Murfreesboro firearms manufacturer Ronnie Barrett was honored earlier this year by the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville through and exhibit that paid homage to Tennesseans whose lives and legacies have contributed to the rich and storied history of the Volunteer State.

According to Ronald Westphal, a curator at the museum, the exhibit, “Tennesseans: A People’s Legacy”, used artifacts to tell stories about outstanding personalities from the 1700s to the present. “It was designed to give a sampling of the richness of Tennesseans who have over the centuries made our state what it is today.  Included among the artifacts was the Ronnie Barrett designed rifle, Model 82A1, that was used in the desert war, Operation Desert Storm.”

Barrett designed his first .50-caliber rifle back in 1982 in his Murfreesboro garage.  While the rifle was used in Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, it was officially adopted by the United States Army in 2002 and named the M107.  The rifle was recognized in 2005 as one of the Top 10 Great Inventions for the United States military.  Barrett rifles have also been fielded by over 50 American allied countries around the world.

Westphal said, “The rifle was joined by artifacts representing many other personalities, including the Medal of Honor given to World War One hero Alvin C. York, the Red Cross cap of Mrs. C.A. Craig, the binoculars of early naturalist Emma Bell Miles, the portrait of John Sevier by Charles Willson Peale, an early postman’s wagon from DeKalb County, and recognition of Sarah Childress Polk, a native of Murfreesboro who became the first lady of both Tennessee and the United States as wife of Governor and U.S. President James K. Polk.”

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7 Apr 2010

Sergeant Nick Ranstad, 32, is a former sniper who holds the United States Army record for a confirmed long-distance kill.  Firing a Tennessee-made Barrett M107 in Afghanistan, the young soldier recorded the shot of over 1.3 miles on 2 January 2008 near the Pakistan border as he was helping to protect American soldiers while keeping the enemy from transporting weapons and supplies.

Now stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Ranstad recently visited Barrett Firearms Manufacturing in Murfreesboro to see first-hand how the world-famous rifles are made.  He was also honored by the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville with a standing ovation for the remarkable feat and heroism.

He recalled that day in Afghanistan, “My platoon was manning Checkpoint Delta.  I had just come off duty and was about 20 minutes into a nap when my spotter informed me that four enemy insurgents had been sighted at about 2,100 meters.”  The rest is history.

A native of Minnesota, Ranstad as a youngster was fascinated by the military.  When about 14, his father –Bruce Ranstad –helped produce a home movie titled “Nick Swartzenegger” where the Army wanabe dressed in camouflage, painted his face, and headed out on a hostage rescue mission.

The senior Ranstad said that he and Nick discussed the military many times since his family has a long history of military service; a great-grandfather was in the Army during World War I; a grandfather served the Army in the Korean War and later was an Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  And, Bruce Ranstad, the father was in the Navy.

When the younger Ranstad joined the Army he initially wanted to be in a Tank Platoon, but nothing was available.  His second choice was a Cavalry Scout or nothing.  The recruiter agreed and he was assigned to a sniper school.

Sergeant Ranstad later proved himself with the long gun; earning the coveted German Schutzenschnur Silver Aiguillette Medal, missing the Gold Medal by just one-point.  Only a small handful of U.S. soldiers are invited to compete for the prestigious honor, which is one of the few approved foreign awards to be earned by American service personnel.

Ranstad was featured on the cover of ‘Soldier of Fortune’ magazine in the June 2010 edition along with his story inside the publication.  Also, his Army uniform worn that day in 2008 while on duty in Afghanistan is on permanent display at the National Rifle Association’s Firearms Museum in Virginia.

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