Anzio Ironworks Heavy Rifles

     Notes: Anzio Ironworks makes a number of heavy-caliber rifles, primarily for civilian long-range shooting matches. Their rifles range from single-shot .50 Browning machinegun rifles to heavy repeating 20mm antimateriel rifles firing modified 20mm Vulcan shells modified for primer ignition.  They are built primarily from heavy-gauge, high-strength steel, and light alloys or even plastic where possible.  Buttstocks are typically simple, with steel or alloy-strut stocks and padded buttplates.  Barrels are tipped with large multi-chamber muzzle brakes. Most models can be had in left-handed and right-handed models, as they are almost all bolt-action, and some are of bullpup design. Most are equipped with a folding Harris bipod adjustable for height and cant. The rifles may be finished in natural metal, black, or a variety of camouflage patterns.  The top of the receiver holds a MIL-STD-1913 rail for the mounting of optics on a slightly-raised mount.

     The base of these rifles is the Single-Shot 50.  These typically consist of a light alloy tube in which the barrel is contained – this barrel may be a standard 18 or 26-inch barrel or a target-quality Lothar Walther barrel of the same length.  They are typically equipped with a bipod below the front of the aluminum handguards.

     The Take-Down Competition 50 is a variant of the Single-Shot 50.  It is typically equipped with a 30-inch Supermatch Chrome-Moly 30” barrel, though 18” and 26” barrels are available.  The barrel is free-floating.  The receiver is all-steel, and the barrel can be easily removed from the weapon and replaced without losing zero.  The trigger is match-quality.  The firing pin is titanium.  Finishes on the receiver/stock are limited to green and black, with a Duracoat finish.  These rifles are not typically sold with bipods.

     The Anzio 50 is a repeating version of the Single-Shot 50. The Anzio 50 has an all-steel receiver; indeed, most parts are of high-strength steel.  The barrel is a Lothar Walther match-quality free-floating rifle; the stock is similar to the Single-Shot 50, being a thick tube with a skeletonized buttstock with a rubber recoil pad. The muzzle brake is different, being a long tubular design instead of the wedge-shaped muzzle brake of the Single-Shot 50.  The trigger pack is match-quality.  Magazines are unfortunately small, in keeping with the primary purpose as a civilian weapon.  The Super Lightweight 50 is, as the name would indicate, a lighter version of this rifle; the receiver and stock are of light alloy, the muzzle brake of titanium, and some use of polymers is made.  An additional barrel length is offered.  The Takedown Lightweight 50 is again similar to the Super Lightweight 50, except for the quick-remove barrel (which is fluted in this case), the conventional (for an Anzio heavy rifle) wedge-shaped muzzle brake, and the lack of a standard bipod.

     The Anzio 20/50 is chambered to fire a .50 Browning machinegun bullet from a 20mm case, which is cut-down 20mm Vulcan case.  The result is essentially a .50-caliber magnum rifle.  The resulting is utterly massive, weighing in rather heavy and with the barrels (a choice of three lengths) being tipped by a huge, conical muzzle brake.  Though it would seem to have rather limited utility, the FBI has in fact invested in five of the repeating versions for evaluation; with an eye towards heavy counterterrorist work.  The barrel is heavy and can be removed to create a takedown rifle.  A bipod is found at the front of the handguards at the point of balance.  This rifle is available as a single-shot rifle or as a magazine-fed repeater.

     The Anzio 20 comes in three versions: a single-shot takedown rifle, a single-shot standard rifle, and a magazine-fed rifle.  The single-shot and magazine-fed rifles can be had in 20mm, 14.5mm KPV, and 20/50 Anzio.  The 20mm round used with these rifles is a version of the 20mm Vulcan round which uses a heavy primer instead of electrical ignition.  The single-shot takedown rifle uses a heavy 50-inch barrel with a massive muzzle brake and can be tripod or pintle-mounted (and the pintle can be mounted on a fifth-wheel mounted in a pickup truck bed); the single shot and magazine-fed rifles (which are variants of each other) use a 49-inch heavy barrel with the same muzzle brake, and use beefy bipods.  Although three are massive brutes of rifles, longer than the average man is tall.  The FBI is also reputedly experimenting with the 20mm magazine-fed version.  The 20mm Vulcan round versions below have explosive damage ratings for HEI and SAPHEI and penetration ratings for API and SAPHEI that reflect antipersonnel (anti-vehicle) penetration ratings.  The SAPHEI has ratings for a direct antipersonnel hit as well as explosive damage.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These rifles do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*These rifles may halve their bulk rating (rounded up) if taken down, but they cannot be fired in this condition!

