Budget .50 BMG rifles

[Guest Tiff]

At Sennybridge last weekend, it became apparent that a .50 would complement my collection well

 

I found that a 240MK or 250MK does not generate a very large splash in the earth and sometimes not one at all. This resulted in several shots (2-5)being fired from either the .30-338 or .338, just to calculate the fall of shot. This was in contrast to the .50's I shot, which put up an easily identifiable splash....hardly surprising considering the weight of bullet! So in the long run saving a good bit of money.

 

So could you please help me compile a list of 'cheap/budget' .50 BMG rifles that are produced. I know most of these will be in the USA, but export should not be a problem. By 'cheap' I mean under the price of a Styre or Nemisis and preferably a lot less.....It looks like there are many available in the states for around $2,500 dollars!! Which could mean a .50 for under £2,000 including export/shipping if ordered when the pound is strong .

 

While I would love to fork-out for an AI or RPA etc, I don't think I could justify the price with the small amount of use I would give it.

 

 

This is what I've found so far:

 

LAR Grizzly

http://www.largrizzly.com/web/guest/bigboar

 

East Ridge Gun Company

http://www.statearms.com/rebel.html

 

AR-50A (a bit more than I would like to spend, but has good reviews)

http://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item...1f-d045b91324c3

 

Any others to the list would be great.

 

Many thanks

 

Tiff

[sean c]

I'm not sure of the price but what about the ferret AR-15 upper?

 

Or there is a steyr HS .50 on the fcsa website for £3k i think with bits and bobs to go with it.

 

I'm personally saving for the Nemesis not a budget rifle but i love it, its about the same price as the RPA but a little bit more interesting to look at IMO.

 

There's a review >here< on a 3 rifles i suppose it depends on if you can get them over here.

 

Sean.

[Guest Tiff]

I'm not sure of the price but what about the ferret AR-15 upper?

 

Or there is a steyr HS .50 on the fcsa website for £3k i think with bits and bobs to go with it.

 

I'm personally saving for the Nemesis not a budget rifle but i love it, its about the same price as the RPA but a little bit more interesting to look at IMO.

 

There's a review >here< on a 3 rifles i suppose it depends on if you can get them over here.

 

Sean.

 

Hi Sean, thanks for the link (his site is in my favourites but is updated so infrequently I don't really check it!). It doesn't sound like any of those come out with particulary glowing reports.....with perhaps the one below being the only resonble option. I certainly didn't like the idea of having to break the action each time to reload on the other one!

 

http://www.safetyharborfirearms.com/SHF_R50_/shf_r50_.html

 

I tried the ferrett website, but it seems to be 'down'....

 

As for the Nemisis, I had the pleasure of shooting a 12" version at Senny.....lovely rifle, if perhaps a it LOUD in this barrel length!

For me its a 6 hour drive to the nearest .50 range, so realistically its not going to be used more than 3 times a year...

[Ronin]

Best way forward (IMHO) would be single shot 50 action on a Mcree or similar stock.

 

Barnard action, any 50 barrel, (the barnards come with trigger) and a stock.

 

 

Guess well within budget.

[ds1]

Hi Tiff,

 

I think a cheap 50bmg stick will not serve you well. Even in the short run it is not the rifle thats expensive but the reloading bit - I do not think minute of barn with cheapo 50 bmg machine gun ammo will hold your attention for very long. So that leaves reloading and 750 grain A max or turned solids for a decent 1.05BC. None of which are cheap, however accurate and with a decent barrel life you may find more plesant to shoot than the 30-338 which will need a re-barrel every two weeks.

 

This is one of the reasons I traded my AI 338 for an AW50.

 

I would also look at rifle size......50 bmg's are not small but do not need to look like punt guns either (HS50). The AW 50 and Nemi seem about regular size if twice the weight.

 

50mbs stuff from the USA - I have not confirmed this but I was told there is an export ban on 50 cal sticks - may well be false info.

 

David.

[Guest Tiff]

I made some enquires today about a Barnard GP action (with trigger)....For the action only its £2,090 including 15% VAT

Fox Firearms are also putting together a .50 on this action, with 34" True-flite barrel and brake all in a Robertson stock. This will be up for sale for around £3,750.

However this is still more than I can really justify by a long way!

 

It seems with regard to .50's from the USA, it is legal, but just a pain with red tape. However I should be able to pick one up in person while I do some fieldwork out there early next year. So that option is still open.

