Friday, September 15, 2006

Barrett .50

Do Taliban Fly?
Cuzzin Ricky provides this exclusive sniper footage taken by a spotter in Afghanistan. I married it to a quick intro clip from a Military Channel piece on the Barrett .50 sniper rifle that's being used. At one point, it looks for all the world that a Talibanner snipee emulates a Hollywood movie's treatment, and goes flying ass over tin cups after getting hit? Am I seeing things?

Maybe we can get something else cleared up here. Much is made about the Barrett being a semi-auto, with a 10 round capacity. It's always been my understanding that the reason sniper rifles were single shot was for stealth reasons. You don't want clanging ejected brass giving your position away. If your target is 2000 yards away, that's not a problem. Is that the case?

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooooh. Gangbanger's weapon of choice for robbereies and carjackings!

I'll bet it shoots those hollow-point armor-piercing copkiller bullets, too.

Can I buy one of these at a gunshow, no questions asked?

I understand you can sneak these through airport security checkpoints; they don't show up on x-ray.

Mmmmmm. What cliches' and buzzwords did I leave out?

Anonymous said...

When one touches off a .50 BMG round it is LOUD. Nobody could hear a brass case being ejected over the extended roar of the round as it stays above the speed of sound for 1500 yards or so with the associated sonic boom. The reason some sniper rifles are single shot is more for accuracy. Fewer moving parts generally make a more accurate rifle.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention that the .50 cal sniper rifle is a rather recent development in modern warfare. 7.62 match was the round of choice until we hit open country Afghanistan.

Casca

Anonymous said...

No, those are not members of the Taliban being shot. They are rock chucks, marmots, or some other groundhog-type animal being popped w/ a fifty cal.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the vid Rodge.
I have seen similar footage and noticed that the bad guy body parts always become discombobulated and spray off into the direction of the left. Does anyone know, is this because of the spin on the bullet caused by the rifling in the barrel of the gun, or are there other factors involved?

Enoch

Anonymous said...

I had also been told that the video was of gopher-types being shot, but hadn't heard whether it was .50 cal or not.

As far as the semi-auto vs. bolt action, the background to the discussion is the significant change in the roles and employment of snipers on the modern/current battlefield, employing the snipers in a much more offensively-oriented way. Previously, they hunted in independent teams of two or three, stalking and sneaking to get the shot on a particular target. Recent use of snipers puts them in support of other operations, providing overwatch and long-range pinpoint fires, putting them where they can affect the current battle instead of just their own little piece. This made a faster rate-of-fire desirable, as targets often come in multiples. The noise and visual indicators aren't as critical in that environment (the Barrett action is rather quiet anyway). Many snipers are using the M4/M16 with a scope for some situations, and the venerable but heavier M14 for other situations. The .50 cal rifles are just the next step up the ladder for them.

C

Anonymous said...

Marine snipers are employed in Sniper/Observer teams of two. They use the purpose- and hand-built M40A3 as a primary weapon; 7.62mm, near-100% accuracy at 1000m against enemy combatants (helluva weapon in the hands of a trained Marine sniper). The choice of bolt action at range is one of accuracy, not stealth; stealth is a side benefit. The Barrett was introduced primarily for material targets at exceptionally long ranges, as it is difficult to stalk or employ in hides due to weight and size. Marines used M2 .50cal machineguns fitted with scopes and firing single shot for similar missions during the Korean war as well.

Anonymous said...

Marine snipers should not be confused with Army precision marksmen; their mission and equipment is somewhat different, and is described in Chuck's post above.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who believes that those are human targets just ain't too bright. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

"...Ain't to bright"- self discriptive of someone upon which satire is totally wasted.
Rob in AK

Anonymous said...

Having shot hundreds of rockchucks with
a Ruger 25-06 with a bull barrel 125gn
hollow points, I can say those are indeed rockchucks. They splatter just like that.We used to tag them in the hind quarters to get them to spin,called it helicoptering.Boazo

Rodger the Real King of France said...

Thanks, I didn't know I had so many snipers in the audience. I am not disagreeing with any of you, but one of those rockchucks looks exactly like a body flying about, and it made me feel warm all over thinking it was a Talibanner Mofo. Now I'm just sad. :(((

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