Armalite AR50

     Notes: This weapon was designed by Armalite primarily for the civilian large-caliber enthusiast, but was employed on a limited basis by military forces due to its long range and stability.  The AR50 uses a number of tried-and-true principles and components from other rifles and systems, such as Armalite’s own rifles, Sako, Barrett, and some others. The AR50 is quite lightweight for its large size.

     The AR50 uses a unique octagonal receiver, bedded into the stock with a solid aircraft aluminum bedding block.  The single-shot bolt action uses a bolt handle with a lift of only 60 degrees and a short throw, to enable follow-up shots that are as quick as possible for a single-shot rifle.  The extractor is a spring-loaded plunger-type which is essentially an enlarged version of a Sako extractor.  The receiver and action can be had in right and left-handed versions.  The heavy steel 31-inch barrel is tipped with a proprietary Armalite multi-baffle muzzle brake which is considered so effective, lightweight, and advanced in design that many other companies making heavy-caliber rifles have licensed the design of the muzzle brake, and many buyers have retrofitted their own heavy-caliber rifles with this brake.  (Armalite calls this muzzle brake the “Multiflute Recoil Check.”)  The stock is aluminum alloy and skeletonized, with a large handle for the non-firing hand, and can be removed for transport (but not fired in this state).  The buttplate and cheekpiece are padded and fully adjustable.  The AR50 is equipped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver, but no iron sights are provided. The pistol grip is identical to that of an M16A2.  A fully-adjustable folding bipod is provided, but the mount allows the installation of several alternate bipods if desired.  Steel parts are Parkerized, while aluminum parts are hard-anodized. 

     The AR50A1 version improves on the AR50 platform.  The barrel is shorter at 30 inches, but the barrel has been made free-floating. Almost half a kilogram has been shaved off of the weight. The AR50A1’s buyer has the option of a Weaver rail in lieu of the MIL-STD-1913 rail, and the mounting of the rail had been even better stabilized than on the AR50.  Special coatings have been added to improve operation of the bolt and trigger groups.  The AR50A1 has a special buffer that further decreases the recoil, and adjustments in the receiver allow a right-handed version to be more easily fired by a left-handed shooter, and vice versa.

     The AR50A1 NM is designed more with long-range competition and heavy-caliber enthusiasts in mind.  The “NM” stands for “National Match,” and many of the parts are specially fitted or specially modified for competition shooting.  In fact, the entire chamber is designed around .50 BMG Match ammunition instead of standard .50 BMG ammunition or even .50 BMG military sniping rounds.  (The stats below use standard military .50 BMG ammunition.) The stock is redesigned; it is adjustable for cheek height and length of pull, and has a rubber recoil pad.  More importantly, the bottom of the stock has been given a skid that allows the stock to be rested on the ground and it’s non-slip surface keeps the stock in place; this obviates the need for a monopod, and provides a more solid platform than a monopod.  The stock is highly skeletonized, with the bottom of the pistol grip even with the bottom of the skid.  As with other AR50s, the AR50A1 NM’s stock is removable for transport, and it can be interchanged with other AR50 stocks. The fluted, floating barrel is a full 33 inches and tipped with a beefy muzzle brake.  Attachment of the barrel is by Armalite’s patented V-Lock Bedding Wedge and V-Block Stock interface system, resulting in a very solid platform.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon was the bane of both the good and bad guys, being used against government forces by civilians and by government militia against both MilGov and CivGov and against New America, in the Twilight 2000 timeline.  These rifles were also used on a limited basis in other places in the world; Saudi Arabian sniper is believed to have made a shot with an AR50 against an Iraqi MRL gunner, at a range of nearly 2600 meters, causing the entire crew to surrender!  The AR50A1 NM is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*When the stock is removed, the bulk of the AR50 and AR50A1 is reduced to 8; however, they CANNOT be fired with the stock removed.

