In the realm of clone rifles — close civilian copies of actual military firearms — the Dillon TAC 501 is one of the largest. Chambered for the mighty .50 BMG, this rifle is based on the McMillan TAC 50, which is both legendary and record-setting.
In May 2017, an unnamed Canadian sniper operating in Iraq pulled off a new world record for the longest confirmed sniper kill at an astounding 3,871 yards. That’s a distance of almost 2.2 miles. To pull off such a feat, the sniper was using a TAC 50.
Now, I’m not saying that merely owning a close copy of the TAC 50, like the Dillon TAC 501, will make you capable of hitting a target at more than two miles. Such a feat can only come with countless hours of dedicated range time. Instead, what I am saying is that having a gun like the TAC 501 means that you would have the equipment to be capable of a shot like that. Everything else is up to you.
If you want the opportunity to own one of these guns, you’re in luck. There’s a Dillion TAC 501 available in Collector’s Elite Auctions.
Available Dillon TAC 501 Rifle
To say that this gun is a beast would be an understatement. It weighs in at 26 pounds without scope or loaded mag, which holds five rounds of .50 BMG. Given that each round weighs approximately 4.5 ounces and the gun holds 5+1, you’re looking at close to 28 pounds fully loaded with, again without the scope.
The .50 BMG cartridge, which stands for Browning Machine Gun, uses the .30-06 Springfield as a parent case. Scaled up exponentially, it was created by the legendary John Moses Browning and has been in service for more than a century. At 5.4 inches in overall length and loaded with a projectile that weighs more than 600 grains, it’s a serious cartridge that packs more than 13,000 foot-pounds of energy.
At a total of 55 inches in length, the TAC 501 is more than 4.5 feet long. The fluted barrel, which is 27.5 inches and made of stainless steel, accounts for 50 percent of the gun’s overall length.
Mounted in a custom Cadex chassis, the Dillon TAC 501 is mounted with a B&T Atlas bipod that is adjustable for both tilt and pan. The bolt is proprietary, nickel plated and outfitted with a teardrop-shaped knob. Utilizing a Remington 700 trigger, it breaks cleanly at 4.5 pounds. For a precision fit to the shooter, the length of pull is adjustable by three-quarters of an inch by way of quarter-inch spacers. The cheek rest is also adjustable by up to 1 inch.
MLOK attachment points at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock allow for the mounting of any number of accessories that you may desire. The Picatinny rail on top is 30 MOA and has plenty of length for both a scope and any other accessories you might want to use. Clip-on night vision or thermal, anyone?
This particular TAC 501 comes with a J Dewey cleaning rod, jag and brush. It also comes with a number of other tools and wrenches that you may need to properly set your gun up and keep it working top shape.
Dillion guarantees the gun to shoot with sub-MOA accuracy when firing match grade ammunition and there’s a properly trained trigger puller saddled up behind it.
If this all sounds like a gun that you need in your life, then you can order one directly from Dillon and wait six to eight weeks for them to build one for you in Phoenix, Ariz. The better option, though, would be to jump the line, so to speak, and bid on this one in the October Collection of Collector’s Elite Auctions.
