Tag Archives: Bushmaster BA50

The BA-50 is back, apparently

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While Barrett has by far the most name recognition when it comes to portable .50-caliber rifles, there has been another option on (and off) the market for the past 20 years.

Bushmaster recently announced the BA50 is back, baby, and reportedly better than ever.

“Re-engineered to be even more reliable, more durable, and even longer lasting than the original,” says Bushmaster. “New improvements to the bolt design bring effortless bolt operation, with improved extraction and cartridge feeding,” are among the updates.

Standard features include a 29-inch 1:15 twist rate barrel capped with a beefy three-port muzzle brake, a 10-shot detachable magazine, and a Magpul PRS Gen3 adjustable stock. Using a left-hand operated, right-side-eject bolt action that allows the user to keep their right hand on the grip while cycling, the platform has long been known as exceptionally accurate.

Further, the updated rifles will be offered in both black and FDE.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Give em that old (50cal) Razzle Dazzle

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In early 2003, Kenesaw, Georgia-based Cobb Manufacturing teased the market with a rifle, dubbed at the time as the Model 50A1, that used an AR-15 type gas operating system to shoot the 50 BMG round.

Cobb’s circa 2003 Model 50A1. Mmmm smells like prototype!

By that Fall, the gun had morphed to a bolt-action as the Cobb FA50(T) that kept many AR-style features.

Put into limited production, the final version of the gun produced by Cobb was the $7,000 BA50 which, as noted by the company in early 2007, was on the cover of tactical mags and in service with both law enforcement customers and “U.S. allies overseas.”

In August 2007, Bushmaster purchased Cobb and moved the company’s plant from Georgia to Maine and two years later the company put the upgraded BA50 into their catalog in both a rifle and carbine variant.

A rarely-seen carbine version of the Bushmaster BA50, with a factory 22-inch barrel. That’s a whole lotta .50 cal. These retailed typically from anywhere between $3299 and $5499.

Last week, in the sense of “Everything old is new again,” Remington, who has owned Bushmaster’s portfolio for years, introduced the R2Mi rifle, which seems to be a BA-50, except in green, and for a slightly lower price than the Bushmaster topped out at.

It seems like I saw this somewhere before…

More in my column at Guns.com

Boomstick!

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A rarely-seen carbine version of the Bushmaster BA50, with a factory 22-inch barrel. That’s a whole lotta .50 cal

With roots in Kennesaw, Georgia, the Bushmaster BA50 has an interesting backstory that provides familiar AR-15 styling in a .50-caliber BMG rifle.

In early 2003, Georgia-based Cobb Manufacturing teased the market with a rifle, dubbed the Model 50A1, that used an AR-15 type gas operating system to shoot the 50 BMG round. By that Fall, the gun had morphed to a bolt-action as the Cobb FA50(T) that kept many AR-style features.

Put into limited production, the final version of the gun produced by Cobb was the $7,000 BA50 which, as noted by the company in early 2007, was on the cover of tactical mags and in service with both law enforcement customers and “U.S. allies overseas.”

In August 2007, Bushmaster purchased Cobb and moved the company’s plant from Georgia to Maine. Two years later the company put the upgraded BA50 into their catalog in both a rifle and (short-lived) carbine variant.

Today Bushmaster still makes the full-sized BA50 rifle with a 30-inch barrel and an MSRP of about $5,700 while surplus models can be had for closer to $3450 which is less than half the price of a Barrett in any condition.

Looks like .50 cals are becoming more widespread

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Used to be there wasn’t anything on the market available in .50 BMG other than a few transferable M2 machine guns and converted Boys anti-tank rifles (it’s impossible to find .55 British Boys AT rounds). Then in 1989, Barrett started marketing their M82 rifle in .50 BMG and the guns have skyrocketed in popularity despite bans in some states (California, New York etc) on the sale or possession of guns in the caliber while a number of niche builds are surfacing.

Now, in further signs that the .50 BMG is penetrating the market (pun intended), check out Sportsman’s Warehouse’s Christmas circular:

Yup, they have a Bushmaster BA50 for $3499, ammo included!

That’s pretty sweet when you consider I saw them at a Gander Mtn for $5799 a year ago.

I checked out one of these at the last SHOT Show, and they are very nice for when you are looking to hit the gong with 671-grains at 2,000m.

You know, the new normal.