Arms Tech TTR-50

     Notes: This .50-caliber sniping rifle was designed with special operations and other clandestine operators in mind.  It is bolt action heavy rifle that can be disassembled into a package the size of a small suitcase.  (TTR stands for Tactical Takedown Rifle.)  The TTR-50 is based on the McMillan series of antimateriel rifles, with their reliable action and ease of care.  The TTR-50 has a collapsible stock, and has one more unusual feature: it is capable of mounting a suppressor. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Barrett M82A1

     Notes: This is an American-made antimateriel and heavy sniping rifle used by both civilians and dozens of military forces throughout the world, including most of NATO.  It was first designed for EOD teams to destroy explosives and for sharpshooters to destroy things like naval mines.  It has since then been used for many purposes, in almost every corner of the globe.  The weapon is recoil-operated, and has a massive muzzle brake to reduce felt recoil; this, along with the M82A1's use of recoil to operate the mechanism, reduces felt recoil to manageable proportions.  Standard telescopic sight issued with the M82A1 is a 10x of several different manufactures. The barrel is of heavy steel and 29 inches long, and tipped with a large multi-baffle muzzle brake designed by Barrett.  The bipod is adjustable for height and cant, and it also has an adapter which allows it to be mounted on any tripod or mount compatible with the M-60 machinegun.

     Though the US Military has unofficially been using the M82A1 for almost two decades, it is only recently that the rifle has been type-standardized, first as the XM107, and then the M107 (the Marines and the Navy use the same rifle as the M107, but call it the M82A3, the few foreign users of the M107 generally call it the M82A1M).  The M107 is nearly identical to the standard M82A1; however, there are some differences worth mentioning.  The M107 is designed to be field stripped without using tools.  The muzzle brake may be easily removed by the sniper and replaced with a sound suppressor.  Atop the receiver is a 19-inch MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The skeletonized stock has an actual handgrip on the bottom instead of a simple rod of metal, and attached to this handgrip is a folding monopod to help support the weapon.  The M107 has attachment points for mounting on any tripod or pintle mount able to accept an M-60 or M-240 machinegun.  The finish is a bit more weatherproof, and the bipod is slightly different; it is a quick-release model with spiked feet.  The M107 may also be mounted on a soft mount designed for the rifle, and/or vehicle-mounted on this soft-mount or, via an adapter, on any vehicle mount which can take a weapon designed for a medium or heavy machinegun or grenade launcher.  The barrel is threaded at the muzzle; this allows the muzzle brake to be removed and replaced with other muzzle brakes, or even suppressors/silencers.  The M107 is also over a full kilogram lighter than the M82A1.  Military snipers recommend the use of the Mk 211 Raufoss cartridge, but the M107 may fire any sort of .50 Browning Machinegun cartridge except SLAP.  For game purposes, it is otherwise identical to the M82A1.

     A recent variant of the M107 is the M107CQ (Close Quarters).  This is basically a shorter version of the M107, with a barrel nine inches shorter and much lighter than the standard M107.  This variant is designed both for military users operating in MOUT situations or fighting from helicopters or vehicles, and for police snipers who do not need the kind of range that a full-sized M82A1 or M107 produces.  The M107CQ is not an official US military variant, though it is believed to be extensively used by the US military.

    Of course, the nomenclature, “M82A1,” would seem to indicate that there was an M82 before it; there in fact was.  Barrett’s initial design was similar, but it used a 37-inch barrel with a heavier muzzle brake, and was fed by an 11-round magazine.  Not only was the M82 incredibly unwieldy due to its length, it was heavier.  (The range, however, was incredible.)  Nonetheless, this was the design sold between 1985-87, although it sold only in small numbers, primarily to civilian large-caliber enthusiasts.

     The M82A2 is a bullpup version of the M82A1 is lighter and somewhat simplified in operation.  The shoulder rest is moved to behind the magazine, and the action passes over the firer's shoulder.  A second pistol grip has been added behind the barrel for more stable hip firing.  It is mostly a niche weapon for heavy-caliber rifle collectors, and does not see much use as a military or police weapon.  The M82A2 cannot be used with a tripod mount.

     The M90 was Barrett’s first attempt at a bolt-action bullpup version of the M82.  It is basically a less-refined counterpart to the later M95, being a Barrett in bolt-action bullpup form with a different bipod, slightly different muzzle brake, and less tolerance to wear and dirt. Like the M82A2, the M90 cannot be used with a tripod mount.  The M90 was basically a test rifle, with only a few being made, and these were primarily hand-made.  The M90 served as a testbed for a design which later resulted in the M95; few M90s were built, and even fewer were allowed to be sold.  It was not even put into LRIP, though US special operations did test it.

     Barrett is now offering the M82A1 in their proprietary .416 Barrett cartridge, which not only makes for a slightly lighter weapon (not enough to express in Twilight 2000 terms), but gives the M82A1 the advantages of the .416 Barrett round (and incidentally makes it California-legal). Configuration, other than the internal and external changes for the new caliber, is otherwise the same as the standard M82A1.

