Barrett Bolt Action Review
This is a review of the Barrett sent to me by a web page reader. It is, in my opinion, brilliantly written, and reminded me strongly of my first .50 shots... Even if you're not in the market for a Barrett, it's a good read...
I’d ordered my Barrett from Knesek guns in Arkansas, for $5230 shipped. Was *very* happy with both service and promptness from Larry Knesek, and would recommend him for anyone in the market for high quality rifles.
I’d received my Barrett Friday, it was shipped via FedEx to a local FFL who charges $25 for transfers. Never having seen an M95 in person before, the experience was brand new. I’d arrived at the gun shop just as FedEx was pulling out of the parking lot, so I helped them unpack it.
Getting it out of the box was a chore – it’s heavy, and big, and not very easy to maneuver. Once out of the box, the first thing that struck me was the side of the case. Barrett packs their M95’s in very, very nice cases. The interior is cut to fit the rifle, with room pre-cut to allow for the scope. The case has two handles – one mid way down the side, one on the end for dragging it – this is a good thing, as the case comes with sturdy wheels on one end to better haul it around.
First time I popped open the case I knew this rifle was going to be worth every penny. The size of the 5 round box magazine is impressive, to say the least. It also came with a compact cleaning kit, which includes everything needed for field cleaning – a small bottle of break free, a “memory wire” rod, various brushes and rod ends, a package of large bore swabs, a reorder guide, and an instructional mini-CD. The entire cleaning kit’s size is approx 4” round, by 2.5” deep and is closed by a zipper.
Lacking a scope for the Barrett, while I was at the gun shop I picked up a Leupold 3.5-10x Long Range model, with parallax adjustment, 30mm tube, and factory mounted extendable bubble level. The eye relief was very generous – my primary requirement for a 50. The lifetime warranty was my second requirement. But Leupold is well known for clarity, and this scope was a beauty. I’d purchased it for $679, and rings for $60 (discounted for purchasing a scope).
They only had one set of 30mm steel rings in stock for the picattiny rail which sits atop the Barrett – a quick-detatch model of rings made by Leupold. Having mounted scopes to all my bolt action rifles (and most of my friends), I’d decided to mount it later. I have a good reputation for boresighting within a few inches at 100 yds, and getting perfect level and good eye relief positioning during the process.
After getting the rifle home, I spend the evening going over it in detail. The overall workmanship was excellent – what you’d expect for a multi-thousand dollar rifle. The rifle disassembles very easily by pulling two large pins at each end of the lower. With the upper is removed, the bolt slides forward out of the lower receiver by depressing the trigger and pushing it forward. The bipod is detatchable by pulling out a pin. The bipod position is changed by pulling “downward” and moving it – it can be locked forward, rearward, or in it’s down position for prone / bench shooting. The bipod swivels – was very stiff at first, but has “relaxed” since then to a comfortable
With the bolt out, I unknowingly had in my hands the first of the problems I experienced Sunday when I first shot the rifle. When examining the bolt, I had inadvertently cocked it out of the rifle – and it was a hell of a chore to uncock it (nearly tore my skin off trying to decock it, as it couldn’t go back in the rifle cocked.) More on this later.
The size of the rifle is a bit large for my gun bench, so I did the scope mounting in the kitchen after scavenging around for Torx head bits and a level. With the rifle reassembled, I grabbed a level from the garage and proceeded to mount the scope. The scope had a factory-installed leveling arm attached to it. The size of the Barrett and the number of flat surfaces made leveling the rifle a breeze.
The 30mm bases were installed (loosely), and I set the scope in them. I aimed the rifle out the window, and noticed immediately I’d made a mistake in not at least temporarily mounting the scope at the gun shop. The scope rings were too low! I could not get a good cheek weld without getting “shadowing” at the top of the scope. A word of advice - if you buy a Barrett – GET EXTRA HIGH RINGS.
I called around to various shops Friday (as far as an hour away in some cases) and no one had any 30mm rings in stock, period, let alone high base ones. So, realizing that I was either not shooting for another week, or was going to live with it as is, I grumbled, and decided to make do – on the lowest power setting (3.5), I could get a “decent” cheek weld and have no shadowing in the Leupold. I figured (correctly it was found) that I’d still be able to see a 50 cal hole on 3.5 power at 100 yards.
The decision to go ahead with these rings – queue suspenseful music - was my second mistake.
The decision to skip loc-tite was my third mistake – knowing I’d swap out rings within a week or so, I went ahead and torqued the torx-head screws down right tight. I figured it’d be good enough for 20 rounds or so.
So it was with eyes wide shut I went to the range Sunday. I boresighted the rifle, then set up to shoot. Friends and wife donned hearing protection and gathered round, to watch the first shot fired off.
I aim.. I get a good strong position on the bench.. I put my weight in to it some. I’m a bit nervous.. never shot a 50 before. I’m sweating. I flinch. I back off the trigger (a VERY light set and smooooth trigger). I reacquire my target, I steel myself, and *CLICK*.
Nothing happens.
