For this, I have selected the Barrett M82A1 .50 Caliber rifle because it is one of the heaviest recoiling rifles on the market today. This is not often seen by many gunsmiths because of its price and availability but I myself have had the pleasure of working with and handling this rifle. While I believe this rifle specifically should have every available option installed in an attempt to reduce its felt recoil, the option I would likely start with would probably be to add a suppressor to the muzzle break. The large caliber round fired by the Barrett M82A1 requires a lot of force to push the projectile out of the barrel and toward its intended target and that equals a lot of recoil.
It is important to remember that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction so the amount of gas that is expanding through the barrel and exiting behind the round is also pushing back toward the shooter. To put this caliber into perspective, the Barrett M82A1 is capable of retaining about 1,300 foot-pounds of energy after around 2,000 yards of travel so the felt recoil on the shooter is substantial. Attaching a suppressor can greatly reduce the firearms recoil by capturing and slowing down the gasses that exit the muzzle after the shot. While this option does only further increase the overall length and weight of the rifle, its ability to slow down and capture these gases should aid in reducing felt recoil a bit and has the added benefit of reducing noise to this ridiculously loud firearm.
Resources
Maddox, Brandon. “Which Gun Has the Most Recoil?” Silencer Central, 10 May 2023, www.silencercentral.com/blog/which-gun-has-the-most-recoil/#:~:text=The%20correct%20answer%20to%20what,caliber%20probably%20takes%20the%20cake.
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