AR50A1B 50BMG....thoughts/comments?

[Armorman]

I'm considering this rifle (my first 50 BMG) but would like a few questions answered from the owners or people who have some trigger time with the AR50A1B before I make a decision one way or the other. For starters (and please be honest), what sort of accuracy potential can I expect with match ammo or properly developed 750 Amax hand loads? Armalite claims 7"-8" groups at 1000..?? Secondly, the rifle is close to 60" long so I'm curious if there is an easy way to break it down for storage without messing with action screws and stripping it down to the barrelled action? Does the butt end come off or can the brake be removed easily so that it can fit in a 58" tall safe? And lastly, are there any reasons why I should not consider this rifle....meaning....is the trigger bad or are there any inherent design flaws or chronic problems that have plagued these AR50's? From what I've read online it seems, for the most part, that everyone likes them.

Any helpful comments or answers are appreciated. Thank you.

Chris.

 

[Ninja]

The accuracy claim by Armalite is conservative. The butt stock does unbolt for smaller readily available commercial cases. I had impact case & container (icc-case .com) build one. Another good source of AR50 info can be found at http:// biggerhammer.net/barrett/wwwboard/ Great price - performance stick.

 

[sib1948]

All the 50 BMGs I have fired have very heavy trigger pull. Prefer my MRAD 338LM or 375 ChevyTac with 2-2.5 lb triggers and much greater accuracy! Can fire my 338 all day without fatigue, shoulder pain or tinnitus & hearing loss. Think long and hard about how you plan to use this rifle, since the novelty starts to wear off very quickly for most owners.

 

[ORD]

All of the Armalite AR-50 series rifles are capable of better than MOA out of the box with a competent shooter operating it and with quality ammo (be it reloads tailored to the rifle which will get you the best results for the money, or commercially loaded "match" quality ammo). I have personally witnessed screamer patches earned with basically stock AR-50s (with the addition of quality bipod or benchrest plates, optic and rings and good ammo). There are more than a few unbiased reviews of the AR-50 lineup, including the NM model with the "upgraded" stock, which all show the capabilities of the rifle in the right hands.

If you don't want to have to get a custom case for it...you'll need to remove the buttstock of the factory rifle before transport. It is easy to do in seconds...just need the tools and the time for removal/reinstall to get shooting. Personally, I'd be more tempted to get Kyle and the fine folks at XLR to build you an Evolution BMG chassis with a folder option and scrap the Armalite stock altogether...just a thought though!