The Barrett .50 caliber started as a sketch on newsprint paper by a photographer with no engineering background. It ended up shooting down police helicopters in Mexico and breaking world records for the longest confirmed sniper shots in history.
This video covers the full story. Ronnie Barrett got the idea after photographing M2 Brownings mounted on a patrol boat, then built the first prototype in a garage after every machine shop told him someone smarter would have already done it if it were possible. The CIA placed the first major orders to arm Afghan fighters against the Soviets, and the rifle proved itself in Desert Storm when Marines discovered it could stop vehicles and punch through walls at over a mile.
The video gets into the different ammunition types, including the Norwegian Raufoss round that penetrates armor, detonates, and ignites all in one shot. You’ll hear about Steve Reich engaging targets through brick walls because with Raufoss rounds that’s apparently not a problem, and the Australian sniper teams who made a confirmed hit at 2,800 meters with a bullet that spent six seconds in the air.
Then there’s the part about Mexican cartels using trafficked Barretts to ambush police convoys and down helicopters, a $10 billion lawsuit, and Barrett’s response when California banned his rifle. The company refused to sell to or service any California government agency and designed a new cartridge specifically to get around the ban.
Chapters:
0:00 Hathcock’s Mile-Long Shot
2:39 Every Machine Shop Said No
5:06 What It Did to Iraqi Armor
8:16 What $100 a Round Gets You
10:01 Shooting Through Brick
13:13 Then the Cartels Got Them