Multiplayer

In Multiplayer, the Barrett .50cal is unlocked at Level 3 as part of the "Scout Sniper" default class. It is capable of firing faster than its sight can settle. Firing too quickly makes the Barrett .50cal difficult to use, due to the high recoil. However, the Barrett .50cal has a recoil limit, which a skilled player can use to his/her advantage. This problem is easily mitigated by simply slowing the rate of fire and only firing when the recoil has settled. This requires great concentration, as inexperienced players tend to fire too fast. However, the ability to fire so fast can be an advantage in close quarters when there is no time to switch to a secondary and the player is forced to fire their sniper rifle from the hip. The Barrett .50cal is most praised for its ability to deliver one hit kills with a high rate of fire.
One flaw of the Barrett is that its recoil kicks the gun up and to the right so much that the shooter momentarily loses sight of their target. Since the ACOG zooms in less when looking down the sight, it is easier to follow an enemy after firing with it than with a standard Sniper scope, but in many situations the decreased zoom and inability to steady the scope makes it less than practical.
The Barrett is a relatively good candidate to use with a Silencer and Stopping Power, as the player can kill a target with a single shot to the chest, neck, or head. However, the Barrett's high recoil can make it difficult for the shooter to land a second shot if the first shot does not kill. Without Stopping Power, the Barrett is a less than ideal candidate for a silencer because all snipers require two shots to kill when using a silencer without Stopping Power unless on Hardcore. Also, The Barrett's ROF is higher during multiplayer than in the Campaign and Museum, due to a firecap being added in singleplayer.

Advantages of using the Barrett .50cal

The Barrett .50cal has a larger magazine of 10 compared to the Intervention's magazine of 5.
Although higher, the .50cal's recoil is much more predictable and resets faster.
The .50cal fires semi-automatically, making it more ideal for missed shots.
The .50cal has a much lower sway than the Intervention.
The .50cal fire rate means the player can easily spray in conditions where the secondary is impractical.
The .50cal steadies faster.