By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2024
ABOUT BUSHMASTER
Bushmaster Firearms is the successor of Gwinn Firearms, founded by Mack Gwinn Jr. in 1973 upon his return from the Vietnam War. It went bankrupt and was purchased by Richard Dyke in 1976, who moved production to Windham, Maine. The company was later acquired by Quality Products Company in 1990.
In 2002, Bushmaster and a Bushmaster dealer were the subjects of a civil lawsuit brought by two survivors of the October 2002 D.C. sniper attacks, which resulted in the deaths of ten and injuries to three people. On September 8, 2004, Bushmaster agreed to pay $550,000 of a $2.5 million settlement in the lawsuit, and Bull’s Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma, Washington, the Bushmaster dealer where one of the killers stole the rifle, paid $2 million, cited mounting legal fees.
In 2006 Dyke sold Bushmaster for $70 million to Cerberus Capital Management, which became Remington Outdoor Company in 2015.
In 2011 Dyke founded Windham Weaponry “to put Maine people back to work who lost their jobs” after Remington ceased production in Windham.
In December 2012, Cerberus Capital Management announced its intention to sell Bushmaster’s successor company, Freedom Group, stating the decision to sell the company stemmed from publicity surrounding the use of a Bushmaster rifle in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Cerberus announced in late 2013 that it had failed to divest itself of the Freedom Group and would buy out some Cerberus investors.
In January 2020, Remington Outdoor Company announced it would no longer produce Bushmaster Barrels.
In September 2020, in the bankruptcy auction of Remington Outdoor Company, Crotalus Holdings, Inc. purchased the Bushmaster trademarks.
In August 2021, Bushmaster Firearms Industries, Inc. revived the brand name with a new business headquartered in Carson City, Nevada, and is currently in full operation.
THE BA50
When speaking about .50 caliber rifles, the name Barrett comes quickly to mind. With the reintroduction of the BA50, it looks like Bushmaster will be giving them some competition. The BA50 is a sniper/anti-material rifle with a fascinating history. It was initially designed by Cobb Manufacturing of Georgia in the early 2000s and referred to as the FA50. In 2009, Bushmaster acquired Cobb and released the now-branded BA50 in 2014, which remained in their catalog during the company’s acquisition by Remington. In May 2020, Remington released the rifle as the R2Mi. In 2020, Crotalus Holdings purchased the Bushmaster trademarks, and in 2021, Bushmaster rose from the ashes of the Remington bankruptcy and is now back in operation in Carson City, Nevada.
The redesigned BA50 has been updated to improve reliability, with a safety and magazine release positioned like an AR-15, with two receiver halves that separate for cleaning. The most significant difference is the left-handed operation with right-side ejection. The re-engineered bolt requires less effort and improved feeding and extraction.
THE RECEIVER & FURNITURE
The BA50 uses a two-part upper and lower aluminum alloy receiver design. The left-hand bolt locks into the barrel extension and ejects on the right side.
The furniture on the BA50 features a Magpul PRS Gen3 Adjustable Stock, ERGO Tactical Super Ambi Grip. 14” free floating billet aluminum handguard that mates to the Picatinny rail on top of the receiver, and a GG&G LCB-3 Heavy-Duty Tactical Bipod.
THE BARREL
The 29” barrel has a 1:15” twist rate, a 1×14 threaded muzzle, and a Bushmaster 3-port muzzle brake installed.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Caliber: .50 BMG
Magazine Capacity: 10 Rounds
Sights: None, Picatinny Rail for Optics
Barrel Length: 29 Inches
Overall Length: 56.75 Inches
Weight: 29.5 Pounds
MSRP: $6,878.95
URL: www.bushmaster.com
THE VERDICT
The redesigned BA50 is a significant improvement over the original. It has left-hand operation and right-side ejection, effortless bolt operation, AR-15-type controls, and receiver halves that separate easily for maintenance and cleaning. The BA50 is available with either a flat dark earth (FDE) or an all-black finish and ships with a fitted hard case.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, Soldier of Fortune, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Off Grid, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International.
Contact him at [email protected].