Ronnie G. Barrett
Born1954 (age 69–70)
Alma materMurfreesboro Central High School
Known forBarrett Firearms Manufacturing,
Barrett M82
Spouse
​
(m. 2010)​
[1]
ChildrenChris Barrett
Angela Barrett

Ronnie G. Barrett (born 1954) is the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing of Christiana, Tennessee, board member of the National Rifle Association of America,[2] and the designer of the Barrett M82.

Life and career

Barrett was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1954, and graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School.[3] He started his career in 1972 as a professional photographer for a studio in the same town.[3] In 1982, while he owned a photography studio, he was inspired to create the Barrett M82. On January 1, 1982, when Barrett was photographing a river patrol gunboat on the Stones River near Nashville, Tennessee, a picture he shot of the twin Browning machine guns mounted prominently on the boat made him think of the .50 BMG cartridge and its potential for commercial users.[4]

With no engineering background, Barrett hand-sketched plans at home for a .50BMG repeating semi-automatic rifle.[5] Later, he found a partner in tool and die maker Bob Mitchell and an employee at a sheet metal fabricator in Smyrna, Tennessee. Four months later a prototype was finished.[6] A second prototype shown off at a gun show in Houston would garner starting capital for Barrett from three investors, necessary for the Barrett Firearms Manufacturing company and production of the first 30 rifles for private use.[5] Large-scale commercial success came when the CIA acquired an unknown number of rifles for arming the Afghan mujahideen as part of the Soviet–Afghan War effort.[4] In 1989, the Swedish Army adopted the M82 as a sniper rifle. In 1990, the United States Armed Forces followed, and subsequently deployed the rifles during Operation Desert storm.[7]

Ronnie Barrett Top 10 Award

Barrett is an advocate for the private ownership of firearms. Barrett has headed fundraising campaigns for the National Rifle Association,[8] sits on its board of directors,[2] and makes occasional appearances on the Cam & Company podcast where he speaks on gun laws.[2]

Barrett married former Tennessee State Rep. Donna Rowland in 2010.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Murphy, Cat (September 19, 2017). "Remarkable Rutherford Woman: Former State Rep. Donna Barrett means business". Murfreesboro,Post. MSM Publications.
  2. 1 2 3 "Barrett, Ronnie (Board Member)". NRA On the Record. 2014-06-09. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  3. 1 2 "Barrett Firearms got its start on the dining-room table". Nashville Business Journal. American City Business Journals. March 13, 2008. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 Clancy, Tom (1996). Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Berkeley, California: Berkeley Trade. pp. 59–61. ISBN 978-0-425-15454-0.
  5. 1 2 Lewis, Jack (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. Gun Digest Books; 7 edition. pp. 94–97. ISBN 978-0-89689-498-3.
  6. ↑ Ian V. Hogg; John S. Weeks (2000). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Iola, WI: Krause. pp. 399–400. ISBN 978-0-87341-824-9.
  7. ↑ "Company". Barrett Firearms. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  8. ↑ "Barrett Firearms a great Friend of NRA". 2015-04-26. Archived from the original on 2015-04-26. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
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