February 24, 2011
SOCOMGEAR licensed Barrett M82A2 prototype sneak peek!
Will be released in 2011. Possibly GBB version.
The M82A2 is a rare version of the M82 and only a few been sold to the public. We are very lucky to be able to check out one of the M82A2 and produce the Airsoft replicas!
All our rifles are closely 1:1 external dimensions. The internal dimensions are fully modified to fit gear box and Airsoft components.
About M82A2:
The least-known member of the Barrett .50 family is the 27-pound M82A2 conceived in 1987, reportedly for use against helicopters in Afghanistan. It is an M82Al gun, “semi-bullpupped” and reconfigured for firing “over the shoulder” like a rocket launcher. It has a forward pistol grip and two perforations in the top of the muzzle brake to counteract recoil jump.
This is primarily a quick-reaction weapon for standing or kneeling positions, and is accordingly fitted with a red dot sight for rapid acquisition and engagement of fast-moving targets. Very few of these rifles have been sold, but their operational applications are just now being formalized. This alone might indicate that the sales were to the military for testing and not to the general public.
As a result, the U.S. Marines are reexamining the M82A2, and a number of foreign orders are now in the offing. Ideas for wider application include using this rifle as a helicopter gun to provide local defense during resupply, and it could also be a more versatile option than the M82A1 for guarding strategic installations.
Ronnie Barrett has understandably shot a great deal of ammunition through the M82A2, and can lay down a withering rapid-fire barrage with it. “I found it balances very well, and the red dot sight is great for snap-shooting. When we tried this gun in the desert some years before, a helicopter temptingly flew across my front, but I decided to spare it.”
