Barrett .50cal

The Barrett M82, otherwise known as the Barrett .50cal, is a semi-automatic .50 caliber sniper rifle seen in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
"Semi-automatic sniper rifle. Effective at long range."

- Weapon description

Campaign
The Barrett .50cal appears as one of the three semi-automatic sniper rifles in the game.

It is seen in "F.N.G" on the weapons rack, along with all the other weapons in game and is unusable.

It is then seen again in "One Shot, One Kill", being used by Lieutenant Price and Captain MacMillan in an attempt to assassinate Imran Zakhaev. This Barrett .50cal is mounted on a bipod and cannot be picked up. It has a variable zoom feature, allowing the player to zero in on a target, using movement controls (on the Wii version the weapon is controlled with the control stick/nunchuck rather than the remote), since player remains in prone position when wielding it. It also has unlimited ammo, very little recoil, and no scope sway. This is the only time that it is usable in the campaign.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the Barrett .50cal is unlocked at level 49. Like all sniper rifles, it can use an ACOG Scope attachment. It is tied with the Dragunov and R700 without Stopping Power. If Stopping Power is used, it can take out a player using Juggernaut in one hit if shot in the chest, neck, or head. It has the highest penetration of any weapon in multiplayer.

However, the Barrett .50cal also has a few disadvantages. Its firing sound is loud and distinctive and can give away the user's position. Also, it has very high recoil, but it always travels in the same direction, and the reticle quickly resets back on the initial point of aim. A good way to compensate for its high recoil is to treat it as a bolt-action rifle, and only fire when it has returned to its original position. Another huge disadvantage is the fact that the rifle itself is so long it often protrudes out of cover, giving the player's position away. Because of its very high damage, firing rapidly with this gun is not usually necessary - although it can be used as a last-resort in close quarters.

Weapon Attachments

 * ACOG Scope

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The Barrett .50cal is relatively unchanged from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, with the exceptions of new attachments, a redesigned scope, widened muzzle brake, and lack of a front iron sight. The only notable change from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is that the Barrett .50cal, along with all the other sniper rifles, now have full mobility, like an SMG. In addition, it is the first sniper rifle available to the player, whereas it was the last in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Campaign
The Barrett .50cal can be found twice in the campaign. It is found in the missions, "Of Their Own Accord" (although it is mounted with a thermal scope and variable zoom) and "Loose Ends." The only major differences from campaign to multiplayer are that the Barrett has a lower, more realistic level of recoil and a fairly low Firecap in the campaign.

Special Ops
In Special Ops, the Barrett .50cal is found in Sniper Fi, Estate Takedown, and Armor Piercing. The Barrett .50cal is a good weapon to use against Juggernauts, as it takes 3 headshots, 6 chest shots or 8 body shots to kill one.

Multiplayer
In Multiplayer, the Barrett .50cal is unlocked at Level 3 as part of the "Scout Sniper" default class. It is capable of firing faster than its sight can settle. Firing too quickly makes the Barrett .50cal difficult to use, due to the high recoil. However, the Barrett .50cal does have a recoil limit. This problem is easily mitigated by simply slowing the rate of fire and only firing when the recoil has settled. This requires great concentration, as inexperienced players tend to fire too fast. However, the ability to fire so fast can be an advantage in close quarters when there is no time to switch to a secondary and the player is forced to fire their sniper rifle from the hip. The Barrett .50cal is most praised for its ability to deliver one hit kills with a high rate of fire.

With Stopping Power, the weapon kills in one hit to the head, neck, chest and stomach. Without it, it loses the one shot kill to the stomach. Targets will require multiple hits when Painkiller, Last Stand or Final Stand is used. In Hardcore it is a one-hit kill anywhere on the body, even when used with a silencer.

One flaw of the Barrett is that its recoil kicks the gun up and to the right so much that the shooter momentarily loses sight of their target. Since the ACOG Scope zooms in less when looking down the sight, it is easier to follow an enemy after firing with it than with a standard Sniper Scope, but in many situations the decreased zoom and inability to steady the scope makes it less than practical.

The Barrett is a relatively good sniper rifle to use with a silencer and Stopping Power, as the player can kill a target with a single shot to the chest, neck, or head. However, the Barrett's high recoil can make it difficult for the player to land a second shot if the first shot does not kill. Without Stopping Power, the Barrett is a less than ideal candidate for a silencer because all sniper rifles require two shots to kill when using a silencer without Stopping Power, except in Hardcore.

Weapon Attachments

 * Suppressor
 * Heartbeat Sensor
 * ACOG Scope
 * Thermal Scope
 * FMJ
 * Extended Mags

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
"The Barrett .50cal provides the second fastest fire rate in its class. Along with a rapid re-center speed and a 10-round magazine, it's possible to tag multiple targets before reloading. Note that the recoil kicks hard outside of prone, so find a good perch and remain low for the best performance."

