Credit: The Murfreesboro Post

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing’s already iconic status among gun enthusiasts will take two giant steps forward with the announcement of two major awards.

Ronnie Barrett, inventor of the world famous Barrett .50 caliber rifle, will be named the National Rifle Association’s Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award Winner at an annual convention in May.

And, perhaps more importantly, his son, Chris, will receive the Rifle of the Year Award for a ground-breaking new design for a turnbolt rifle, the Barrett 98 Bravo, a smaller caliber weapon with potential huge markets for military, law enforcement and precision shooters.

The 98 Bravo is in competition for adoption by the U.S. military and if selected could lead to massive manufacturing production for the Barrett facility at Christiana.

Where an order for the Barrett .50 might number 1,000, the potential for the 98 Bravo would produce orders in the range of 10,000.

Firing a .338 magnum round, the 98 Bravo “really breaks from old, traditional way of rifle making,” Ronnie Barrett said, explaining that police and military tactical “black rifles” were “previously just beefed up deer rifles.”

The Bravo can be disassembled with no tools, works in sand and represents a marked departure from a basic design by “Mauser 100 years ago,” he noted.

Chris Barrett adapted architecture from the Barrett .50 as he addressed a need for a long-range, precision bolt-action rifle that was modular and adaptable, requirements the military had recognized it needed for such weapons.

The desired modular design fits military needs for lighter weight, and capabilities of adding night-vision scopes, quick-change barrels and folding stocks add to uses in the field.

The Bravo design will also meet a much broader appeal.

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