Barrett Rifles Celebrates 30th Anniversary

A lifetime of accolades paves the way for Barrett’s thirtieth year in 2012. Currently, seventy-three allied governments have accepted Barrett products. Murfreesboro's Ronnie Barrett founded the company and he says, "We're best known for our .50 caliber rifle (Model 82A1) that was adopted by the U.S. Army as the M107."

To celebrate their 30th year Barrett has crafted a one-of-a-kind rifle patterned after their new M107A1™ .50 caliber. The rifle glows deep silver from its completely nickel teflon coating. Barrett will announce their special plans for this tribute rifle later this year.

The humble beginnings of Barrett are just as unique as their products. Ronnie Barrett, a twenty-seven-year-old making his living as a professional photographer, was inspired to make his own shoulder-fired .50 caliber rifle while photographing a gunboat for a client. With no engineering education, Ronnie Barrett hand-drew, what he believed would one day be a working firearm.

Being a longtime gun enthusiast and having a general understanding of how firearms worked was just enough to get things started. With help from a couple of friends with machining experience, this dream may have never left Ronnie’s gravel-floor garage.

Barrett is still privately held by Ronnie and has been joined by his son, Chris, and daughter, Angela, who also play key roles in making sure the Barrett legend continues to grow.