 

Is there anything inheritantly wrong with some of the more budget .50's? Since the Big Bertha or Rebel rifles, in a laminate stock from this company seem to look perfect to me.....Relatively cheap, single shot (I don't need a mag for range use) and accuracy assured.

Also their actions (including,trigger,trigger guard and scope base) are on offer for only $850!!!

 

http://www.statearms.com/bigbertha.html

 

So what am I missing (guessing quite alot....)?

 

Many Thanks

 

Tiff

[ds1]

I like the look of the Competitor 2000 (you get the Jewell trigger included). The light weight version is 28lbs so guess the regular one would be around 35lbs and 41 lbs for the "Big Bertha". I guess recoil should not be a problem.

 

(41 lbs though......I was moaning at humping 27lbs + scope etc......guess you are twice the size of me though).

 

David.

[chrismetallica1]

LAR Grizzly

http://www.largrizzly.com/web/guest/bigboar

 

East Ridge Gun Company

http://www.statearms.com/rebel.html

 

AR-50A (a bit more than I would like to spend, but has good reviews)

http://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item...1f-d045b91324c3

 

Any others to the list would be great.

 

Many thanks

 

Tiff

 

Tiff,

Up untill recently I didnt realise that anyone shot .50 BMG in the UK but i was pointed in the direction of the FCSA site and have emailed them for info. As for buget .50 BMG the cheapest I have seen is the Bohica FAR 50. Its an upper for the AR15 platform (single shot bolt action as an AR15 mag well is too small to feed .50 bmg rounds). So providing that you have an AR rifle it would only cost about $1,295.00 plus whatever the import export costs are.

 

http://www.bohicaarms.com/far50_features.html

 

Hope the info helps

 

Kind Regards

 

Chris

[eldon]

That safety harbour magazine looks a monster. I'd say it even looks out of scale to the rest of the rifle.

 

Like they say "if your gunna have one have a biggun"

[casts_by_fly]

It seems with regard to .50's from the USA, it is legal, but just a pain with red tape. However I should be able to pick one up in person while I do some fieldwork out there early next year. So that option is still open.

 

 

Tiff

 

 

Tiff,

 

Not sure how you plan to go about buying one when you're there, but you'll run into the same problems with export red tape. As a non citizen of the US, you can't just walk into a shop, buy one, and hop on the plane with it. You can buy it at the dealer, then they have to export it directly to your home country. You're not allowed to take possession of the rifle while you're there. So you're still going to talk shipping, export regs/license, and import/VAT.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[Ronin]

I am disapointed on the price for the GP, the P actions are well under a grand, cannot see why the GP should be twice this - I expected circa 1500, I guess the shift in the exch rate is the excuse

 

Ive seen the GP in barrelled action form a few weeks ago - it looks just right for a 50 single shot.

 

 

Regarding importation - may be an idea to make preliminary enquiries with second hand dealers and also exporters to see what can and cannot be achieved. (I say this as I assume a 2nd hand stateside purchase?)

 

I use Leroy's Gun Works for to arrange export papers (stateside) for my own direct imports in the past - very good service and relatively cheap too.

 

You could also speak to PBS in the UK, they advertise import / export arrangements for firearms. The owner of the company is one of the top F Class shooters in the UK.

[ds1]

Hi Ronin, funny you should mention Leroys - I'm sending a rifle ( I hope) to them next week (going on to someone else). It was a bit stressy as they were away for a month. Also although a lot of companies would ship from here to first destination airport none would ship internally in the USA. This left me somewhat buggered until I found out Cz post will ship and transport within the US, I presume though USPS.

 

The big names, DHL, USP,TNT, FEDEX will not do international shipping of weapons.

 

David.

[Chris-NZ]

I made some enquires today about a Barnard GP action (with trigger)....For the action only its £2,090 including 15% VAT

 

 

Tiff

 

 

Holy snot!

Sounds way over the top.

 

Dunno what the current UK price is but as of today's exch rate, I recently paid the equivalent of 481 Euros for my S model. I've sent a query to Barnard to find the NZ price and will let you know the local price of the .50 when he replies

 

Chris-NZ

[Chris-NZ]

OK, got a reply:

current NZ price is 1598 Euros. Not as much difference as I thought, mind you, you can deduct 1/9 for 12.5% GST which doesn't apply to exports so that's 1420 nett.

 

Chris-NZ