Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle. When it comes to sniper rifles, many countries in the world have their own trump cards. But when it comes to large caliber sniper rifles, the Barrett M82A1 is an unavoidable topic. It was born in the hands of American photographer Lonnie Barrett. Lonnie Barrett was born in 1954. As an adult, he ran a photography studio and became obsessed with shooting and hunting in his spare time. During a hunting trip, he found that the hunting rifle in his hand was helpless against prey obstructed by hard obstacles, and it was not easy to aim at prey from a distance. So, he had a sudden idea and hoped to design a large caliber semi-automatic sniper rifle for hunting. Despite having no experience in firearms design, Ronny Barrett chose to mortgage his property, self learn mechanical drawing, and start design projects in the garage. In order to seek technical support, he traveled to multiple factories and was able to collaborate with mechanic Bob Mitchell. Based on a sketch of a semi-automatic sniper rifle, the two designed a thick barrel, sturdy receiver, efficient muzzle brake, and adjustable aiming device. After assembly, the first prototype gun was born. However, in subsequent testing, the prototype gun revealed a series of issues. The recoil of 12.7mm ammunition is enormous, and the barrel vibration is extremely severe, resulting in a serious decrease in shooting accuracy. Barrett and Mitchell spent several months experimenting with different barrel materials, optimizing brake structures, and improving bolt components, ultimately completing the testing. In 1982, Barrett Company was established and M82A1 was officially launched. Due to its unique short recoil principle of the barrel and equipped with an efficient muzzle brake, its accuracy is close to that of professional sniper rifles. The M82A1 was initially aimed at the civilian market, but its huge recoil and high price deterred ordinary enthusiasts. Barrett then turned to the military field and demonstrated its performance to the military through weapon exhibitions: 12.7mm ammunition can penetrate light armor, destroy equipment, and even kill targets 2800 meters away at a distance of 1800 meters. In 1989, the Swedish Army was the first to purchase M82A1, and since then, troops from 75 countries and regions including the US, UK, and Israel Defense Forces have been deployed. The M82A1 has become an important weapon for these countries' armies to carry out long-range sniping, anti material, and fire support missions. On the basis of M82A1, Barrett Company has successively improved and developed derivative weapons such as M82A2, M82A1LAW, M82A3, M82A1CQ, etc. These large caliber sniper rifles can adapt to different battlefield needs. (New Society)