There’s nothing like a .50 BMG caliber rifle for a bit of hoo-boy fun. [Click here to read Nick’s AR-50 review.] You get to make endless size matters jokes at the gun range and a recoil wave big enough to surf. Saying that, the person pulling the fiddy’s trigger remains largely unaffected by the blast. Unless they’re doing the shooting in the Golden State, in which case the shooter’s looking at some cell time (and I ain’t talking about telephones). Californians dreamin’ of an AR-50 BMG have another option: ArmaLite’s AR-50A1 .416 Barrett. As you might imagine, ArmaLite’s new high-precision rifle is “just like the AR-50A1, but chambered and re-barreled to accept the .416 Barrett cartridge.” It’s less of a blast but more of a blast for recoil sensitive souls and it’s CA compliant. Only $6.50 a round. Full press release after the jump . . .
(Geneseo, IL) ArmaLite’s new high-precision rifle is just like the AR-50A1, but chambered and re-barreled to accept the .416 Barrett cartridge. Because of that, the AR-50A1-.416 Barrett boasts the same ArmaLite patented V-Lock™ Bedding Wedge and V-Block Stock that assure absolute strength and repeatability for superb accuracy. The aluminum stock reinforces the receiver like a bench-rest sleeve.
Added to all of that is the famous .416 Barrett cartridge, which contains a .416 caliber projectile capable of sustaining supersonic speeds out to the 2,000 yards, which is the key to achieving long range accuracy. The .416 Barrett cartridge uses a lighter, narrower bullet that was designed using low supersonic drag equations and results in a significantly high muzzle velocity and exceptional ballistic performance.
Independent testing has proven the ArmaLite AR-50A1 muzzle brake to be the best in the industry for both recoil control and accuracy. The AR-50A1-416 has the exact same muzzle brake. The brake scrapes away turbulent muzzle gasses and lets the bullet break into clean air for amazing accuracy. The soft recoil means even the smallest of shooters, or the most recoil-sensitive, will enjoy shooting the rifle.
THE AR-50A1-416 IS LEGAL TO SELL AND OWN IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
Caliber: .416 Barrett
Barrel: 30″ Chrome Moly, 8 Groove
Rifling Twist: RH 1:12″
Muzzle Device: Highly Efficient Muzzle Brake
Trigger: Single Stage Trigger
Overall Length: 58.5″
Weight: 34.7 LBS
Included with Rifle: 15 Minute Sight Base, Owner’s Manual, Ear Plugs, Limited Lifetime Warranty
Sounds like Armalite decided to make the largest caliber rifle that could be owned in California. Too bad they didn’t pull a Barrett and say screw you until California repeals the stupid law.
One of these things probably costs as much as my car….
I do like the fact that they include ear plugs in the purchase.
So, was this a review of the rifle or a sales pitch or what?
Or what.
Not a review…. just gun porn, pure and simple! But $6.50 a round?!?!? That’s the proverbial cold shower!
.50 BMG is also illegal in the Nutmeg state. I couldn’t possibly justify this sort of purchase, but it’s nice to know there’s an option.
I think the .416 is a damn cool caliber, and that Armalite a good job with this design. With that being said, I’m looking forward to a legit TTAG review of this rifle.
“So, was this a review of the rifle or a sales pitch or what?”
Who could read an article like this and not wonder what it costs? No one. If your ARE serving your readers, you cant ignore that reality. Nothing annoys me more than an article that ignores price. It comes off as a press release disguised as an article.
It goes commentary, ” press release after the jump”, press release.
Nice gun, nice price. But, why, why does it have to be so damnably ugly? Get a freakin’ protractor.
Agreed, not a good looking rifle at all.
Honestly, I must have unusual taste. I like the look of the AR. I think it looks tough.
btw, just to clear up any misconceptions, 50 cal rifles aren’t illegal in kali.
It’s 50 bmg that is banned specifically. if you want the thrill of 50 without getting locked up in kali, we copy the Europeans when 50 bmg got banned there. They developed 510 DTC, same bullet, same load data, slightly different case dimensions. Cheaper than 416 if you reload.
