Barrett M107A1 Legal in MA?

As @CrackPot said, you need to pin/weld the brake to get around the AWB. Good thing about the Barrett is that it comes in two pieces, the barrel is separate from the receiver. If you have a friendly FFL you can order one from anywhere, then just pickup the barrel assembly (not a gun, just like an AR upper) and either pin/weld the brake yourself or get a smith to do it. Then take it back to the FFL where you can then 4473 the completed, “MA compliant” rifle. There is some debate as to whether or not you can get away with just welding the screws that fix the brake on the muzzle (2 on the M82A1 and 1 on the M107A1), since that would make it so you could not remove the brake with normal hand tools. Since I could find nothing in the AATF documentation that said this would in fact meet the “permanent” requirement (which is what the MA AWB is based on), I went ahead and did a normal pin weld on mine. If you shop around, you can get a model 82A1 for considerably less than 10 grand (see my post Looks like my next purchase is a .50 bmg. ). The newer M107 will be closer to the 12 grand mark.

ETA If you pin/weld the brake correctly, you’ll be able to remove the brake later on using a drill press or a grinder, though you’ll probably have to sacrifice the brake (at $225 to replace).
 
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As @CrackPot said, you need to pin/weld the brake to get around the AWB. Good thing about the Barrett is that it comes in two pieces, the barrel is separate from the receiver. If you have a friendly FFL you can order one from anywhere, then just pickup the barrel assembly (not a gun, just like an AR upper) and either pin/weld the brake yourself or get a smith to do it. Then take it back to the FFL where you can then 4473 the completed, “MA compliant” rifle. There is some debate as to whether or not you can get away with just welding the screws that fix the brake on the muzzle (2 on the M82A1 and 1 on the M107A1), since that would make it so you could not remove the brake with normal hand tools. Since I could find nothing in the AATF documentation that said this would in fact meet the “permanent” requirement (which is what the MA AWB is based on), I went ahead and did a normal pin weld on mine. If you shop around, you can get a model 82A1 for considerably less than 10 grand (see my post Looks like my next purchase is a .50 bmg. ). The newer M107 will be closer to the 12 grand mark.

ETA If you pin/weld the brake correctly, you’ll be able to remove the brake later on using a drill press or a grinder, though you’ll probably have to sacrifice the brake (at $225 to replace).

Edit: Maybe I'm confusing the two separate issues here, but Let me add that nobody makes a giant "flash suppressor" with 7/8" thread for these rifles either, it simply doesn't exist. There are aftermarket .50bmg muzzle breaks out there but many of them are metric thread and don't fit the Barrett. The factory muzzle brake on the M107 is designed to accept their gigantic $3,000.00 .50bmg QDL suppressor, it slips over and locks onto it, so even if you pin and weld the factory M107A1 brake, it is still "designed to accommodate a flash suppressor," and in fact you'd be permanently making it so it will accept a suppressor. Ya'll can tig weld the brake onto your $12,000 rifles all you want, but I don't know anyone else that owns one in MA that has pinned or welded anything. It is usually a bitch to take the brake off of these m82/m107rifles anyway, and with the M107 you can't just smack it with a dead blow hammer like the old m82 brake, and it's definitely not something you can do without tools, torque specs, etc. Any of this is gonna be well beyond the knowledge of most anyone anyway. Welding the brake on a Barrett is basically making it so the barrel can never be removed from the receiver, which also sucks ass and detracts from it's value, although you wouldn't have to really pin it, you could just tack weld the head of the torx clamping bolt, the brake won't unscrew without maybe an 8ft long breaker bar and a giant vise to hold the barrel, and galling and destroying the threads unless that bolt is loosened.
 
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Yea uhm nooo there are no magazines for an m82 or m107 that accept more than 10 rds.
Mass definition of an “ Assault Weapon"

Assault weapons
are also defined as: A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any two of the following: A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. A folding or telescoping stock. A grenade launcher or flare launcher. A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor. A bayonet lug.

Doesn’t say anything about the magazine’s capacity, only that it is removable. Don’t confuse the AWB with the “large” capacity mag ban.
 
Why do you keep talking about mag capacity? We are talking AWB. Mag capacity is irrelevant. Semi auto and detachable mag is a precondition for AW test.
The only relevant thing about M82s and M107s not having any magazines with capacities greater than 10 rounds is that, once you make it AWB compliant, you can one it with just a FID since it is not a “large capacity” rifle.
 
Even if I had that kind of money to blow I don’t know if I’d get one. Well I’d want to be a member of a club that has a 600+ yard range. Kinda pointless to shoot one inside of 100 yards. But to each their own.
many clubs do not allow them to begin with, I can tell you at 100 yards it makes a mess of the back stop.
 
The one thing I hate more than "is this legal" threads, are threads started by people too poor to afford the gun, but still ask if it is legal.

Trolls.
 
You sure about that? I’m pretty sure you can shoot 50bmg at woodcock.
I never heard of that place, but Googled it.

Found an old NES thread thwt didnt provide a lot of info.
Couldn't find a website.

