopod provision.
M90 - Bullpup Design; bolt-action alternative to semi-automatic M82 series.
M95 - "Improved" Barrett M90; bullpup design; bolt-action operation.
XM107 - "Improved" M82A1M model
M107 - Based on M82A1M; US military Designation.
XM109 "Barrett Payload Rifle" - Experimental OSW based on M82A1; shortened 25mm barrel for firing high-explosive catridges.
XM500 - Currently in development; gas-operated, semi-automatic operation; light/compact bullpup configuration; based on M82/M107; picatinny rail; adjustable bipod.
G82 - German Army Designation for M107
Mrg M/95 - Denmark designation for Barrett M95
12.7 TKIV 2000 - Finnish Designation for M82A1
12.7 MOR - Norwegian Designation for M82A1
Ag 90 - Swedish Designation for M82A1
M99 - Netherlands Barrett M99


Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB | Last Edited: 08/10/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Barrett Model 82, designated as the "M107" in US military service, was introduced in 1982 by the American Barrett Firearms Company and was developed as a scoped, long-range, heavy-caliber anti-material rifle (ironically called the "Light Fifty"). The weapon was chambered to fire the 0.50 inch Browning 12.7x99mm cartridge and the first military sale of the Barrett gun became was 100 M82A1 rifles sold to the Swedish Army in 1989 (as the "Ag 90") making it one of the first modern semi-automatic, large-caliber sniper rifles to be taken into quantitative operational service by any fighting force. In 1990, the US Military purchased 250 of the M82A1 variant for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm to which then the US Marine Corps purchased 125 rifles and procurement orders from the US Air Force followed.

The M82 - also known as the SASR ("Special Applications Scoped Rifle") is designed as a multirole weapon system - capable of engaging lightly-armored vehicles, detonating ordnance (such as IEDs) at safe ranges or engaging enemy personnel (with dire results to the human target). The effective range is over 1500 meters with hits having been scored as far away as 2500 meters. API (Armor Piercing, Incendiary) rounds have proven effective against hardened targets such as buildings, trucks, and parked aircraft. The M82 has also been used to engage human targets behind walls though anti-personnel work is not the primary application for the weapon.

The operation of the weapon utilizes a short-recoil principle with a substantial amount of energy supplied from the exiting cartridge to the bolt face. The semi-automatic action extracts and ejects the spent cartridge case and reloads a new round from the 10-round detachable box magazine fitted in a traditional sense under the receiver. The receiver takes on a clean, utilitarian approach and features the charging handled to the right side of the body over the magazine well. The M82 is fitted with iron sights as standard but ships with a standard 10 optical sight. It is normal fired from a prone position supported by the integrated folding bipod assembly and can also be mounted on the US Army M82 tripod. The receiver is made from two parts consisting of an upper and lower section and is stamped from steel sheeting. The barrel is of heavy duty material by design and obviously fluted to help improve heat dissipation while saving weight. The installation is capped with a large double-baffled muzzle brake to help contend with the violent recoil effect. On the earlier models, the muzzle brakes had a cylindrical cross-section while later M82 rifles were equipped with the two-chamber brake of rectangular cross-section. A large shoulder stock is an integral part of the weapon's design and can serve as a carrying handle. A dedicated carrying handle is fitted to the weapon, hinged to fold down over the left hand side.

A variant of the M82 - the M82A1A SASR - is an almost identical production model but completed with a heavy barrel and modified extractor assembly specifically designed to fire the Raufoss Mk 211 Mod 0 cartridge, a type of API ammunition. The M82A2 is a lesser known production model that is arrange in the "bullpup" configuration - the magazine and action set aft of the pistol grip unit. The base M82A1 can be fitted with a carry sling but according to those who have carried it in the field in this manner, the M82 is much too uncomfortable to be across the shoulders due to its excessive length and weight. It is usually carried in a special soft or hard case across the back.

The M82 is used by many specialized military and security units around the world including American Special Forces and regular Army. In practice, its massive .50 caliber cartridge has been known to pierce clean through the entire engine block of a truck. In this fashion, the weapon can also be used to disable key components to armored vehicles (optics, sensors, track systems) including combat tanks. The United States Coast Guard uses the Barrett M82 rifle for countering drug operations into US waters and the New York Police Department is a notable civil service operating the type.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Barrett M82. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Barrett Firearms Company - USA
National flag of Albania National flag of Argentina National flag of Armenia National flag of Australia National flag of Austria National flag of Bahrain National flag of Bangladesh National flag of Belgium National flag of Brazil National flag of Canada National flag of Chile National flag of Croatia National flag of Czechia National flag of Denmark National flag of the Dominican Republic National flag of Egypt National flag of France National flag of Finland National flag of Georgia National flag of modern Germany National flag of Greece National flag of India National flag of Indonesia National flag of Iraq National flag of Israel National flag of Italy National flag of modern Japan National flag of Jordan National flag of Kuwait National flag of Lebanon National flag of Lithuania National flag of Malaysia National flag of Mexico National flag of the Netherlands National flag of Norway National flag of Oman National flag of Pakistan National flag of the Philippines National flag of Poland National flag of Portugal National flag of Qatar National flag of Romania National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National flag of Serbia National flag of Singapore National flag of South Korea National flag of Spain National flag of Sweden National flag of Taiwan National flag of Thailand National flag of Turkey National flag of Tunisia National flag of Ukraine National flag of the United Arab Emirates National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States

[ Albania; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Bangladesh; Bahrain; Belgium; Bhutan; Botswana; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kosovo; Kuwait; Lebanon; Lithuania; Malaysia; Mauritius; Mexico; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Singapore; Spain; Sweden; South Korea; Taiwan; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States ]
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Image of the Barrett M82
A soldier readying his Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle
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Image of the Barrett M82
Close-up detail view of a Barrett M82 rifle; note magazine, bipod and optics
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Image of the Barrett M82
Close-up detail view of the optics on a Barrett M82 rifle
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Image of the Barrett M82
Side profile view of the Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle
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Image of the Barrett M82
A Barrett M82 kicks up a plume of dust after being fired in the desert

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