     The Newest iteration of the M107, the M107A1, is a semi-radical redesign of the M107, concentrating upon reducing the weight, balance and profile of the weapon.  This has been done through the use of liberal amounts of aluminum alloy (primarily in the handguards, Upper receiver, stock, and magazine well), lighter steel alloys, a fluted barrel, and polymer at some points, such as the knob of the charging handle, the bipod feet, the rear handgrip/stabilizer, and the cheekpiece.  The recoil pad is, of course, thick rubber.  These lightening measures reduce weight for the two variants by an average of 1.8 kilograms (and the exact numbers depend upon the variant). The buttplate is adjustable for LOP and the cheekpiece acts as a thermal protection piece for the cheek and face of the firer, as firing the M107A1 (like the rest of the Barrett M82 series) generates a lot of heat in the barrel, and receiver. The stock handgrip has a very short MIL-STD-1913 rail for the attachment of a balancing monopod or sling swivel.  The bipod issued with the M107A1 is a lightened and modified form of the one used on the M60 and M240 machineguns; the bipod is made largely of titanium alloy and is both lighter and stronger, and can accept a variety of removable polymer feet. It has has adjustments for height and cant.  (The sources I am using all say that the M107A1 has a magazine with a cartridge witness indicator, but I have been unable to find out what one is.  Help with this is appreciated; email me using the address on the home page.)  BUIS are provided, with a full-receiver-length MIL-STD-1913 rail (which is surprisingly long at 46 centimeters and adequate for just about any sort of optics).  The barrel is of heavy-profile and uses seven flutes to lighten the barrel and increase cooling area for repeated shots.  The bolt carrier is modified to that the recommended silencer/muzzle brake combination may be used without any adjustments; alternatively, a simple muzzle brake may be used or a different suppressor (with appropriate gas key adjustments).  The muzzle brake, instead of the distinctive arrowhead-shaped muzzle brake used on the M82A1 and M107, the M107A1 uses a large multi-baffle cylindrical muzzle brake.  This brake is not only just as efficient as the M107’s brake, but is easier and less expensive to construct.  It can also be readily removed by the shooter, allowing him to remove the brake and replace it with a suppressor.  The QDS Suppressor is a combination Suppressor tipped with a compact muzzle brake consisting of porting holes tipping the suppressor. The barrel is user-changeable between the 20-inch and 29-inch barrels, and the special Barrett-designed suppressor/muzzle brake (which is also the suppressing device approved by the US military) may be attached to either barrel.  The bore, chamber, and barrel extension are fully chromed. Most of the rifle is coated in Cerekote – colored Black, Flat Dark Earth, OD Green, and Tungsten Gray.  However, the barrel, bipod, charging handle, the rear handgrip, and the cheekpiece and controls are in black, and the special suppressor may only be had in Black or Flat Dark Earth.  This is the current version of the M107 used by most of the US Armed Forces, as well as several allied nations. Though the first versions of the M107A1 may have appeared as early as 2008, it is only recently that the M107A1 has seen military type-standardization.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon was used in so many places on the planet in the Twilight 2000 timeline that it was nearly ubiquitous, despite its small numbers.  The M107 is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline, nor is the M107CQ or M107A1; however, the addition of a MIL-STD-1913 rail and replacement of the bipod were common modifications done to M82A1’s used by the military in the Twilight 2000 timeline.  The M82 version is slightly more common in the Twilight 2000 timeline than in the real world, and is used by NATO in very small numbers, often with the addition of a MIL-STD-1913 rail and replacement bipod. No M82A1s are chambered for .416 Barrett in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Barrett M95

     Notes: The M95 is essentially more-developed version of the M90, and retains the bullpup design of the M90.  Improvements over the M90 are primarily in the areas of ergonomics and resistance to wear and dirt, and in addition the muzzle brake is lighter and more compact yet just as effective.  The M95 uses upper and lower receiver halves, with the lower receiver being of light aluminum alloy and the upper receiver being of steel.  (For transport or field stripping, these halves may be separated by removing the two pins holding them together.)  The barrel is 29 inches long and of heavy steel, equipped with the same muzzle brake as the M82A1.  The bipod is also the same as that of the M82A1.  The buttplate includes a Sorbothane recoil pad. The M95 is used not only by civilian collectors and long-range shooting enthusiasts; it is used by the military forces of 15 nations as well as police departments all over the US.  The M95 has a 9-inch length of MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver instead of the Weaver rail of the M90 (though early versions of the M95 still used the Weaver rail).  The M95 can take the same magazine as the M90 or a larger magazine, the same as used on other Barrett .50-caliber rifles able to use a ten-round magazine.

