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Any reason to not get a BFG-50A? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/12/2026 9:14:26 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JellyJugz][Edited]
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About to mail a near $8000 dollar check to Serbu. Any reason not too? Been on a wait list for 4? years. I've shot a M107 and it was embarrassingly inaccurate. Hoping this will be acceptable. |
| I would have one if Mark had reasonable timelines for production. The demand is there for him to scale up, but he chose to remain a guy in a garage operation. It you want accurate, both the M95 and M99 shoot sub MOA with good ammo, my M82A1 shoots 2 1/2MOA with the same ammo. The 107 should be more accurate than the 82. |
Middleofnowhere, Nebraska
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Originally Posted By FlatlandBusa: I would have one if Mark had reasonable timelines for production. The demand is there for him to scale up, but he chose to remain a guy in a garage operation. It you want accurate, both the M95 and M99 shoot sub MOA with good ammo, my M82A1 shoots 2 1/2MOA with the same ammo. The 107 should be more accurate than the 82. |
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Originally Posted By Buffman_LT1: What loads have you found the most accurate in your 82? I've tried the AMAX's in my 107A1 and they were better than M33 ball but not much. The Brass solids have been the best for me.. PMC X-tac 740 solids. The only issue with them is they foul horribly. In the 95 accuracy falls off after 25 rounds, in the 82 accuracy falls off after 35 -40 rounds. The Amax doesn't shoot quite as good for me in either rifle, but once this case of Xtac is gone I'll be going back to the Amax just due to the metal fouling issues. |
Middleofnowhere, Nebraska
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Originally Posted By FlatlandBusa: PMC X-tac 740 solids. The only issue with them is they foul horribly. In the 95 accuracy falls off after 25 rounds, in the 82 accuracy falls off after 35 -40 rounds. The Amax doesn't shoot quite as good for me in either rifle, but once this case of Xtac is gone I'll be going back to the Amax just due to the metal fouling issues. What will your 95 and 82 do with M33 or other "cheap surplus" ammo? |
| I’ve been on the list about that long maybe a bit longer. I sold my 107a1 to fund this. They told me two weeks, two weeks ago. I emailed a couple days ago about status and am waiting to hear back. I have a sales invoice with my name on it. They said they would call me when it’s ready and then I can pay and they’d ship the same day. |
This thread made me want to revisit gun Jesus' BFG-50A review. I think I need to call Serbu tomorrow and get on the list. Big-Bore Simplicity: the Serbu BFG-50A |
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Originally Posted By Buffman_LT1: What loads have you found the most accurate in your 82? I've tried the AMAX's in my 107A1 and they were better than M33 ball but not much. The Brass solids have been the best for me.. Projectile was what seemed to be a solid brass hollow point projectile with an 1/8" hole about 3/4" deep. I used an 1/8" punch to get an approximate diameter of the hole. Marked the punch at the depth and measured it. Asked the Winchester rep that furnished the ammo, and all he would give up was that it was between "700 and 750 grains" in weight. I asked him as I needed to know if my ballistic reticle would be close. Asked other particulars but didn't get an answer. Tried to snag a round, but the rep policied up every piece of brass to account for the expended ammo and the stuff not fired. I have a bunch of Lake City M8AP that I bought up when I could get it at 90 cents per round. We used it for a long time at Barrett as target ammo to put each rifle on paper. My 82A1 loves it also. But my barrel is one of the older chem etch 33" Batten Machine barrels Barrett used for some time. |
I hated going to weddings. All the grandmas would poke me and say "You're next". They stopped that when I started doing it to them at funerals.
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
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Originally Posted By Rope-A-Dope: This thread made me want to revisit gun Jesus' BFG-50A review. I think I need to call Serbu tomorrow and get on the list.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXD3AIyo99QGlad I had some design input into it. 
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I hated going to weddings. All the grandmas would poke me and say "You're next". They stopped that when I started doing it to them at funerals.
