Emerson Barrett M50
Review by Phil Elmore
The Barrett Rifles M50 folding knife is a collaboration between the iconic manufacturer of .50 BMG-caliber rifles and Emerson Knives,
which designed the M50 for Barrett exclusively. This
aggressive-looking and typically Emerson tactical knife shipped to me
in a Barrett collector tin, complete with a pewter lapel pin in the
shape of the Barrett Model 82A1. This is one of those little
packages that just makes a knife collector or accumulator smile in
pleasure — a great knife in a fun package that includes a little
show-your-support bling (and forgive me for using the term “bling”).
The knife itself (mine was made in 2003) is a fairly typical Emerson
tactical folder. The plain, 3.5 inch coated blade is of 154CMand
bears the Emerson and Barrett logos (one on each side).
A thumb disk is provided for ambidextrous one-hand opening.
The knife opens smoothly and locks securely with no blade play.
The liner lock engages the blade tang at the extreme left of the
tang, leaving plenty of room for wear. The cutting edge
was hair-popping sharp out of the box… er, tin. It has a great
curved elly and plenty of straight edge length, while tapering to a
nicely sharp tip.
The pocket clip has typically rough Emerson appearance. It had good
tension out of the tin and is configured for right-hand, tip-up use
only.
The knife’s liners are titanium. The G10 handles have a good
texture and provide a firm grip (especially given the ergonomic curves
o the grip itself). There are some slots cut in the handle that
serve no purpose; they are evocative of the Barrett rifle for which the
knife is named. There is an integral guard just ahead of a deep index
finger scoop, with thoughtfully placed thumb grooves on the blade spine
behind the opening disk (not to mention on the back of the handle
contiguous to the blade’s grooves). The result is a knife that feels very secure in my grip. For those who
wish to be absolutely certain not to lose their knife, a lanyard hole
has been drilled through the handle at the tip
if you like Emerson knives and you are fond of the Barrett rifles —
most of us will only ever dream of owning one of these, but I certainly
count myself a fan — this is the perfect knife for you. While it
is presented as a collectible, it could just as easily be a daily carry
blade. It is comfortable, functional, and very businesslike in
both its execution and its aesthetics. >>