Many feel the utility of what Ronnie Barrett started in 1982 with his .50 BMG rifles has yet to completely evolve. The long range potential of the .50 BMG mated with a Barrett rifle is what many feel is the ultimate combination of rifle and cartridge.
Barrett recently celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the M82; do not be surprised if the Barrett .50 BMG rifles are still around to mark a 60th Anniversary.
It certainly seems Barrett is not willing to rest on their laurels and continue to evolve its product line with improvements in materials and manufacturing techniques. The M107A1 being a case in point.
The Ronnie Barrett story of one man’s vision coming to represent a whole new class of weapon that harnessed the brute power of the Browning .50 caliber round is a thing of legend.
In the last 100 years, Barrett is the only individual to design, create, manufacture, market and mass-produce his firearms for use by the United States military. Notable individuals that have invented firearms adopted by the United States military include John Browning, John Garand, Eugene Stoner, John Thompson, Melvin Johnson Jr., and Eugene Reising. None of these controlled their products or company’s destiny to the degree that Ronnie Barrett has.
The .50 BMG’s power has been legendary since created by John Browning. Anecdotal history has Browning creating the .50 BMG by scaling up the 30-06 service round at the behest of General Pershing. The purpose of the .50 BMG was to serve in both an anti-aircraft and anti-vehicle role with the advent of the first tanks and armored cars that began roaming the battlefield at the end of WW I.
Barrett’s Jeff Burch demonstrating the M107A1 and QDL from the bench.
Muzzle device found on the 20 inch M107A1’s barrel allows for the quick attachment of the Barrett QDL suppressor.
Barrett QDL suppressor enhances the M107A1 performance by reducing muzzle signature when fired.
Barrett M107A1 field stripped for inspection.
Browning’s .50 BMG, typified by its chambering in the M2 “Ma Deuce”, had always been thought of as a either a crew served weapon or something better fitted to a vehicle or similar platform in order to tame its power.
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was founded in 1982 and was centered on Ronnie Barrett’s idea of a shoulder-fired .50 BMG rifle. While many are familiar with the Barrett story thanks to several documentaries and articles that have been featured since 1982, I will give a brief synopsis of first Barrett .50 BMG based on archive interviews from Ronnie Barrett himself.
Ronnie was a professional photographer and artist who wanted to create a rifle chambered in .50 BMG. He had no prior experience in manufacturing or as an engineer. He hand drew the design for what was to become the Barrett semiautomatic .50 BMG rifle.
When he took those drawings to machine shops in the area they laughed at his ideas. Instead of giving up, he decided to manufacturer his idea himself.
It is only fitting to begin with the Barrett model that started it all—the M82A1.
Ronnie Barrett’s instincts, as laid out on his kitchen table, proved very keen in making sure the M82A1’s construction was aimed toward durability and reliability in the tactical arena. Barrett’s first conventional military success was the sale of about 100 M82A1 rifles to the Swedish Army in 1989.
World events then transpired to give Barrett a major impetuous towards success in 1990, when the United States armed forces purchased significant numbers of the M82A1 during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq. The United States Marine Corps initially bought about 125 rifles, and orders from the Army and Air Force soon followed.
In addition to the United States, Barrett M82A1 rifles have been bought by various military and police forces from allied/friendly governments, such as Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and others.
The M82A1 has steadily evolved over the year with the latest example of this being the Barrett M107A1. This design modification has been caused by mission evolution resulting from battlefield requests from operators using the big Barrett rifles afield.
Barrett has incorporated titanium in the M107A1’s bipod legs leaving no stone unturned in their quest to reduce weight while increasing strength.
Pounds equal pain for the warfighter on the ground. The M107A1 addresses this with a revisiting of materials used in its construction. An emphasis has been made on using aluminum, stainless steel and titanium where possible to shave weight. The end result is the M107A1 weighing five pounds less than its predecessors.
This is gained via an aluminum upper receiver that also features integral 27 MOA optics rail. The Barrett bipod also contributes to weight reduction with titanium in the legs. The redesigned bolt carrier moves on a hardened steel wear strip. The titanium barrel key and chrome lined bore and chamber add to durability and field resilience.
The bolt, accelerator rod, accelerator, bolt assist and firing pin are Nickel Teflon (NP3) coated. This increases lubricity and provides increased corrosion resistance that greatly eases cleaning. The M107A1’s lower receiver includes a new aluminum recoil buffer system specially designed for use with the Barrett QDL Suppressor.
Even more operator feedback resulted in Barrett adding the ability to be suppressed to the M107A1’s repertoire. The Barrett QDL suppressor addressed the need to reduce the .50 BMG’s muzzle signature without reducing reliability—no small task considering semiautomatic operation and the recoil forces generated with 50 BMG rifles.