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
| If you don't like it you could probably sell it to someone waiting for one. There have been Barrett's for sale recently for less than $8k so I'm not sure what that does for you. I hope to see one someday. |
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107a1 with a free QDL right now is pretty solid deal. If thats not enough precision a cadex or AX50 will do the job. The serbu is nearly impossible to get parts, mags, warranty, etc for and will be a dead end when serbu retires. Mark should have stuck to making the super shorty |
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Originally Posted By 7insert: 107a1 with a free QDL right now is pretty solid deal. If thats not enough precision a cadex or AX50 will do the job. The serbu is nearly impossible to get parts, mags, warranty, etc for and will be a dead end when serbu retires. Mark should have stuck to making the super shorty The serbu just uses Barrett mags right? Being this is an improved version it sounds like the big issues are all fixed. U did bring up a point, after I get it I'm probably gunna want a can. Unfortunately it does not have an adjustable gas block. If I'm unhappy with it I'll be able to sell it and get a bolt gun. |
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I paid my invoice at Serbu. They said it should ship this week! Pretty psyched!!! 5 years in the making!! Once I get it in hand and play a bit I’m going to work out a spare parts list. And probably see if I can order 3-4 of everything. |
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Sweet, so I just took time to actually read the FAQ on Serbu's website..... Cans are approved! Wish I would have told them no red locktite.... oh well, just needs some heat when that day comes. Only question yet is what does it take to modify new M107 mags or does Mark have them made elsewhere to his specs? |
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I have an older model 50A and love it. Put a VX6 2-12 on it. Good eye relief. I have never been able to shoot it for accuracy as I suck. I'm a 2MOA shooter at best with anything that has recoil. We shoot it out to 300yds banging steel plate and busting rocks. Bit more recoil than my buddy's 82CQB, but way less concussion/crap flying around. |
WhyTanFox : "the world is exponentially more complicated every decade, yet at the same time it has become increasingly simple to demonstrate your ignorance to a large audience. "
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First impressions are great. The weight: wow. It feels quite a bit lighter than my 107 The action: smooth as silk and quite a bit easier to rack it The nitriding on mine is flawless and the welds look great. Range report coming up hopefully in a week or so. Another note is my new 107a1 mags fit in the Serbu and hand cycle rounds no problem. I emailed Serbu about spare parts kits and they said those are coming soon. |
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Originally Posted By tommyidone: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/194336/IMG_4520_jpeg-3702864.JPG Does it have the new wire tensioned handguard? Seems like a neat idea and saves a lot of weight. I believe the new ones are a gas piston system as well? Someone asked this week in a YT comment how long the wait was. Mark said he thinks 1 year. I wonder if he is just that out of touch or if they have caught up suddenly. 4 year wait is pretty crazy for something that is their main product and not small batch semi custom stuff like SMG's FG-42 clones |
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It does have the wire spoke tensioning system. And the short stroke piston. It’s a pretty cool setup. He does a couple videos on it and how he got it dialed in. I’ve never felt an old bfg50a but this feels fantastic. The trunion is also engraved denoting gen 2. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a year. I waited 5 for this one. In a podcast interview he did recently he talks about restarting production on them and says something like they are making 4-5 a month ( don’t quote me). Either way it was a pretty small number and said they are hoping to ramp up to 40-50 a month or something like that. |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: I got one 15 years ago. It's a nice rifle. Much more accurate than my Pauza P-50. Edit. Holy smokes that’s a rare bird. I just read that there was only 36 of those made. Tony Serbu Serial Number 15. Pauza Serial Number 19. https://i.imgur.com/KxP3dhC.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/ylvWwAl.jpeg @TonyRumore How are those two as shooters? Never gotten to see a Pauza either. |