- Call of Duty: Elite description

The Barrett .50cal returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It appears in one of the default classes. It has a very similar look to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 version, but with a darker finish, new scope, and the bipod is now folded forward.

Campaign
The Barrett .50cal briefly appears in the mission "Blood Brothers" during the loading cutscene, when Yuri and Soap set up in their sniper nest. However, it is not used and is not seen again. It is replaced by the RSASS during the actual mission.

Multiplayer
The Barrett .50cal is available in level 2, through the Scout Sniper Default Class and is unlocked for Create-a-Class at level 4. It is very much like the variant in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, in which it is a one hit kill to the head, neck, chest and stomach. One change to the Barrett from previous titles is that it reduces the player's movement speed considerably; players carrying it will have the same movement speed of an LMG. Because of this, the Speed Proficiency is recommended. Also, its recoil and sway are lower when prone or crouching.

It is a good idea to pair Sleight of Hand with this as it can greatly reduce the reloading time. However the 10 round magazine, semi-automatic firing mode, and large potential for a one-shot kill means the said perk is not mandatory.

Special Ops
The Barrett .50cal is available for both Survival and Mission modes.

Mission Mode
The Barrett .50cal is used by the player providing overwatch in the Mission Mode challenge Invisible Threat. Several Barretts can also be found on the roof of the Stock Exchange in Flood the Market, to pick off enemies on the adjacent rooftops.

Survival Mode
The Barrett .50cal is unlocked at level 49 in Survival Mode, being the last sniper rifle to be unlocked. It costs $2000 from the Weapons Armory. It is one hit kill up until heavy troops armed with an AK-47 appear, so an automatic weapon should be switched out for the Barrett .50cal after the heavy troops appear. However, due to its high damage and Firecap combined, if equiped with a ACOG Scope it is a very deadly battle rifle for a little longer than what's recommended of it.

Weapon Attachments

 * ACOG Scope - Unlocked at weapon level 2.
 * Silencer - Unlocked at weapon level 5.
 * Heartbeat Sensor - Unlocked at weapon level 13.
 * Extended Mags - Unlocked at weapon level 15.
 * Thermal Scope - Unlocked at weapon level 19.
 * Variable Zoom - Unlocked at weapon level 22.

Proficiency

 * Kick - Unlocked at weapon level 4.
 * Impact - Unlocked at weapon level 10.
 * Attachments - Unlocked at weapon level 14.
 * Focus - Unlocked at weapon level 18.
 * Speed - Unlocked at weapon level 24.
 * Stability - Unlocked at weapon level 28.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II
The Barrett .50 cal also appears in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, now being called Barrett M82A1. It appears in mission Suffer with Me and is used by Frank Woods to shoot Mason. It can be unlocked for use in any mission. The M82A1 also appears in the Mystery Box in Green Run and Nuketown Zombies. When Pack-a-Punched, it turns into the Macro Annihilator. The Macro Annihilator improves magazine capacity, reserve ammo, and adds a Variable Zoomscope. As with most weapons, the damage is also increased.

Miscellaneous

 * In the missions "One Shot, One Kill" in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and "Of Their Own Accord" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the Barrett .50cal always has unlimited ammo, a variable scope and bullet flight time. It also has its front iron sight flipped up, which means Infinity Ward simply re-used the Barrett model from the previous game. The Barrett .50cal in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also has thermal overlay.
 * In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the Barrett .50cal has a front sight, however, this is gone in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
 * When firing the Barrett .50cal, the sniper rifle ejects small assault rifle casings rather than the large .50 caliber ones.
 * The Barrett .50cal and the Dragunov are the only sniper rifles to appear in all three of the Modern Warfare games, and the Barrett is the only sniper rifle to appear in the multiplayer of all three.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

 * The Barrett .50cal has an unused front sight, but when the ACOG sight is equipped, the front sight is removed.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * The Barrett .50cal has a Mr. Yuk sticker on the lens cap although it can be difficult to see it at first (it is easiest to see when the player sprints). The player will not be able to see it if they have a different scope attached. It is one of two weapons to have a Mr. Yuk sticker on it, with the other being the WA2000.
 * This gun has the serial number A0750319. This is most easily seen with Arctic Camouflage.
 * When zoomed in with the ACOG, the player can see that the rear iron sight is marked for yards.
 * The Barrett 50.cal and the M21 EBR are the only sniper rifles where a camouflage does not appear on a thermal scope if one is applied.
 * Strangely, the Barrett .50cal's scope in "Of Their Own Accord" looks the same as the regular scope, even though it uses a Thermal Scope.

Video
Video:MW2 - Recoil Abuse

Video demonstrating the Barrett's predictable recoil