Barrett Unveils Drone-Killing Rifle

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M107A1

Among the firearms creating the most buzz at this year's Modern Day Marine show was a version of Barrett's M107A1, a shoulder-fired rifle designed to shoot drones out of the sky with hulking 25mm rounds.

It's billed as an "anti-UAV" weapon, referring to the military acronym for unmanned aerial vehicles. The rifle reminded more than a couple of Marines of a scene from the 2012 movie, "The Bourne Legacy," in which the hero, Aaron Cross (played by the actor Jeremy Renner) shoots down a Predator drone with a sniper rifle.

In reality, the M107A1 has a range of up to 2,000 meters and is designed to take out low-altitude drones -- those that can fly as high as 10,000 feet or so. (The Predator is a medium-altitude drone that can soar up to 25,000 feet.)

The semi-automatic, anti-material rifle can fire a 5-round magazine of 25mm cartridges and weighs 33 pounds.

Barrett, based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has built several of the rifles, some of which have been used by U.S. Special Operations forces. The Army is also considering buying the weapon, Barrett officials maintain.

In addition to military customers, the company is marketing the rifle to potential civilian buyers, including law enforcement agencies in the states such as Washington and Colorado as a tool to help control avalanches. (It's safer than using plastic explosives.)

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