Looking confused, I know I chambered a round so I wait a minute before extracting it. The primer showed a relatively soft dent in it. Cursing “bad ammo” I chamber another round. I take aim, I steel myself, I hug it tight, and *CLICK*. Another no-fire. Now.. after weeks of working up (and justifying the purchase of) the “howitzer” to friends and family, here with my back to the world, I’m feeling somewhat ridiculous. Sure is a big rifle I have.. too bad it don’t shoot!
I’m at a crossroads now. Both primer hits were admittedly light. Is it the gun? Is it the ammo? Thinking back, a few years ago I had a problem once in my 300 Win Mag (Savage 110) where it would fire “every other round”. I’d thought it was a bad batch of primers at the time, until I’d took it out the week after with “proven” ammo only to have the same thing happen – if I re-fed the ammo, most cases would fire the second time through. Years back, in my Savage, it turned out to be that the firing pin was out of adjustment after about 1,000 rounds – a quick (but tricky) fix in the field and she was back up and running again, no problems since.
I decide to rechamber round #1, and take aim at the target (a large rock at the bottom of the hill, so my buddy who is spotting can walk me in to a zero small enough for my 8x11 paper targets). The grass is fluttering softly, and down range a butterfly is flittering to and fro. The birds are chirping.. I squeeze..
And tranquility is replaced instantaneously. I’m pushed backwards by recoil, the concussion knocks my headgear back an inch. The sound of thunder fills the valley, echoing in the distance. I feel like I just got punched in the face by an invisible man whilst running down the road.. the faint taste of blood – I swear my nose is bleeding, but it’s not. Just backblast from the impressive shockwave, which ripped tools off the bench and sent them flying. A half full soda can behind and to my right is knocked over – 10 feet away. A nearby bystander is standing in stunned awe to my left and back about 10 feet. (Afterwards, no one stood within 20 feet of me when I was shooting.)
At the receiving end, the 12” rock explodes and vanishes. The largest piece we found was about the size of a golf ball. (Not bad for boresighting such a large bore - my reputation holds).
I work the bolt back, and the spent casing clanks on the bench and falls to the concrete. I pick it up, and notice the primer dent is much deeper now – about what I’d expect.
As the next 10 rounds were fired, I continued to be plagued by weak primer hits. By the end of the day, they’d stopped completely – the firing mechanism loosened up considerably after the day’s allotment of 30 shots had been spent and all primers were being struck solidly, with no further misfires. I suspect there may have been an undressed burr in interior of the bolt from machining that ironed itself out over time, but can’t verify that – if it was there it’s gone now. (As an aside note, decocking the bolt when it’s out of the rifle is no longer a painful experience as it was when I’d first examined the rifle – it smoothly transitions between cocked / decocked now with moderate effort).
As the day progressed, however, a more nefarious problem developed. After about 7 shots, I had the rifle zeroed on paper with a 3 shot, touching group hitting the bull (at 100 yds). I was ready to move on to my “fun” target, a 1 1/4 “ by 7” diameter hardened steel circle I’d liberated from the scrap pile at work against the bank at 150 yards. The first and the second shots both missed.
I put another shot on paper, and to my digress, my previously pristine grouping was shattered.. The round hit a full 6” down and left of center.
Knowing before I looked, I checked the scope mounting. It’d come loose from the rail on the front. The scope had also slid forward in the rings about 1/2”.
Retightening the scope, I spent another few rounds re-zeroing. Then the groups opened up again – this time, the front ring top had come loose.
Retightening after each shot, I zeroed and was able to place four rounds through the steel target. In each case save one, the bullet went cleanly through with ball ammo. The odd one was a shot close to the side – the bullet entered, and blew its way out the side of the plate.
Recovered lead projectiles, for lack of a better description, looked exactly like small ice cream cones – about 1 ¼” long. The tips of the lead projectiles had compressed to a remarkable hardness and were in a fine point. The boat tail end was in shape – and still had red shellac flakes on it. No jacket pieces of any size were found that could be identified.
After shooting my 50 BMG ammo allotment for the day (and making a few bucks back for more ammo, from innocent bystanders that wanted a turn at the rifle), I packed the rifle up and went about testing some handloads for other firearms I’d brought along (223, 22-250, and 45 ACP).
Overall I’d say my experience with the rifle was good, with some irritations early on, but nothing that can’t be overcome. Strangely, the feeling of being hit in the face by that invisible man has grown on me, and I look forward to years of shooting (and soon reloading) this mammoth cartridge.
Were I to be asked is it worth it, having $6,000 wrapped up in a bolt action rifle, I’d say – “Shoot it, and judge for yourself!” The fifty cal is the ultimate rifle for some people, but I can tell you from watching people first hand, not everyone will enjoy shooting it. Many will shoot it once, to say they have, but not come back for a second shot. Others (myself included it seems) can’t get enough of it.
It’s a hell of a gun, and a worthy investment - that’s the bottom line.
-Trenton D. Lawrence, Sr.
President, Liberation Software, Inc.
Liberation Software, Inc.
Barrett Bolt Action Review