     At one point (in 1999), the US Army had selected the M95 as its new antimateriel rifle, at that time preferring it over the M82A1.  The M95 was even given the designation XM107.  However, a change in operational policy on the part of the Defense Department, coupled with input from snipers and EOD teams who wanted a semiautomatic antimateriel rifle, led to the “XM107” designation being transferred back to the M82A1M design.  Barrett gave the company designation of M95M to the militarized version of the M95; changes to the M95 included the installation of a 12-inch MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver, a hard chrome-plated chamber, an improved extractor, backup iron sights, and the same bipod as used on the M82A1M (M107).  The M95 also had a larger ejection port (requested by testers). Though the M95M was ultimately not chosen by the US Army, it is still used in an unofficial capacity by the US military in small numbers, as well as by some foreign military units.  The US military primarily uses the M95 for antimateriel, EOD, and anti-IED work.  Other users include Austria, Jordan, Malaysia, and Spain, who use the M95 in place of the M82 or alongside it.

     The M99 is essentially a single-shot variant of the M95, with a longer 33-inch barrel.  It was designed primarily for law enforcement, to stop vehicles by destroying their engine blocks, or penetrate the vehicles and kill their drivers or passengers if necessary, and do it at long range.  Though the M99 was originally designed to be a less-expensive counterpart to the M95, it has acquired a reputation as one of the most accurate and reliable heavy sniping rifles in the world.  Early production versions of these rifles used standard drilling and tapping for scope mounts, but most of them produced after 1995 use a MIL-STD-1913 rail (unless the buyer wants something else).  A civilian long-range rifle enthusiast even used an M99 to set the world match accuracy record in 2004, using an M99 fed with match-quality ammunition. 

     Though the M99 began life as a rather uncomplicated weapon, it has morphed into several variants.  The M99-1 is a shortened version of the Barrett 99; instead of the M99s 33-inch barrel, the M99-1 uses either a 29 or 25” barrel.  A new development, introduced in early 2006, is an M99 and an M99-1 chambered for a new round developed by Barrett, the .416 Barrett.  The round is basically a .50 BMG necked down to .416 caliber, and is said to be surprisingly effective.  This chambering is available only as a 33-inch-barrel M99 or a 29-inch-barrel M99-1; no 25-inch-barrel version is as yet available.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M95M does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.  M99s are rather rare rifles in the Twilight 2000 timeline, and the other versions of the M99 do not exist at all.

Barrett XM109 AMSR

     Notes:  The AMSR (AntiMaterial Sniper Rifle) was also known as the OSW (Objective Sniper Weapon) and the Payload Rifle during development. It is a highly modified Barrett M82 (in its military M107 guise) made to fire a small grenade of the same type as fired by the OCSW.  It is basically a semiautomatic grenade launcher.  It was designed to give US special operations snipers the ability to defeat light armored vehicles as well as deal with massed infantry.  It is otherwise a shorter-barreled Barrett, with a Picatinny Rail interface.  There are rumors of its use in Afghanistan and Iraq, (it has seen use with unnamed uses for operational testing, which may be wartime use or evaluation use with an actual unit) but it is still officially in the testing phases. It is still an open question whether it will become a mainstream weapon, or remain only for very narrow uses (or not used at all).

     A novel use of the AMSR is to blow reactive armor panels off a target, allowing a rocket or missile a better shot.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

     Merc 2000 Notes: This weapon is not available until 2006.

Barrett XM500

     Notes: Developed primarily for the US military, the XM500 is a bullpup version rifle based on the M107 version of the M82A1, with some other modifications.  The XM500 is officially listed as still being in the early stages of development, and it is not known if it has seen any sort of combat or even combat training use. 

