Serbu Firearms .50 BMG Home Page

Serbu Firearms are based in Tampa, Florida, USA and have been manufacturing rifles in .50 BMG since 1999. They have manufactured almost 5,000 .50 calibre rifles (as at June 2021)! Their rifle designs are simple, effective and proven.

With good quality factory ammunition or well assembled reloaded ammunition, they are capable of sub-MOA long range accuracy. Serbu Firearms manufacture three models:

BFG-50A - A semi-automatic rifle (not available for civilian sale in Australia)

BFG-50 - A single shot bolt-action rifle

RN-50 - A single shot break action rifle

 The RN-50

The RN-50 is the newest .50 cal rifle released by Serbu Firearms, but its economical manufacturing cost (thanks to its simple design) has proven to be a winner with US shooters. No doubt it will also appeal to Australian firearms owners. It actually takes very little time to load and has the additional benefit of being able to be taken-down for ease of transporting and storage, which is a big plus for an otherwise long firearm.

 Image above shows the RN-50 rifle with optional bipod and optional telescoping buttstock. Scope and rings not included.

Price                                                      $4,100

Price with Reloading Package                 $5,240  (See below for Package Deal contents)

Price with Ammo Components Package  $4,690  (See below for Package Deal contents)

Price for RN-50 Heavy Barrel                   $5,820

RN-50 Specifications:

Calibres:   .50 BMG, .50 DTC

Action:  Modified break-action with screw-on breech cap

Barrel:  29.5” Alloy steel, 1 in 15” twist button rifled, Serbu accuracy chamber, four-chamber 'Shark Brake' muzzle brake

Finish:   Manganese phosphate & hard coat anodising

Weight:   7.7kg (with standard 29.5” bbl)

Length:   123cm (with 29.5" barrel and fixed buttstock)

Materials:  Steel, heat-treated alloy steel and aluminium

The BFG-50

Over 2,000 BFG-50 rifles have been manufactured. With quality mil-spec materials and high manufacturing standards, this rifle has proven itself and performs beyond its modest cost. The effective muzzle brake means that it is easy to shoot even with the carbine barrel.

Image above shows the BFG-50 rifle with optional bipod.

Price                                                      $5,695

Price with Reloading Package                 $6,835  (See below for Package Deal contents)

Price with Ammo Components Package  $6,285  (See below for Package Deal contents)

Price for BFG-50 Heavy Barrel                 $7,250

 BFG-50 Specifications:

Calibres:   .50 BMG, .50 DTC

Action:   Hammer-fired single shot bolt-action

Barrel:  29.5” Alloy steel, 1 in 15” twist button rifled, Serbu accuracy chamber, four-chamber 'Shark Brake' muzzle brake

Finish:   Manganese phosphate & hard coat anodising

Weight:   8.5kg with standard 29.5” bbl

Length:   131cm (with 29.5" barrel and fixed buttstock)

Materials:  Steel, heat-treated alloy steel and aluminium

Optional Extras

 Both rifles are available with one of three barrel options:

     29.5" Standard Barrel                       Included    (but ~$2,650 if purchased as an additional barrel for the RN-50)

     22" Carbine Barrel                            No additional cost    (but ~$2,650 if purchased as an additional barrel for the RN-50)

Fixed Stock                                           Included

Adjustable stock (RN-50 only).              $250

Folding stock (RN-50 only).                   $450

Bipod                                                    $485

30 MOA Scope Rail                                $200

BFG-50 Parts Kit (firing pin, extractor, pins & springs)  $215

RN-50 Spare Firing Pins                          $62

JSE Trigger Kit

A good trigger is essential for accuracy on any rifle. One of the best additions to your Serbu rifle is a JSE trigger kit, which can greatly reduce the standard trigger pull weight (below 2lbs) with no perceptible creep or overtravel.

Price                 $275

Terminator T6 Muzzle Brake

This brake provides greater recoil reduction compared to the Serbu standard brake. Its 6-port design captures more gas than the much smaller Serbu 4-port ‘Shark’ brake. Ceracoat finished to match in with the Serbu finish. It comes with a 1 x 14 thread that fits straight onto the threaded Serbu barrel. Gunsmith installation recommended.

Specifications: Thread – 1” x 14mm, Diameter – 50mm, (1.97”), Length - 153mm, (6”), Weight - 900g (31.7oz)

Price                 $450

Terminator T6 (top) vs Serbu brake (bottom)

Heavy Barrel Option

There are several advantages to shooting with a heavy barrel:

• The barrel is 6.5 inches (16.5cm) longer than the standard barrel, so you can expect around an extra 150 - 175 fps in velocity, which translates to a slightly flatter trajectory and less wind drift;
• The substantially thicker barrel is 1.6" (40.7mm) at the receiver and 1.26" (32.0mm) at the muzzle, compared with 1.15" (29.4mm) at the receiver and 1.01" (25.8mm) an inch back from the muzzle with the standard model. This means greater rigidity and dampened barrel harmonics for more accurate shooting;
• The considerably greater mass of the barrel means that it takes longer for the barrel to heat up, for more consistent shot to shot velocities and accuracy. Burning around 250grns of propellant per shot can heat up thinner barrels quickly, if firing shots in rapid succession; and
• The substanitally greater mass of the rifle (the heavy barrel increases rifle weight by around 47% for the RN-50, and around 43% for the BFG-50), means that recoil forces are dampened a little more, making the rifle more comfortable to shoot.

