Tag Archives: Cobb FA50

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