United States · founded in 1982
Barrett Firearms
Ronnie Barrett brought the .50 BMG into a shoulder-fired semiautomatic rifle.
History
In 1982 photographer Ronnie Barrett designed in his garage the first shoulder-fired semiautomatic .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle: the M82. Initially rejected by industry, it was bought by Sweden and Israel and finally adopted by U.S. armed forces in the 1990s, with thousands fielded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Today Barrett also produces .338 LM rifles (MRAD, winner of the USSOCOM PSR 2019) and intermediate-caliber rifles (REC7), and has acquired high-end accessories and optics. It is the global reference for long-range anti-materiel.
Iconic products
- →M82 / M107 — first shoulder-fired semiauto .50 BMG.
- →MRAD — USSOCOM PSR winner in .338 LM.
- →M95, M99 — bolt-action .50 BMG for static positions.