Can you provide more info? Or PM me the info?
 
A 50 BMG would be just as fun at 100 yards. The only major difference between it and lighter rounds is it's going to carry more power to the target.

Some of the barrett 50's aren't even all that accurate because the main idea was a shoulder fired 50 to destroy equipment, not for them to be super accurate rather just super powerful.
 
Interesting assertions in this thread about legality. I see a semi auto rifle with a detachable magazine and 2 features: pistol grip and flash suppressor or capable of accepting a flash suppressor. It comes with a nice muzzle brake, but has 7/8 x 14 threads underneath it. While it would be an abortion to do so, you would have to pin/weld the muzzle brake for strict compliance with the AWB. I think the risk is pretty small but...
Or do what I would do....SBR it!!!
 
Not that it matters because you'll never find one and it's moot to this discussion, but apparently a 12rd mag did exist at one point. Was created for Desert Storm.
 
Worcester pistol and rifle allows 50, only 100 yards though. I had a Barret 50 for a few years. They are a blast to shoot but they really become a gun for your friends to try out once the newness wears off and sore shoulder kicks in. I do regret selling but I can’t see ponying up the money to get another. They take up a ton of room in the save and lugging around 50 pounds with the case gets old.
 
Yea uhm nooo there are no magazines for an m82 or m107 that accept more than 10 rds.
please don't post legal opinion unless you care to cite the law. It muddies the water and you may find that you actually learn the info you are posting is wildly incorrect and unlawful before you go ahead and hit post reply.
 
Worcester pistol and rifle allows 50, only 100 yards though. I had a Barret 50 for a few years. They are a blast to shoot but they really become a gun for your friends to try out once the newness wears off and sore shoulder kicks in. I do regret selling but I can’t see ponying up the money to get another. They take up a ton of room in the save and lugging around 50 pounds with the case gets old.
Makes you wonder if they intended that for the 50cal muzzy shooters and not the dudes with 50bmg's lol.
 
I'm in NH so none of this is a consideration but sooner or later I will go for a mag fed bolt action. More like 4k to 7k budget.

Alot less $$ & generally more accurate in a bolt, no real downside for how I would set it up and use it.

I assume in MA that definitely be the way to go, then (my understanding) you don't need to get all fussy over features.
 
I'm in NH so none of this is a consideration but sooner or later I will go for a mag fed bolt action. More like 4k to 7k budget.

Alot less $$ & generally more accurate in a bolt, no real downside for how I would set it up and use it.

I assume in MA that definitely be the way to go, then (my understanding) you don't need to get all fussy over features.
If you are going mag fed bolt I would pick something like a JJ Rock or a Cadex, hell even an AI.1610056056475.png
 
Forgot about that. Well that blows for 50 cal owners lol.
Not really, I mostly shoot mine on private land, and the club in my sig is 400yds and allows .50bmg. I've also brought it to long range matches in other states, although I'm not a top notch competitor with it, don't have the patience for it, and the m107 is only a 1 MOA rifle at best, I do it just for fun.
 
If you are going mag fed bolt I would pick something like a JJ Rock or a Cadex, hell even an AI.View attachment 432764

I will probably go for one of these, though the Barrett 95 would certainly be a strong consideration.

 
Where do I find the list of rifles that are illegal to own in MA?

You don't. In fact, if here's what I got in response when I emailed Healey's office to ask about a particular firearm:
Thank you for contacting the Attorney General’s Office regarding this matter. Our office has reviewed your inquiry.

You may want to review M.G.L. c. 140, including M.G.L. c. 140 sec. 121, which includes the definition of “shotgun.”

State agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office, cannot provide legal advice or act as a personal lawyer for constituents. As such, if you need further assistance, we suggest that you work in conjunction with the gun retailer, distributor and/or manufacturer to figure out the status of this particular weapon under state law.
 
I think the “practicality” of a .50 BMG largely depends on where you live and what you expect to do with it. By it’s very nature my Barrett M82A1 is not a particularly accurate rifle. Any short recoil semi-auto rifle where the barrel recoils 1/2 inch is not going to be a “tack driver”. It’s no where near as accurate as my Begara. As far as I’m concerned, the Barrett is really just an expensive toy; just like a 717 HP Dodge Hellcat or a 234 HP Ducati Superleggera. Many of the people who own these toys don’t use them on a 1000 yard range or on the track, but they still can be fun when used on a 100-200 yard range or on the road A .50 BMG can be a lot of fun if you have access to a 100-200 yard range that doesn’t mind you using API rounds to blow various things apart. Granted you don’t find many of these rages in eastern MA, but they do exist in western MA and southern NH. Or if you own enough land, you can do it “in your backyard”.

If you want to do long range accuracy shooting, you’d be much better off with a bolt action (in many of the long rage calibers). If you do want a semi-auto .50 BMG that offers decent accuracy, you’d be better off with a Serbu BFG-50A, which has a fixed barrel and uses a gas system rather than a short recoil system.

Barrett M82A1 practical? For most of us, not really. But if you can afford it (and that IS a big if), you can own one just for the fun of it.

 
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