     The existence of the XM500 was first revealed in 2006, though it is likely that prototypes existed at least several months before that, if not longer.  Construction is largely to the same standards as the M107 (modified for its bullpup format, of course), but in addition has a rubber recoil pad and a shorter MIL-STD-1913 rail, since the receiver top is shorter.  Some of the primary users of the XM500 are to be airborne, air assault, and special operations units; they wanted a more compact and lighter Barrett.  Therefore, the use of light alloys was done as much as possible, and that in addition to the bullpup layout reduces the weight substantially.  The 29-inch barrel of the M107, along with the muzzle brake on a threaded muzzle, is retained.  The barrel, however, has a very heavy profile, though it is fluted, and is free-floating. Unlike the M82A1/M107, accuracy and stability is also improved since the XM500’s barrel does not recoil with a shot, unlike the M82/M107; the barrel is not a part of the operation of the rifle. Operation is otherwise by gas piston, with locking being done by a rotary bolt. The XM500 design does not currently have iron sights, though this is being looked at for possible future development. The bipod has been moved in location to just behind the front end of the handguards/receiver, just in front of the cooling slots.  The bipod is quick-detachable, and is adjustable for height and cant.  Like the rest of the Barrett series, the pistol grip, trigger (but not the whole trigger pack) and controls are based on those of the M16 series.

     Exactly when the XM500 will enter service is unknown, but considering that it is based on an already-proven rifle, the wait will probably not be long.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The XM500 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline as such, though some similarly-modified M82A2s were apparently used by NATO military forces.

Bohica Arms FAR50

     Notes: The FAR50 is actually a replacement upper receiver group, including barrel and bolt carrier group, for the AR-15/M16/M4 series of rifles.  This gives the rifle a new chambering and a bolt action instead of a semiautomatic or automatic action.  The new barrel is a floating match-grade bull barrel tipped with a large muzzle brake.  New rectangular handguards are used, and the front of those handguards have a light bipod adjustable for height and cant.  Optional handguards have four MIL-STD-1913 rails, and both are made from polymer. The top of the receiver has a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics.  A standard stock may be used, but the new upper receiver includes a skeletonized stock for weight savings, with a rubber recoil pad and a raised cheekpiece.

Bushmaster BA50

     Notes: The BA50 is aimed at the military and law-enforcement market; though there are rumors of limited military testing and use in the US and other countries, and some limited law enforcement use for specialized applications (such as hard target interdiction, i.e. antimateriel use), the primary market seems to be long-range marksmanship shooters.  The basic receiver resembles an overgrown AR-type receiver, and the pistol grip, trigger (though not the trigger pack), and the fire controls are quite similar to those of an AR-15.  Diassembly is essentially the same procedure as that of an AR-type weapon. There, however, the resemblances largely end, except for a superficial visual resemblance.  The receiver is topped by a MIL-STD-1913 rail that runs the length of the upper receiver, and that upper receiver is an extrusion of T6-6061 aluminum alloy, with the MIL-STD-1913 rail an integral part of this extrusion.  The lower receiver is machined from a solid billet of the same T6-6061 aluminum alloy.  The use of this alloy and the receiver’s construction gives it strength while holding down weight.  The handguards are likewise of aluminum alloy, slotted for ventilation, and topped with a further length of MIL-STD-1913 rail.  No iron sights are provided integral to the weapon, though backup iron sights may be added to the rails, whether folding or fixed in height. The free-floating heavy barrel is 30 inches in length, and tipped with a massive high-efficiency multi-baffle muzzle brake (as large as a 50-round box of 9mm Parabellum ammunition you might buy from a store) that is rectangular in shape.  The barrel is secured directly to the upper receiver by 51mm-long bolts, ensuring that it is solidly-mounted despite being free-floating and having no bedding of any sort. The BA50 uses a synthetic Magpul PRS stock adjustable for length of pull and height of cheekpiece, and has a thick LimbSaver recoil pad.  The stock also slides to an extent, primarily to make it a more compact package for carrying or storage. The pistol grip is likewise synthetic, being an ErgoGrip Deluxe Tactical model. The folding bipod is simple and deceptively slim in profile; though it is not adjustable for height or cant, it is quite strong and locks securely in position whether open or folded.  Despite being primarily a right-handed rifle, the bolt lever is on the left side of the receiver, which means that a right-handed shooter must remove his hand from the pistol grip to cycle the action.  (This left-handed bolt was necessary for proper functioning of the action used, and case ejection is to the right.)  The entire construction of the BA50 is quite solid and surprisingly smooth, despite the long action.  Finish is hard anodized black on aluminum alloy parts and manganese phosphate on the steel parts (such as the barrel, muzzle brake, and most working parts). The action has enough tolerance in it to make it relatively insensitive to dirt but close enough tolerances to keep the BA50 a relatively precision weapon.  Recoil is quite low for a weapon of its type, due to the weight and the stock design.

     The BA50 Carbine is the same weapon, but with a shorter 22-inch barrel and the resultant reduction in weight.  It also does not have the second MIL-STD-1913 rail above the handguards.