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Originally Posted By tommyidone: @TonyRumore How are those two as shooters? Never gotten to see a Pauza either. The BFG50A shoots right at an inch at 100 yards with Barnes X bullets. I just recently leased 800 acres beside my own 160, so I can shoot out to 1,000 now. Just need it to warm up a bit to air it out. The Pauza has an accuracy issue that I need to work on. It functions fine but accuracy is poor. Even worse than a Barrett. Tony |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: The BFG50A shoots right at an inch at 100 yards with Barnes X bullets. I just recently leased 800 acres beside my own 160, so I can shoot out to 1,000 now. Just need it to warm up a bit to air it out. The Pauza has an accuracy issue that I need to work on. It functions fine but accuracy is poor. Even worse than a Barrett. Tony That’s pretty spectacular! Any tips or tricks for loading for the BFG50a you’d be willing to share? |
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Originally Posted By tommyidone: If you want to shoot 5” groups with good ammo get the Barrett. While I agree that its not a precision rifle, some people still get impressive accuracy out of theirs. Someone just got a 1st or 2nd round hit on the Texas plonking 1moa at 1000yd challenge. Id still want the serbu. But it sure is interesting how good some barretts do |
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Originally Posted By SGT-Fish: While I agree that its not a precision rifle, some people still get impressive accuracy out of theirs. Someone just got a 1st or 2nd round hit on the Texas plonking 1moa at 1000yd challenge. Id still want the serbu. But it sure is interesting how good some barretts do But my barrel is one of the older 6 flute 33" Batten Machine chem etch barrels. The chem etch barrels always gave better accuracy. But Batten Machine in Romulus, Mi could never keep up with our production requirements. |
I hated going to weddings. All the grandmas would poke me and say "You're next". They stopped that when I started doing it to them at funerals.
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
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Originally Posted By SGT-Fish: While I agree that its not a precision rifle, some people still get impressive accuracy out of theirs. Someone just got a 1st or 2nd round hit on the Texas plonking 1moa at 1000yd challenge. Id still want the serbu. But it sure is interesting how good some barretts do Some luck out I guess. your really are never going to get great and consistent accuracy out of something like the Barrett. I was optimistic when I bought my 107 also seeing reports that some get good accuracy. Not mine. It's fine for what it is meant for. but I can't stomach spending 13k on a rifle and then the money for a suppressor for it and having it shoot 5" and sometimes bigger groups at 100 yards. when other rifles can shoot just around an inch with PMC... if you are just blasting crap at a junkyard it works great and its fun and everybody knows what it is. Ultimately it's up to you to figure out what you want out of it. |
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I had all three semi auto 50's at one time and sold both of my Barretts. Mostly because I could and did make my Serbu NY compliant, but also because while the Barretts could eat anything fed to them, the Serbu had options the Barrett could never have because of it's design, except the magazine. The barrett magazine is awesome and Mark was smart enough to recognize that and focus on making other improvements. The Serbu has better accuracy because of the trigger, fixed barrel and hybrid match chamber. The new gas piston system takes care of the carbon issues that caused malfunctions(if not maintained diligently)in the older rifles. I had a set trigger and a 29" Lothar/Walther match barrel. When loaded with the Lehigh 746 grn banded solid ball projo I was testing there was no other mag fed semi auto 50 that could compare to it in accuracy. Thunder ammo used a similar lehigh projo, but because of it's length it had a lot of jump when loaded to fit in the magazine and never shot great in my Serbu. Resized AP and M33 ball shot good. Mild loads using H50 powder produced the best accuracy and function. SJC |
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Originally Posted By sjcshooter1: I had all three semi auto 50's at one time and sold both of my Barretts. Mostly because I could and did make my Serbu NY compliant, but also because while the Barretts could eat anything fed to them, the Serbu had options the Barrett could never have because of it's design, except the magazine. The barrett magazine is awesome and Mark was smart enough to recognize that and focus on making other improvements. The Serbu has better accuracy because of the trigger, fixed barrel and hybrid match chamber. The new gas piston system takes care of the carbon issues that caused malfunctions(if not maintained diligently)in the older rifles. I had a set trigger and a 29" Lothar/Walther match barrel. When loaded with the Lehigh 746 grn banded solid ball projo I was testing there was no other mag fed semi auto 50 that could compare to it in accuracy. Thunder ammo used a similar lehigh projo, but because of it's length it had a lot of jump when loaded to fit in the magazine and never shot great in my Serbu. Resized AP and M33 ball shot good. Mild loads using H50 powder produced the best accuracy and function. SJC How was the set trigger? @sjcshooter1 |
