I want one! I am adding this to my wish list
Smokeys Gun Factory Barrett M82A1.
Smokey’s Gun Factory M82A1
Review by Godallmighty
... Stock Specifications
FPS:
Length: 154 cm
Barrel: 76 cm
Weight: w/o magazine 6.9 kg
Magazine: 10+1 / 8mm BB:s
I have read several previews of this gun, but actually never stumbled upon a real review while searching, so I thought that time to write a review of this remarkable rifle. However, since I got my SGF M82A1 just a couple of weeks prior of writing this review, it most of all will cover the first impressions. My SGF M82A1 has the number B50-28, which means that it is the 28th rifle in production.
Appearance
The SGF M82A1 comes well packed in a brown non-descript cardboard box. The box itself is out of enormous proportions as the SGF people have chosen to ship it mounted together, instead of shipping it field striped. When the box is opened and all the wrapping is taken of, it is truly an impressive peace of work. The finish is parkerized matte black (not painted) and the build quality is exceptional, as with all SGF products. When starting to examine the details of the rifle closer, all details are done with an outmost precision. The SGF has really put some effort in the appearance of this rifle. All parts look to be CNC machined to a very high quality level, even the huge muzzle break is machined! It looks like the shoulder pad and the grip, with its lid-covered compartment, are original Barrett parts, but I can’t swear to that.
The SGF have placed a great concern to reproduce the authentic looks of the M82A1. All welding seams are in the right places, colour is very similar to the Swedish Army version, and the sight rail tower is reproduced in fine detail. The bolt with its distinctive triangular shape looks just like the real thing with ejector and extractor. The carrying handle looks authentic with its grooved grip and spring tensioned joint. The SGF M82A1, despite to the details given, does have some differences to the original Barrett M82A1. Front and rear iron sights are not present, but mounting holes for them has been made. There is no locking pin to hold the bipod, it’s mounted between two blocks which are screwed in position instead. The biggest difference from the original rifle, however, is the difference in length. The original Barrett M92A1 is 145 cm long, whereas the SGF M82A1 is 154 cm long - 9 cm longer than the original!
The magazine is in the size of a car stereo and takes 10 brass shells. Fully loaded the magazine weights 1.6 kg. In the front of each shell, there is a hollow space with an O-ring where you place the 8 mm BB. (My skirmishing friends call them “snowballs†because of their size, and their appearance when they are heading straight at you.) When the bolt is pushed forward, the piston is put under tension, and a shell is fed into the breach. The shell itself acts as a BB carrier, and when chambered the nose of the shell retracts and places the BB at the Hop-up in the barrel. When chambered the shell works as an air channel between the bolt and the BB. When fired the rifle goes BUFF and then CLATANK when the shell ejects. The recoil produced by the ejecting process is comparable to a .30 cal semiautomatic rifle. Very impressive for a softair gun!
The only direct construction flaw with the SGF M82A1 that I have found is that it, in its stock condition, actually could fire a round by it self when it bumped into something or when placed hard on its bipod. The reason for this, I found, was that the upper receiver gave in for the pressure of the bolt when under tension. This also did generate a secondary problem where the rifle did not properly feed the shells from the magazine at a few occasions. However, these problems where easily fixed with a reinforcement rail that I installed in front of the sight rail tower, preventing the upper frame to bend under the pressure. Since the reinforcement was installed, the rifle has operated flawlessly. With Exception to this, the SGF M82A1 is a very well thought trough construction with exceptional build quality.
Field stripping
Field stripping the SGF M82A1 is easy and very similar to the real thing, at least the separation of the barrel/upper receiver and the lower receiver. Just remove the magazine, pull the front and rear pins out, slide the upper receiver forward and the rifle separates into two parts. The barrel slides into the upper receiver when field stripped and both parts become approximately 1 m long each, this makes the rifle fit into my “BlackHawk Long Gun Pack Matâ€, which I use for the transport of my SGF M82A1. To put the rifle together again, fit the barrel lug into its slot, slide the upper frame backwards to position, insert the two locking pins, insert the magazine and the rifle is ready to use.
Skirmishing
The ejecting shell feature is a pretty neat function, but it’s maybe more suitable for display purposes than for skirmishing. I noticed after my last skirmish, that several of the brass shells had sustained minor damages due to that they where ejected over a rocky surface. We all know that brass meeting rock is not that favourable to the brass.
The sound when the bolt ejects also reveals the location of the sniper, which I noticed was a boomer. Therefore I have changed the positions of the “Bolt retractor springs†so the shell has to be ejected manually, and suddenly the gun went very quiet without spreading shells all over the place. In this way, I can choose when I want to eject the fired shell and have a hand at the ejection port to catch the shell before it falls to the ground and gets damaged. It turned out that my SGF M82A1 is now even quieter than my APS, it just goes BUFF!
The pure “terror factor†of this gun is amazing. During a skirmish, an AEG duel was taking place and I was called in to give fire support with my M82A1 and to take out the gunner on the other side. As soon as I arrived at the scene, I saw the target armed with an M4 further down in the forest. I took aim from a standing position, and a big smile grew over my face when I, through my scope, saw my target rise up and run a way from his stronghold! His comment afterwards when we met at the safe-zone was “- I thought it was the safest thing to do, it looked so big!â€
Conclusion
The SGF M82A1 is big and very heavy to carry around with you in the forest. To use its full potential you need a spacious gaming area with not to much vegetation. It is difficult to move unnoticed with this huge lump of metal through the forest.
There are currently two types of 8 mm BB’s available on the market for this rifle, they are 0.34 g and the much more stabile 0.45 g. The trajectory of the 8 mm BB is very flat, and stock the rifle has acceptable accuracy up to 45-50 m, but for a sniper rifle I don’t think that it is enough.
However, the satisfaction of having a gun this unique makes it worthwhile alone. I have some plans for a much heavier spring, which is already on its way, and a “Bushnell 10x40 Elite 3200 MilDot Scopeâ€. (Current scope on the skirmishing photos is a “Mojji Hornet 3-9x50â€.) The potential of the stabile 8 mm BB, and if you have the machinery and ability to mill your own parts, potentially makes the SGF M82A1 a very capable sniper rifle.
Upgrade potential: 0/10 (8/10 if you can mill your own parts =)
Build quality: 10/10 (Exceptional quality, well thought through construction)
Value for money: 6/10 (You get what you pay for, expensive but top quality)
External links:
Smokey’s Gun Factory
The home of the Barrett rifle.
