Let's discuss 50 cals

[Lowdown3]

Obviously fun- check

Semi useful- check

Good investment?

Resale value after seeing some use? Few ever plan on reselling something like this, but stuff happens. Are you going to massively lose your shirt or do o.k?

Possibility of being banned? I remember the cheapie "Streetsweeper" shotguns that were $299. back in the day. Later they were classified destructive devices I believe and the price skyrocketed.

Obviously investment isn't the sole idea :)

I know my .308's will hit over 1,000 from experience. Will I ever shoot past that? Probably not. But a 50 cal can do a lot.

Let's open the discussion

[protus]

Depends on the platform.
Belt fed....semi or bolt.
It'd be a static weapon the majority of use I think due to weight etc or used siege wise.
Investment wise..its higher up there..last Barrett I saw was 7-9k...that was 6 years ago or more. I'm sires it went up as all gun prices have. But hows the market for them vs other platforms.?

[Dennis W]

Well, if you wanted to be able to stop a vehicle, one in the engine would do it. You can get the uppers for an AR that are in the $2000 range.

[RobertJ]

I have a couple of safes full of "Investment" firearms. NFA items included. I have been trying to move some of them, but the market is full right now with "New" Ar's AK's etc. and no one wants high end prices. Sadly most of my collection is $1,200.00 and up and all you get offered is 600.00 - 800.00 dollars "because thats what they go for online". Yes, for a base AR or AK etc. these are all custom builds with barrels that cost that much. They dont care.
So investment purposes is for a niche crowd. I really thought they were a good investment at the time anyways.
If you have the cash get one ,they are a blast to shoot (pun intended) but expensive to feed. MY good friend (LD3 You know him from gun shows in orlando)has a Barrett, Ma Duce, AR varient. I have shot them all and love them. Can never afford one though>
They are heavy/cumbersom and your not humping through the woods a long ways. Did I mention fun to shoot and devistating to the target.

[Lowdown3]

Pros and cons of various types?

Looks like Ammoman.com has a sale on ball right now.

[Templar]

Specific purpose tool

It doesn't hurt as much if you reload.... Puts the Battle Truck in its place... And if you really need one, nothing else will do... Regards, Templar

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I have a friend that is an ex-sniper and has one and is (or use to be) the "shooter" at events that is showcasing the rifle he uses. This is a weapon made for specific uses, and LD3 I think you hit it on the head when you said your .308 can reach to 1000 yds. Like another poster said, stopping a pick up with a bunch of towelheads with AKs it works well from what I was told. Your .308 can do well at 1000yds on a soft target, but what about a vehicle, or another weapon that you need to disable. The .50 would be better at punching holes through items that the .308 may not be able to penetrate....a new definition of cover will need to be taken by your opponents.
I have shot his and it is very fun to shoot. He hand loads all his rounds so his cost is a bit cheaper but still about $5 per round, but all his rounds are for precision.
I toyed with the idea myself but keep coming back to what he told me once when I was shooting his on a 300 yd range. "Now PSD, if you don't put three rounds in the same hole its your fault not the rifles, however, at three hundred yards the bullet is still wobbling a bit so the hole will be jagged". So the take away for me was, will I need something for 300+ yards that I can't use my .308 for?
But it sure is fun to shoot.....


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[Rmplstlskn]

When Jade Helm gets squashed by the Texans and martial law hits natiowide, there will be 50's for the taking... LOL! (obvious conspiracists wet dream scenario)

Rmpl

[Dennis W]

If you reload, you can get down to about $3.50 each.

[tech]

There's a good reason the M2 is considered a "crew-served weapon," and it isn't just the weight of the weapon. Add in the tripod, ammo, spare barrel...well, you get the general idea ;)
But they are an excellent anti-material weapon...unless you want to get an MK19 :cool:

[Machrism82]

Sure the 50 Cal does amazing stuff but to the average consumer. It isn't cost effective. Sure you can but a 50 Cal upper but to me that's just too much. I'd rather spend 3-3,500 for a complete rifle minus the scope. As long as the caliber it shoots is more commonly known and available. It's like the 408 CheyTac. Absolutely awesome but ammo not much fun to find. Plus expensive. How about a 338 LM instead. Ammo isn't too difficult to find and it might even puncture an engine block close to 1,000 yards out and soft targets to 1,500. That's still pretty good. For the hell of it. If you want a big, slow, round with tons of take down up close. I vote 458 SOCOM.