Whether you realize it or not (and many of you probably do) chances are at some point you’ve seen a movie or TV show which involved some manner of absolutely ridiculous rifle. Something which stands almost as tall as the character holding it. There’s also a very good chance that whatever they were holding was something chambered in .50 BMG. From Burt’s LAR Grizzly Big Boar in “Tremors 2” to the marksman nicknamed God using an M82 in the opening sequence of “Navy SEALS,” these massive firearms are perfect for showing off an insane amount of power on the big screen. This month I’m going to take a closer look at one of my very favorite .50 BMG rifles available on the civilian market in this country, the Barrett M99.
Back in the days of the original 1987 Robocop movie where the bad guys were running around with the “Cobra Assault Cannon” I immediately became fascinated with these impressive machines. At the time all I could guess was that they were some manner of prop mocked up for the show. In reality these props were very early models of the Barrett M82, a rifle which many know and love and which would later become issued in quite a few militaries including our own. It’s also frequently featured on various Youtube videos when people want to make something disappear on camera. They’re big, chunky, and a heck of a lot of fun, but I feel like it’s almost become a prerequisite since they’re so well known.
Because of the recoiling barrel semi-automatic system in these rifles they lose out on some accuracy and can be a bit finicky on ammo. They’re also really heavy and really expensive, not so ideal for newer owners. For someone who might want to get their feet wet in the big bore rifle category and try out the venerable .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge there are few options available. While single shot rifles from other manufacturers do exist there are some corners being cut in order to keep prices down. Some even make upper receivers for AR rifles!
But the one company which has always stood out above the rest is based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Barrett knows their trade very well and have come up with a single shot bolt action bullpup series of rifles called the M99. Granted, nothing in the BMG scene comes cheap but a quality build makes all of the difference and Barrett delivers. Plus, it’s a darn attractive rifle to boot. I loved the look of the M99’s since the day I first found out they existed on Barrett’s website many moons ago. They even balance well!
Two models exist, the “heavy” configuration with a 32″ barrel and the “fluted” configuration with a 29″ barrel. These weigh in at 25 and 23 pounds respectively. Both are available in black and Flat Dark Earth Cerakote. I had a chance to review the fluted barrel and despite shaving two pounds and three inches off of the profile this is still a REALLY BIG GUN. I can barely carry it!
But oh my word do I love to shoot it. On a cold rainy day at an outdoor range this gun literally knocked the snot out of me. Still, the only way it could have been more enjoyable would have been if I was smacking down exploding targets. This is the rifle where everyone else would sit back and watch every time the trigger was going to get pulled. The blast from the massive muzzle brake ripped apart a cardboard ammo box, launched my gloves fifteen feet away from the bench, tore the label off of a water bottle and made empty BMG brass dance on the table. When firing prone during the Fall I was immediately showered with fallen leaves while getting my hair rearranged.
I’ll say it again: I LOVE shooting the M99.
The M99’s recoil (and the M82’s for that matter) is surprisingly mild considering the weight of the platforms and the muzzle brake at the business end. They look mean and scary and intimidating but everyone who fired it had zero complaints and walked away smiling and laughing. BMG rifles can be incredible bonding experiences and the first shot you ever put through one is an experience you will never forget.
As for the M99 itself, I couldn’t begin to test its true accuracy potential but I can say that at 100 yards I was vaporizing clay pigeons and leaving behind bowling ball sized craters with standard ball ammo. Where other guns go “boom” or “bang” I swear the M99 is the only rifle I’ve heard which sounds like it’s saying “DOOM.”
The M99’s fit and finish are superb all around. With a gun of this scale I find it particularly impressive that there isn’t a single blemish or rough edge anywhere to be found. The machining is spot-on and you have to go out of your way to look for any weld marks. The inclusion of their Barrett logo along the top edge of the muzzle brake is a nice touch even if it might somewhat trigger my OCD for symmetry.
The controls are simple, all you need on a single shot rifle is a trigger and safety. On the M99 both are immediately familiar to AR users. It also takes AR pattern grips, however those with the extended palmswell may fit a little tight as the contours aren’t identical to an AR lower.
The bipod can be locked forward or backward and the legs can extend, however I found them to be fairly stiff and kind of awkward to adjust. Part of it may be due to the size and weight of the rifle itself, it can be tricky to juggle everything.
Being a bullpup there is a little creep to the trigger. Initially it’s pretty light, then it gets a little stiffer and a little more mushy feeling. Several times I’ve managed to ride this trigger riiiiight up to the breaking point, stopping where I thought it was going to trip only to find that it’s a teeny tiny hair further. Without much trigger time it became pretty easy to learn how to stage one of these rifles until you’re a breath away from making a mess of your target.
The bolt on an M99 is huge but fairly short compared to most hunting rifles. Barrett refers to it as an “interrupted, buttress-threaded” bolt which makes it look like a massive tri-lug which had been threaded like a screw. This results in fifteen individual locking lugs which gives the bolt some serious surface area to work with.
The throw is easy and the travel is smooth but there are two elements worthy of noting. Because the action is strictly manual it’s up to you to hook the extractor over the .50’s rim. It requires an extra forward push to get everything seated before the bolt handle can be turned down.
Then comes the ejection. After you take your shot and have your moment of glee the natural hand positioning on the bolt has your knuckles facing forward. My single biggest complaint about the M99 is the plunger ejector which will happily chuck the spent brass out of the chamber like it was yesterday’s news and fling it straight into your knuckles. It’s not very comfy. In fact, it’s less comfy than actually shooting the rifle.
Because of this I’ve come up with a different technique for opening the bolt on an M99. To start I’ll palm it until it’s unlocked then hook the handle in the crook of my outer thumb and wrist. This way when the brass gets its order to launch it can go straight into my open palm, often where I can catch it. Unlike calibers such as a .223 or even a .22 LR the freshly emptied brass on a .50 BMG is surprisingly cool to the touch, I’ve not yet had any trouble handling one.
So. Why? Yeah, this one is a bit more out there. Long range competition rifle shooting exists, some even strictly for .50 BMG. That’s certainly one reason why a person might want one of these rifles. Having one around for nothing other than making more Youtube videos is a perfectly valid reason, too. Maybe you only want to make some milk jugs disappear in an epically hilarious fashion once a year.
Having an elephant gun in the collection is definitely a matter of choice rather than any form of necessity but if you want to have fun at the top end of the spectrum without dipping into something like 20mm territory then the .50 BMG is where its at. Unlike bigger or more specialized cartridges it’s not too uncommon to see ammo for these rifles right at Cabela’s.
The “heavy” configuration of these rifles is also available in their own caliber called the .416 Barrett for the long range market. As fun as .50 BMG is it had never been intended for precision accuracy.
Any BMG rifle is going to be an investment. The ammo, finding a sturdy enough scope, locating somewhere to shoot one, some rifle brands even sell bipods separately (and you ARE going to want a sturdy bipod,) it’s an expensive niche to get into. That said, when dealing with the intense power of a caliber which is three years shy of its 100th birthday I would without question want to be confident that the platform is going to be up to the task. Barrett rifles are built exceptionally well, backed by an excellent company, and are crazy fun to spend some range time with. My adoration for the M99 has only grown in spades after having had a chance to fire one.
The M82’s are pretty darn fun, too.