This suppression capability is what sets apart the M107A1 from its other Barrett semi-auto brethren. In fact, the M107A1 operating mechanisms are not interchangeable with M82A1 or M107 rifles.
For example, the M107A1’s bolt assist is not found on the M82A1. The bolt assist is held in place by the accelerator rod on the M107A1’s bolt group.
The QDL suppressor is not for use on the Barrett M82A1 or M107. The QDL offers sound reduction in the 23-25 decibel range. Earmuffs are still recommended for use. What the QDL suppressor offers is a significant reduction in muzzle signature and blast. The QDL assists in reducing the chance your position is given away when firing the M107A1.
The typical “thump” to the chest and assault on your other senses is drastically reduced with the QDL suppressor mounted. It looks like a small muffler measuring 2.5 inches in diameter and 15 inches long. The Barrett QDL suppressor adds nearly five pounds to the M107A1 when attached, and is well worth it in my opinion.
Witness holes are incorporated on the M107A1’s ten-round magazine.
Well thought ratchet design allows for quick mounting of the QDL with reliable indexing.
The QDL suppressor incorporates a removal two-port muzzle brake. This is in acknowledgement to the blast generated from touching off a .50 BMG even with a suppressor mounted. The QDL Suppressor is a dual layered tube design constructed of heat treated high strength alloys redundantly welded around the circumference of the QDL.
The QDL is simple to install via sliding it over the M107A1’s muzzle brake. Barrett uses a lock-ring coupler that clicks into ratchet grooves for a secure, repeatable fit installed in seconds.
The M107A1 evaluated herein featured a 20-inch fluted barrel with overall length of 48 inches and weight of 27 pounds. A 29-inch barrel version is also available. The M107A1’s barrel comes equipped with Barrett’s cylindrical four-port suppressor-ready muzzle brake. Like other Barrett semi-auto .50 BMG rifles, the M107A1 is fed from a ten-round detachable magazine.
Reliability is something that cannot be compromised with a tactical rifle regardless of caliber. Barrett has altered the M107A1 bolt and dual recoil springs to insure functioning when firing with the QDL suppressor. The M107A1’s barrel moves about an inch rearward during the recoil cycle.
Considering the brute power of the .50 BMG I have always marveled at how well recoil is tamed with the Barrett rifles. My unscientific opinion is that recoil is feels between a 20 gauge and 12 gauge with the M107A1.
The M107A1’s size makes it more of a fixed position platform perfect in an over watch role, especially with its extended effective range and power.
One role it has been pressed into is more of a close range weapon found at checkpoints and gated entrances to bases/facilities.
Developments in .50 BMG ammunition are keeping pace with the rifle component of the platform. This serves to wring even more range and lethality from the Barrett M107A1. Nothing will shut down an engine block faster than an incendiary/HE Raufoss Mk211 .50 BMG round if a driver is not complying with approach procedures.
The Barrett M107A1 aesthetics instills a certain sense of purpose. The purpose is allowing one rifleman to dominate his space on the battlefield against a myriad of targets. The M107A1 is a weapon with unsurpassed power and effective range for a shoulder fired weapons. Barrett manufacturing quality and attention to detail provides an accurate, rugged, and reliable weapon that wrings the utmost performance out of the .50 BMG capabilities with the M107A1.
The ability to configure the M107A1 with either a 29-inch or 20-inch barrel goes back to an earlier Barrett model—the M82A1 CQ which featured a 20-inch barrel. The shorter barrel lightens the M107A1 by approximately two pounds and goes back to a Coast Guard request for a .50 BMG rifle for drug interdiction. The specific application involved Coast Guard watercraft or helicopters having to deliver accurate fire to stop high-speed drug runners.
The favorite method to stop a smugglers boat was a.50 BMG round into a motor compartment. The power of the .50 BMG, combined with accurate semi-auto fire from a Barrett rifle, was the perfect choice for this mission. The full-size M 82A1 or M107A1 was difficult to handle in small boats or helicopters as well as made tracking fast-moving targets problematic.
Barrett M107A1’s aesthetics instills a certain sense of professionalism and purpose.
(Pros DON’T leave their weapon in a Stream!!! GRUMPY)
Field expedient positions were explored with the Barrett M107A1 around Echo Valley Training Center’s varied training terrain.
When faced with these challenges, Barrett responded by developing a carbine version of the M82A1—the M82A1 CQ. This same experience was carried over when the M107A1 was created. A QDL equipped M107A1 is appreciated by crew members on a helicopter or team mates working in close proximity.
