i am looking to pick up a barrett 99.
do they have variations that allow you to have a mag but still retain the bolt action?
i know there is a semi auto barrett, but that costs substantially more.
how much should i expect to fork out for a new barrett 99? barebones?
would looking for  used one be more economical?
can these guns be mis treated to cause problems?
i am new to .50's so please bear with me

The model 99 is a single shot bolt action. For a mag fed bolt gun you are looking for a model 95.

Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $3000 or a little less for a 99.

Used is going to be cheaper but not by a vast amount. Fifty's hold their value pretty well.

Any gun can be abused or mistreated. An example: There is lots of old military ammo out there and some of it, pre-1954, is corrosive. Improper cleaning can lead to a ruined barrel.

Congratulations on the choice to get a 50BMG. Everyone thinks Barrett when they think of 50's but there are lots of guns to choose from and as long as you stay away from Hess/Vulcan you be ok.

i am on a pretty tight budget here...
how much cheaper would a non barrett .50 cost me?

The Serbu BFG50, State Arms Rebel, and LAR Grizzley will all run you about $2200 and are all fine shooters.

You could pick up a 50BMG upper for your AR15 for around $1500.

You could take out a life insurance policy and get yourself a Hess/Vulcan for $1200.

will i be sacraficeing annything by going with a non barrett .50 bmg?

No... definitely not.

you can get a McMillan rifle, which is a non-barrett, and it is extremely accurate and extremely well made.

They make the Tac-50, which our military also uses (they don't just use barretts).

To be specific, these rifles are used by the SEALs









McMillan's website lists the price of this rifle at $5,200.

Barrett is just another manufacturer and it all comes down to what you want to do with the rifle, how much you want to spend, and who you're trying to impress.

If you just want a good solid rifle with a great reputation get a Serbu. If you want a good solid rifle with a wel known name get a Barrett. Both rifles are excellent choices but one has a name recognized by most non-fifty people. About every range trip someone will ask me if my Armalite is a Barrett simply because its the only 50bmg they've heard of.

If I were to buy another 50bmg I'd go with a Serbu carbine myself, but that's just me.

Check out the following thread... you might be interested in the EDM Windrunner.... although it is more expensive that even the Barrett.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=281743

Ummmm, glockguy40

Quoted: i am on a pretty tight budget here... how much cheaper would a non barrett .50 cost me?

Next you'll be pointing him at an Accuracy International.

Don't count out the Armalite AR50.  SWEET shooter, and next on my list of buys.

What we need is a GROUP BUY on a good entry level 50 BMG.  Either the Armalite AR50, the Serbu, or maybee the Barrett M99.  I'm sure there are others as well.

Arfcom member and honest dealer StyerAUG tried to get a group buy going for all models of Barrett rifles, but had to dump the project due to a lot of other group buys in work right now.  This was a shame because a lot of California guys will miss out an a chance to get a price break on a Barrett 50.  (California bans 50 BMG rifles as of January 1, 2005.)

Perhaps another group buy will come along soon?  

Meanwhile read up on the various brands and models.  Often the bigger gun shows will have a few 50's for sale at decent prices, but know what you are lookng at.