Note that for storage and transportation purposes, the BFG-50 Heavy Barrel is around 56.75" (144cm) long, and does not break down, so please ensure you have adequate safe height before ordering. However, the RN-50 Heavy Barrel can be separated from the lower receiver by removing the pivot pin, with the barrel section being only around 40" (102cm) long, making it easy to store and transport.

.50 DTC Cartridge Option

In addition to .50 BMG, the above rifles are also offered in .50 DTC. This cartridge is a variation of the .50 BMG, for jurisdictions where the .50 BMG chambering is not civilian legal. First developed in France (called the .510 DTC Europ), this cartridge is widely used in places such as California, where it is no longer legal to purchase rifles chambered in .50 BMG. The American version has very slight dimensional differences from the French original and is called the .50 DTC (EDM), with EDM the company who put first made them in the US. The .50 DTC is a slightly shorter cartridge than the .50 BMG, with slightly less body taper, and a pushed down, but wider and sharper shoulder. Case capacity and velocities are virtually identical with the .50 BMG. This cartridge can be formed from .50 BMG brass with only a full length .50 DTC resizing die and a case trimmer. However, you should anneal the formed case before firing it, as the forming process works the neck making it more brittle. Annealing the neck / shoulder area will prevent case splits.

Please note that while .50 DTC is an option, the fact that it is a non-standard chambering means that the price is much higher. This option will cost an extra $900.

Go to our .50 BMG Reloading Page in the Technical Notes / Ammunition Notes section of our website to read about reloading for both .50 BMG and .50 DTC.

Ordering

The BFG-50 and RN-50 made their Australian debut at the Sydney SSAA SHOT Expo in late June 2016. MFS generally keeps rifles in stock but may have to order in rifles, depending upon demand. Heavy barrel or carbine barrel, and .50 DTC models, are available on order, but we do not keep these in stock. Orders for firearms not in stock require a deposit of 25% of the rifle cost. Optional extras will require an additional deposit of 50% of the cost of the option. Orders will be filled in accordance with the date of deposit paid. First in, best dresssed!

Package Deals

In addition to the rifles, we offer reloading packages to allow shooters to access lower cost ammunition. Package prices apply if you are buying a rifle from us, otherwise standard component prices apply. Let's face it, the cost of feeding a big .50 BMG is something else when compared to buying or loading ammunition for standard centrefire cartridges. Projectiles are in the weight range of 647 - 800grns and propellant charges are in the vicinity of 225grns - 250grns! So for those of you who may want the fun of shooting a big .50 without the extravagant ammunition price tag, we have options.

.50 BMG Reloading Package                          $1,200

We can supply a .50 BMG Reloading Package that comprises the following:

Lee .50 BMG press kit including reloading dies;

50 x once-fired .50 BMG military brass; and

100 x 647grn military FMJ pulled projectiles.

This package will give you the basics you need to reload for the .50 BMG (except primers & propellant - costly to ship interstate) and will allow you to reload for a lot less than the usual cost of buying .50 BMG factory ammo. This package will allow you to load 100 rounds of ammunition. The once fired military brass has crimped primer pockets, but this crimp can easily be removed with a standard chamfer tool. This simple and quick process only needs to be done one time. Note that the Lee press is 1.25 x 12" thread size, as are their dies. Other .50 cal presses, such as RCBS and Hornady are 1.5 x 12" thread, so the Lee dies cannot be used in them.

Propellants such as ADI AR 2218 are suitable for the .50 BMG.

.50 BMG Ammunition Components Package    $625

As an option, we also have a .50 BMG Ammunition Components Package which is as above, but without the Lee .50 BMG press kit and dies. If you already have dies or a suitable press, then you can take advantage of this saving on components. Reloading will be a lot cheaper in the long run than buying factory ammunition.

If purchasing either of these Package Deals along with a Serbu Firearms .50 BMG rifle, you'll save even more on the above prices (see Rifle Package Prices above).

Premium Projectiles for the .50 BMG

For those of you who may want to compete in long range competitions and require the best accuracy possible, there are several different options available from Cutting Edge Bullets:

          .510 cal 720grn Match / Tactical (MTAC X03)

          .510 cal 750grn LAZER (LZR 510 750)

          .510 cal 762grn Match / Tactical (MTAC X02)

          .510 cal 798grn Match / Tactical / Hunting (MTH X04)

          .510 cal 800grn LAZER (LZR 510 800)    Note: Requires faster than standard twist (1 in 14")

          .510 cal 802grn Match / Tactical (MTAC X01)

          .510 cal 850grn LAZER (LZR 510 850)    Note: Requires faster than standard twist (1 in 13")

          .510 cal 902grn Match / Tactical (MTAC 510 902)    Note: Requires faster than standard twist (1 in 14")

          .510 cal 1,002grn Match / Tactical (MTAC 510 1002)    Note: Requires faster than standard twist (1 in 13")

These projectiles are all monolithic copper projectiles that are CNC lathe turned to exacting tolerances for the extreme demands of long range competition. Each comes in boxes of 50 projectiles. Click here to shop for Cutting Edge Bullets .50 cal projectiles.

Reloading Information

For information about reloading for .50 BMG and .50 DTC cartridges, please go to our Technical Notes / Ammunition Notes section and view the .50 Cal Reloading Page. To go there click here.