A unique opportunity presented itself to experience the M107A1 and QDL suppressor with Barrett’s Jeff Burch visiting Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC). Jeff is intimately familiar with the M107A1 thanks to extensive travels demonstrating and training users on the platform, and is Director of U.S. Commercial Sales for Barrett.
We met at EVTC to take advantage of its multiple bermed training bays and other unique opportunities found on the property. EVTC has fixed dug-in firing positions which proved perfect for this evaluation. The shooter can remain standing while maintaining the Barrett rifle firing from off the ground stabilized by bipod. This proved easier for managing recoil compared to lying behind the rifles in a more traditional prone position.
With good ammunition—not delinked bulk FMJ—sub-MOA accuracy is obtainable with the M107A1. The large .50 BMG rounds often exhibit the phenomena of going to “sleep” after traveling some distance down range. Let me explain.
Accuracy levels at 100 yards are often improved upon at 300 yards. For example, a 100-yard group measuring an overall dimension of 1.5 inches is often followed by a 300-yard group measuring less than three inches. One would expect the 1.5 inch group at 100 yards to generate a 4.5 inches group at 300 yards.
Burch reported and then demonstrated phenomenal accuracy from the demo M107A1s he has been using. A five-round group at 100 yards measured .736 inches at 100 yards, and five rounds and ½ MOA at 200 yards removed any doubt.
In short, “minute of man” is well within the Barrett’s capabilities at mind blowing distance. The Barrett M107A1 will exceed your expectation in terms of accuracy.
Remember the military uses the Barrett .50 BMG rifle, whatever specific model it may be, as an anti-material weapon. Yes, rounds on enemy personnel have happened, especially in current theaters of operation in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this is not the primary mission role of the big Barrett rifles.
The longer the Barrett .50 BMG platform remains in service the more varied its mission become. The uniqueness of the Barrett continues to allow its users to explore new applications.
The M107A1 fully characterizes this flexibility. The M107A1 totally satisfies the U.S. military labeling of it as “Special Applications Scope Rifle” (SASR).
Todd Burgreen has been a freelance writer for the last 20 years with articles appearing in numerous publications. He has attended numerous personal defense, team tactics, firearms, and driving courses over the years from some of the most influential training personalities and schools in the country.
SOURCES
BARRETT FIREARMS
(615) 896-2938
www.barrett.net
ECHO VALLEY TRAINING CENTER
(540) 450-7998
www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com
He’s a senior NCO in the Delta Force. SGM Payne enlisted in 2002, serving as a sniper in the 75th Ranger Regiment until 2007, when he joined the Delta Force.
(SGM Payne in Afghanistan)
In 2015, then-SFC Payne’s unit was deployed to Iraq to help combat ISIS. His unit advised and trained the newly formed Kurdish Counter Terrorist Group. One day, fresh graves are seen outside of a known ISIS prison. The joint team is given the green light.
Payne’s team arrives with the CTG at night time. Upon arrival, they’re hit with volleys of gunfire. The Kurds not having conducted any operations before, are nervous and don’t move forward. The Deltas lead the way, giving their friends courage to press forward. Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler is killed leading his comrades into battle.
Meanwhile, SFC Payne and his team press into the building. They reach a bolted door that holds in the Iraqi hostages. The team attempts to break it, but there is too much fire coming their way. Payne braves the fire and breaks the bolt. The joint team then starts getting all of the hostages out. As the firefight continues, ISIS terrorists start setting off bomb vests, causing fires which cripple the building’s stability. After securing multiple hostages, they move outside.
(Then-SFC Payne, left or center)
However, plenty of hostages are left. SFC Payne keeps moving back inside to make sure no man is left behind. By doing so, he is risking getting crushed or burnt to death. At one point, a tired hostage believes he is going to die in the fire and can no longer walk to the outside. Payne helps him up and gets him outside.
Overall, due to then-SFC Payne’s actions, over 75 Iraqis are rescued. At first, he is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest American military award. However, on September 11, 2020, SGM Payne was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award in the US.
(President Trump awarding SGM Payne the MoH)
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A Kimber MODEL MICRO 9
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A critic of worsening crime in 1925 New Orleans decried that, “no city in America has worse protection from the criminal classes. Something must be done.”
The residents of New Orleans were laissez faire toward prohibition, gambling, prostitution, and drugs.
Into this stepped Thomas Healy, promoted from chief of detectives to superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department. He served in the position from 1925 to the end of 1928 when he retired. An engraved Colt Government Model semi-automatic pistol with a blued finish and carved grips presented to him early in his tenure as superintendent is on offer in Rock Island Auction Company’s Premier Auction, May 13-15.