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Originally Posted By tommyidone: This has to be the softest shooting .50 . PMC shoots right around an inch and half at 100. Will try amax next trip. Amax will show some improvement, but it has a lot of jump because it's loaded to fit into the magazine. It's way more accurate when loaded longer and fed singularly, but that negates having a semi auto. You need to load turned match solid projos like the Lehigh 720, Barnes or Cutting edge Mtac with the OAL of ball projos to get closer to the lands and feed from the magazine. SJC |
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Originally Posted By FlatlandBusa: I would have one if Mark had reasonable timelines for production. The demand is there for him to scale up, but he chose to remain a guy in a garage operation. It you want accurate, both the M95 and M99 shoot sub MOA with good ammo, my M82A1 shoots 2 1/2MOA with the same ammo. The 107 should be more accurate than the 82. I just threw mine for sale on the EE if you want to skip the wait-list! |
Joined:
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Posts:
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EE: 0% (0)
USA
Joined:
Sep 2022
Posts:
2419
EE: 0% (0)
USA
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Originally Posted By tommyidone: Soft shooting. Enhanced capability. Because freedom??? No argument here. Just wondering if the practical rate of fire is that much different in this recoil and whether it's worth the drop in accuracy. I did shoot the M82 a while ago but I knew nothing about rifle shooting at the time. |
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Practical and 50Bmg don't go together. All depends on the shooters capability, optics and ammo being used. It's head and shoulders above the Barrett in accuracy by design and unlike the Barrett it has options. The BFG-50A is as accurate as a decent made bolt rifle with the right ammo and with ten rounds available, it's more fun by a long shot. SJC |
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USA
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Originally Posted By sjcshooter1: Practical and 50Bmg don't go together. All depends on the shooters capability, optics and ammo being used. It's head and shoulders above the Barrett in accuracy by design and unlike the Barrett it has options. The BFG-50A is as accurate as a decent made bolt rifle with the right ammo and with ten rounds available, it's more fun by a long shot. SJC My line of thinking is this vs something like an HTI. I do have a mild form of 'PTSD' from living in a restrictive commie ban state that compels me to get the stuff that was banned there, the more ban reasons the better, but in this case the cost is non-trivial so I have to be a little more serious. |
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Originally Posted By voyager3: My line of thinking is this vs something like an HTI. I do have a mild form of 'PTSD' from living in a restrictive commie ban state that compels me to get the stuff that was banned there, the more ban reasons the better, but in this case the cost is non-trivial so I have to be a little more serious. Originally Posted By voyager3: Originally Posted By sjcshooter1: Practical and 50Bmg don't go together. All depends on the shooters capability, optics and ammo being used. It's head and shoulders above the Barrett in accuracy by design and unlike the Barrett it has options. The BFG-50A is as accurate as a decent made bolt rifle with the right ammo and with ten rounds available, it's more fun by a long shot. SJC My line of thinking is this vs something like an HTI. I do have a mild form of 'PTSD' from living in a restrictive commie ban state that compels me to get the stuff that was banned there, the more ban reasons the better, but in this case the cost is non-trivial so I have to be a little more serious. In a nutshell; faster follow up shots. I’m a fan of the HTi. Accurate (sub-MOA 5-shot groups with factory AMAX), noticeably shorter at the same barrel length due to the bullpup config. Also noticeably lighter than an M107. Also easy to swap to .416 if you get bitten by the ELR bug (same bolt and mag. Just get the different barrel. Barrel changes are quick, but still need rezero’ing). If I ever needed to stop a convoy though, I might want a semiauto with 10rd mags. ***pity the Lynx hasn’t lived up to the claims/hype. |
| Yeah, the Lynx accuracy is nothing to write home about. The "brake" is just a ported muzzle weight, and the recoil is painful off the bench in factory configuration. Installing a Limbsaver butt pad helps, but is not a trivial operation. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't. Not only does the trigger suck (creepy and non-adjustable), but the center of gravity when cased is close to one end (miserable to carry). |
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Any reason to not get a BFG-50A? (Page 1 of 2)
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