I got to try one out a couple months ago in kali.
Point taken. Text amended. Thanks.
Great work getting by Kali’s dumb laws with a super nice rifle and cartridge. That being said, if I was to lay out big bucks for a long range rifle my money would go to a .408 Chey-Tac.
Further proof that you should probably be firing the .416 Barrett cartridge with a BARRETT rifle. Often imitated – NEVER duplicated.
That certain kind of person would be anyone with an I.Q. above room
temperature who had been paying the slightest bit of attention, because
Obamas actions as a legislator spoke volumes about his feelings on the gun
issue. Senator Obamas statements on the campaign trail werent any more
reassuring. For example:
Obama opposed a bill in the Illinois legislature which would have protected
homeowners from weapons charges if they used an illegal gun in self-defense.
In a primary debate in 2008, Obama the candidate stated that the second
amendment confers an individual right, BUT (theres always but where the
second amendment is concerned) the fact that it is an individual right does
not mean that the state or local government cant constrain the exercise of
that right. In addition, for a supposed constitutional scholar to state that
the Bill of Rights confers rights, rather than protects pre-existing rights
is also worrisome.
When running for the Illinois senate in 1996, Obama most assuredly did fill
out a questionnaire (despite his later claims that a staffer did it) in
which he unequivocally supported a ban on the manufacture, sale and
possession of handguns, a ban on the possession of assault weapons and
waiting periods before purchasing a firearm.
Need I mention the whole bitter clingers episode?
Although he claimed to respect the second amendment, he also said that the
D.C. gun ban (banning all handguns and operable long guns) was
constitutional. When pressed for his rationale, he said there was nothing
wrong with a community establishing their own reasonable, thoughtful gun
control measure[s] while still respecting the second amendment. Did you
catch that? A complete ban is his idea of a reasonable gun control measure.
In the Illinois legislature, he supported licensing and registering gun
owners as a measure to keep unlawful guns off the street. This purported
constitutional scholar was apparently unaware that the supreme court has
ruled that criminals dont need to register (and cant be punished for failing
to register) their guns because it would be a violation of their right
against self-incrimination.
In 2000 Obama cosponsored a bill to limit gun purchases to one per month
and in 2003 he voted in favor of HB 2579 which had the same one gun per
month provision.
According to a Chicago Defender article in December of 1999, Obama is
proposing to make it a felony for a gun owner whose firearm was stolen from
his residence which causes harm to another person if that weapon was not
securely stored in that home.
At an NAACP forum in 2007 Obama stated Weve got to make sure that
unscrupulous gun dealers arent loading up vans and dumping guns in our
communities, because we know theyre not made in our communities. What?!? Is
that what he really thinks? That federally licensed gun dealers are loading
up vehicles and selling guns out of the back in inner cities?
In the Illinois senate he supported a confiscatory assault weapons ban
which would have included semi-auto shotguns and even some pump, double and
single barrel shotguns.
As a Presidential candidate he called for passage of H.R. 6257, deceptively
titled Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008 which would have
explicitly banned far more weapons than the Clinton AWB.
As a Senator, Obama voted against prohibiting lawsuits against gun
manufacturers and voted in favor of an amendment to that bill which would
have banned most rifle ammunition, under the guise of banning armor-piercing
ammunition.
As a Senator Obama did not sign the amicus brief supporting the individual
rights view in Heller v. DC.
Obama voted to ban gun stores within five miles of a school or park, which
would have eliminated most gun stores in America.
He supported legislation to close the gun show loophole which would have
imprisoned show organizers if a single person at a show offered a gun for
sale privately.
As a Senator, Obama stated he supported a federal ban on concealed carry
laws and as a Presidential candidate he told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review I
am not in favor of concealed weapons, Obama said. I think that creates a
potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during)
altercations. Vote for freedom. Save the republic.
the price given to my from my local tactical supply store was 3599+shipping and a 21 day waiting period before shipped