New Orleans Police
Under Healy, the New Orleans Police Department bought high-powered cars and speedy armored motorcycles to pursue getaway cars “as part of the 100 miles per hour police force.”
The vehicles would be used in “striking relentless blows” against a wave of petty hold-ups and burglaries in the outlying precincts, Healy announced.
The department purchased Tommy guns to match the criminal firepower of bank robbers.
He closed down 1,000 gambling halls at the behest of anti-gambling interests despite knowing that under the law they would be reopened, remarking, “What do they want me to do? Do they want me to shoot all gamblers as fast as we arrest them? All we can do is make arrests. … We raid them again and they open up again. Their charter protects them. This raiding keeps on forever with no definite results.”
In 1928, two of Al Capone’s brothers were arrested in New Orleans upon Healy’s order. Released because of lack of evidence, Healy ordered them out of town or risk further arrest.
New Orleans Trunk Murder
In the midst of this Roaring 20s sense of self-indulgence was the rollicking French Quarter. Its vibrancy drew writers and artists. Its low rents drew working class people as more wealthy residents departed away from the sugar refineries and warehouses.
A cleaning lady stepped into the second floor apartment on Ursulines Avenue, a few blocks from the Mississippi Riverfront and Jackson Square. On an October morning of 1927, she discovered blood. She cried out for help. Two men responded and the police were called.
Officers entered the apartment and found more than just drops of blood. They found a grisly crime scene. A gore-covered bathroom, and fingers. Blood-spattered women’s clothes. A bloody cane knife. And in a pair of trunks, the bodies of two women, decapitated and dismembered. They were Theresa and Leonide Moity, and they had been bludgeoned to death before being expertly cut apart and stuffed in the trunks.
Leonide and Theresa were sisters-in-law. Leonide was separated from her husband, Joseph Moity, and Theresa announced to her husband, Henry Moity, the previous day that the two women were moving out. Healy, the police superintendent, knew the brothers must be found.
Joseph, who had taken their children to live with his parents in New Iberia, La., turned himself in the night the bodies were discovered. He insisted his brother Henry was the killer. Healy learned that Joseph left after catching Leonide with another man. The couple fought over money, accusations of infidelity, and heavy drinking.
Henry Moity was in the wind. He served in the U.S. Navy but received a dishonorable discharge. Healy radioed the seven ships set to depart New Orleans with a description of Henry including his bushy dark hair, dark brown eyes, and tattoos on his arm of a flower with a lady’s face and a nude woman.
Two days later, crewmen on the freighter Gem, reported Henry to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff. Henry had given a fake name but was recognized by his tattoos described in newspaper accounts.
Henry first denied the killings saying it was the work of a redheaded Norwegian and that he was forced to assist. He eventually caved, giving a full confession, believing Theresa was having an affair with their landlord and that he resented his sister-in-law for being a negative influence on his wife.
The parish coroner noted the murderer’s skill with a knife.
“The killer who decapitated Mrs. Henry Moity . . . knew enough not to try to cut through the bone, but to cut through the joint.”
Henry had worked as a butcher’s assistant in New Iberia before moving to New Orleans. He was found guilty and given two concurrent life sentences.
New Orleans Police Scandal
Before ascending to the superintendent position, Healy, as head of detectives, found himself in a scandal involving his predecessor, Guy Molony.
Superintendent Molony, who had a history as a soldier of fortune, was caught up in a false arrest investigation for which the facts remain murky nearly 100 years later. During the investigation, Healy was accused of withholding information in the investigation but was cleared.
Conveniently, the scandal went away after the suicide of a police commander of officers involved in the incident was viewed as an admission of guilt in the whole affair.
After the dust cleared, Molony subsequently returned to Honduras where he had previously served as a mercenary. This cleared the way for Healy, who was unscathed by the accusations he faced in the scandal, to be made superintendent of police in the spring of 1925.
Colt Pistol
Thomas Healy received this beautifully engraved Colt Government Model pistol shortly after he was elevated to head of the New Orleans Police Department in 1925. During his time leading the N.O.P.D., Healy ran off Al Capone’s brothers, helped solve a grisly murder, shut down gambling salons, and increased the department’s crime-fighting capabilities.
This early 1911A1 model has floral scrolling engraved in flourishes over 25 percent of its exquisitely blued surface and has the owner’s initials engraved on the grips along with an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch. This magnificent example of a Colt Government Model of the M1911A1 will be offered at Rock Island Auction Company’s May 13-15 Premier Auction.
Sources:
The Trunk Murders and Sausage Ghost of the 1920s, Atlas Obscura
