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Bushmaster BA50 Black Bolt Action Rifle - 50 BMG

Bushmaster BA50 Black Bolt Action Rifle - 50 BMG

The Bushmaster BA50 Black Bolt Action Rifle – 50 BMG is built to outshine all previous standards for long-range accuracy. With a free-floated barrel with 1 in 15” twist and 8-groove rifling, the Bushmaster BA50 is ideally designed to harness optimal sub-MOA accuracy from the .50 BMG.

Product attributes:

  • Left-hand operated, right-hand eject bolt-action
  • 10-round box magazine
  • Simple assembly and maintenance
  • Upper locking receiver
  • Full-length Picatinny rail
  • Advanced Armament Corp Cyclops brake to reduce recoil
  • AA Cyclops Muzzle break
  • Includes Storm Hardcase
  • Steel Bipod with Folding Legs

Price: $3,999-$5,000

Remington has recently discontinued production of the Bushmaster BA50 bolt action rifle and replaced it with the new .50-Caliber Remington R2Mi Bolt Action Rifle. The R2Mi is not only designed to replace the Bushmaster BA50 but to shatter all previous expectations and records for long-range accuracy.

R2Mi Bold Action - 50 BMG
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Bushmaster BA50 Overview and History

To call the Bushmaster BA50 an interesting gun may be a bit of an understatement. Today, the weapon is mostly known for using AR-15 styling and construction to produce the power of a robust .50-Caliber BMG rifle. But, the way the BA50 came to be is perhaps just as fascinating as the weapon itself.

The idea of shooting a BMG 50 round with an AR-15 type of system traces its roots back as far as 2003 -- over 15 years ago. At that time, Georgia-based company Cobb Manufacturing began to unveil its latest rifle, which they dubbed the Model 50A1. This weapon was using an AR-15 type gas to shoot a 50 BMG round. As they continued to develop the model, the weapon eventually became a bolt-action rifle that heavily featured AR-style elements. By that time, it was known as the Cobb FA50(T).

In early 2007, that gun was given the go-ahead to be put into limited production. The final version would be produced by Cobb Engineering and called the BA50. It came with a hefty price tag of around $7,000. The gun was featured on the cover of many tactical magazines. It could also be found in the service of both law enforcement and US allies around the world. Suffice to say, the gun was a hit. Ten years later the BA50 can be purchased for roughly $4,000.

In the later part of that same year -- August 2007 -- Bushmaster purchased Cobb outright, and moved the company’s production plant from Georgia to Maine. Two years after moving, Bushmaster welcomed an upgraded version of the firearm into their catalog. This gun, the BA50, was available in both a rifle and a carbine version.

In its rough-and-ready rifle structure, the Bushmaster BA50 has an overall length of 58 inches. By comparison, the carbine boasted a very compact 50-inch overall length and weighed in at only 27 pounds, making for an excellent squirrel gun.

The standard Bushmaster BA50 rifle variant used a Lothar Walther free-floating barrel. It featured 1-in-15 inch rifling, with a 30-inch example. On the other hand, the more compact carbine was just 22 inches -- relatively small compared to its larger brother. And this difference in barrel length made quite a difference for the gun’s overall usability and maneuverability. The 8-inch difference trimmed about 10% of the total weight from the 30-pound rifle. Both the carbine and the rifle, however, came with an M1913 Picatinny top rail for optics. They also came standard with a bipod and a 10-round total capacity magazine. The BA50 additionally has one clever feature that allows the user to more firmly grasp the weapon: the bolt is left-handed during operation, but ejected to the right. This means that the shooter can use their right hand on the pistol grip throughout the entire cycling process.

Taking notes from the AR-15, the BA-50 is built with an upper and lower receiver. This opens on a forward pivot pin and uses the ever-popular AR-style safety, featuring a manual thumb lever on the left side. The receiver also includes a modified bolt carrier group. All of this creates a simple and straightforward takedown that allows the gun to be easily carried as two individual components.

Bushmaster no longer makes the BA50 rifle, but it's still a popular gun and can sometimes be purchased from private sellers. The carbine version of the weapon was only in production for three short years and is a little more difficult to find. In 2011, Bushmaster pulled the plug on the carbine BA50. These shorter BMG-chambered guns have become collector’s items since then.

The Bushmaster BA50 is truly one of the world’s finest weapons for long-range accuracy. Inside and out, every piece of the firearm in optimized for just that. The free-floating barrel and 8-groove rifling are ideal for creating sub-MOA accuracy. Its design is simple, making the BA50 one of the most straightforward weapons to assemble, take down, and maintain. And due to its AR-style construction, the BA50 is hugely versatile. The Picatinny rail can accommodate a wide range of optics and other accessories.

Given its somewhat storied rise to fame and its relatively simple construction, it’s no surprise that the BA50 has become such a popular and successful firearm.

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