The first prototype of the rifle in 12.7 × 99 mm NATO caliber was built by Barrett in 1982, which explains the designation M82. In the early years of the company, only a few copies were produced for the civilian market. This changed when the Swedish Army bought 100 rifles in 1989. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Armed Forces ordered a larger quantity of M82s in preparation for Operation Desert Storm as the Special Applications Scoped Rifle (SASR). Currently, the M82 is used militarily by more than 30 countries; among others, the rifle was introduced to the Bundeswehr as the G82 as part of the “Infantryman of the Future” program and is now an integral part of the equipment of Bundeswehr snipers. The German variant differs from the standard rifle in that it has a new Zeiss telescopic sight with six to twenty-four times magnification. In the G82A1 version, the weight has been reduced by 2.5 kg through the use of titanium and aluminum, and three additional Picatinny rails have been added to the housing.
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