SAW A 50 bmg today..

[PT1911]

and I just want to say that is the most rediculous thing I have ever seen. the demensions of the thing were rediculous.

Guy came into the shop and ordered a Bushmaster BA-50 for a low low price of 4500 dollars... so, it came in yesterday and, when assembled and empty weighed in at 30 pounds.. the barrel seemed to be damn near 3 inches in diameter... the muzzle break seemed to be a parody of muzzle breaks... hell, the whole gun seemed to be a parody of a gun. just plain huge... and Honestly I have to say after seeing that...I WANT ONE!!!!

I will probably never step up to the 50 bmg, if I do it will be in a single shot bolt action, but this does have me thinking about the AR-30 in 300win mag...Very similar to the overall format of the 50 just SMALLER and in an intermediate cartridge like the 300 win mag


i now know why bushmaster calls theirs the BA-50.
that is a BIG A$$ GUN!!!!

 

[PT1911]

http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_military_BCW3M_30-50BMGLW.asp

This one...

 

[Eightball]

Get a BOHICA bolt-on bolt-action upper for your AR15.

Have the best of ALL the "evil" worlds

 

[mbopp]

Well, one of the guys at work just picked up his Barrett 50 cal. $8500 according to his wife. I can think of a lot of things to do with that amount of money and a 50 cal is way down the list.

 

[PT1911]

I agree MBOPP.. I cannot think of anything other than shooting over 1000 yds that would require ME to own a 50 bmg... and nothing at all that would justify spending 8500 on one when I could get one for half that or better.

but still... way cool... make a good conversation piece or umbrella holder too....

 

[dubbleA]

I have one, it's not a bad rifle and a 10 shot repeater to boot.




BA-50 compared to Sabre Defence 223 Varminter


50 BMG, 375 H&H, 308 Win, 223 Rem and 17HMR

 

[EP1990]

I dont really like the BA-50, quite frankly its about the ugliest gun ive ever seen. must be one of those love it or hate it things. I like the clean lines of the Barret, not a lot of excess on that rifle either. too bad it costs so much

 

[Ranb]

I have owned an LAR since 1999. The 50 BMG is lots of fun to shoot. Not ridiculous at all.

Ranb

 

[PT1911]

that is the one DoubleA. what ring/scope combination are you using?

 

[dubbleA]

The scope is a Leupold Mark 4 8.5x25x50 LR/T M1 MD sitting in Badger Ordnance Max 50 rings.

 

[Fred Fuller]

http://serbu.com/50bmg/semi_auto.php



lpl

 

[Maverick223]

I will probably never step up to the 50 bmg, if I do it will be in a single shot bolt action, but this does have me thinking about the AR-30 in 300win mag...Very similar to the overall format of the 50 just SMALLER and in an intermediate cartridge like the 300 win mag

I feel the same way, I really like the sheer power of the .50BMG, but you can get far more accurate rifles (in a different chambering) for the price of the big 50. The .338LM will do everything that the .50BMG can except for deliver the enormous payload, and is therefore a better choice IMO. I also strongly dislike muzzle brakes...and that precludes the .50BMG, and really the .338LM as well. That is why I chose the .300WM as my long range precision cartridge. No brake necessary and all the range that I need...at least for now. If I decide that I want to go a little farther out I will invest in a .338LM. I too looked at a Armalite, and they look like a well constructed rifle with pretty good accuracy, but they are unwieldy. Just too long and heavy for my taste, but not a bad value at all. I ended up with a Desert Tactical SRS in .300WM which seems to suit all of my [strike]needs[/strike] desires quite well (and I can change to .338Lapua at any time after purchasing the conversion kit), but it isn't notably cheap either. IMO the .50BMG is the most unpractical rifle ever built, unless you hunt Buicks, but I still may end up with one some day.

 

[Ranb]

I also strongly dislike muzzle brakes...and that precludes the .50BMG, and really the .338LM as well.

I am not so fond of muzzle brakes myself, but I need something to reduce recoil since I bulged a disk in my neck. My LAR 50 bmg has a modified muzzle brake that serves me well. I built a 338 RUM (poor man's 338 Lapua) on an M700 action and 30 inch Pac-Nor barrel. At 13 pounds the recoil was manageable, but I felt I could do better so I put a small brake on it that works well with the 90 grains of power blasting through it.

I have a much better brake pictured below, but it cost a lot more, $60 in material and a $200 check to the ATF.



Ranb

 

[Maverick223]

I have a much better brake pictured below, but it cost a lot more, $60 in material and a $200 check to the ATF.

Now that is my kind of brake! Want to share instructions?

 

[Ranb]

I doodle on MS paint until I see something I like. The baffles and other internals are just made about .005" smaller than the tubing ID. I get barstock and tubing from Online Metals in Seattle.



The blast baffle on the 338 can was about .070" with the rest of the baffles only about .040" The tubing was rather thick at .095" which made the finished can too heavy at 3 pounds. It is all 4130 steel. My next project for another 5.56 can will have stepped cone baffles. Stronger and more turbulent flow inside I think/hope.



Lots of good advice on http://www.silencertalk.com . Make sure you obtain an approved ATF form 1 before you make parts.

Ranb

 

[Maverick223]

Make sure you obtain an approved ATF form 1 before you make parts.

Would do...unfortunately I believe it is just a little too complicated for my lack-of-machine shop. If I could purchase (rather than fabricate) the baffles separately that might be an option. Would really like to have one for the .45ACP though. Thanks for the details.