Browning BAR's

Ian2005 · August 7, 2006, 04:02 PM

I sure read a lot about AR-15's and SKS here on this site, I'm almost left to believe everyone here has one.... anyway, don't get me wrong, I want a semi-auto like everyone else, I just like the look of the BAR's over the others and it seems noone talks about them, or their forgotten, or something. Does anyone here have one? A newer one (post 2000)? How is the form?, how is the fuction? Browning owners report in -
Official BAR HomePage

JD 500 · August 7, 2006, 07:26 PM

I would highly reccomend a Browning BAR.
You are clearly not going to get fast (Read tactical) follow up shots with a
.300 Win mag but my BAR has harvested many deer and elk.

The gun has been flawless and off the bench is close in accuracy to my Tikka T3 lite .300 win mag bolt action.

If I had it to do over, I would get a safari model (Wood stocks) and the BOSS system.

brett30030 · August 7, 2006, 07:29 PM

AR-15's and SKS are in my opinion completely different than a BAR, it is very much like the old apples and oranges analogy.

As far as the BAR is concerned, i have owned a BAR for about 10-15(?) years. I believe the model was a Mark II Safari (i am going from memory) in .270. I have not treated it well, often been negligent is cleaning it regularly, let a few rust spots pop-up after hunting for days in the rain and yet never had the first problem with it. Of all of the firearms purchases that i have made, this has been the one that i feel has been the greatest value in terms of real use.

good luck with your search.

maas · August 7, 2006, 07:36 PM

338 win mag in a safari flavor. all bar safaris are the same from 93 to present. bars are a very popular rifle on here and i refer to mine alot.

AmesJainchill · August 7, 2006, 07:55 PM

Coincidentally, do the old 20 round mags work with new .30'06 guns? Or did they change the mag well in some fashion?

Not that it's a practical idea, since the mags are probably very expensive.

brett30030 · August 7, 2006, 08:50 PM

"AmesJainchill
Member

Coincidentally, do the old 20 round mags work with new .30'06 guns? Or did they change the mag well in some fashion?"

I don't know how anything other than the factory or similar would fit. Do they all not have a floorplate covering the magazine slot?

I think that maybe Ian2005 and AmesJainchill are confusing this:

http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/browning.htm

With the modern BAR. The M1918A2 BAR is a machine gun and would require a permit to own if i am not mistaken. And they would be very, very, very heavy to carry.

Big-Foot · August 7, 2006, 09:14 PM

It would be great in case of a bear attack though.

Ian2005 · August 7, 2006, 09:31 PM

No Not

But

maas · August 7, 2006, 10:53 PM

hey if i could get my hands on the original bar id hunt deer with it

brett30030 · August 7, 2006, 11:39 PM

On what level are you looking for comparisons between an AR-15/SKS and a BAR? They are so fundamentally different, that i do not understand what you are looking for. One is a hunting rifle the others are primarily military assault weapons that have some applications as modified hunting rifles. It is like comparing and Indy with Nascar, they both have a relatively specific purpose, but not much relevance to each other. I am not trying to be a jerk, i just don't understand what you are trying to garner from your post.

Delynn · August 8, 2006, 07:46 AM

I have a 300 win mag safari BAR and a 30-06 BAR. I had a ton of problems with my 300 win mag when I got it. It would not shoot better than a 5 MOA group. After 10 different ammos with different bullets for each, 2 scopes, different recoil pads, different shooters shooting it, and many many many bad words are the range, I gave up. I finally sent it back to Browning and they fixed the problem but I never found out what the problem was. It shoots great now. And as for my 06. I won it in a raffle. Cost me 2 bucks with a vx II Leupold on it and it is a little dream. Shoots any kind of ammo and likes most all of them. It's not too loud and almost no recoil. My eight year old nephew has shoot about a 15 of so deer with it and I use it for deer depredation permits and have shoot well over 100 with it. Can you see my love for this rifle. Not the absolute best rifle in the world, but for the money it will be hard to beat. If you want a semi auto hunting rifle, the this is a good one. I don't really see the need for a semi auto hunting rifle for most people, but for what I use it for. It is great. Sometimes I need lots of shoots and fast. This rifle works well for what I do. For target shooting, i would suggest a bolt action. Just my 2 cents.

Dirty_Harry · August 8, 2006, 08:22 AM

My dad just bought a browning BAR in .308 (I guess these are hard to find) well it does not feed another round into the chamber. I am geussing that it was the owner before him and not a manufactuer's error. It is one beautiful rifle though.

I outshoot him with my Springfield M1A though.

Ian2005 · August 8, 2006, 11:14 AM

Brett30030.. did you just have to type something to have your words on the big screen? wow.. just wow.:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:

AmesJainchill · August 8, 2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

I don't know how anything other than the factory or similar would fit. Do they all not have a floorplate covering the magazine slot?

I think that maybe Ian2005 and AmesJainchill are confusing this:

http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/browning.htm

With the modern BAR. The M1918A2 BAR is a machine gun and would require a permit to own if i am not mistaken. And they would be very, very, very heavy to carry.

I don't know about Ian, but I was confusing the two. Thanks.

superpelly · August 8, 2006, 04:34 PM

I have a Bar safari Mk II 7mm Boss. Love it, Shoots very straight. With the Boss system it shoots like a 308 and you can dial in the barrel vibration to very tight group. It takes a few times of shooting before you really know what your doing (scope+BOSS system, dialing both together) but its worth the tight groups at 100 to 300 yards.

brett30030 · August 8, 2006, 09:28 PM

""Ian2005
Brett30030.. did you just have to type something to have your words on the big screen? wow.. just wow.""

I have no idea what that means?
maybe this:
Christopher Walken's SNL character "The Continental", "Wow, wow wee wow, wow, wow"!

If you have a problem with something i posted, please clarify. I posted about my experience with the BAR. I wished you good luck with your search. I thought you might possibly be confused with what you were referring to as a BAR. Then tried to get you to clarify what you were looking for as far as feedback, and in the same post said that i was not trying to be a jerk, but trying to get what you were looking for. Then you post some cryptic response with a vomiting smilie. Good luck in your search.

Jseime · August 10, 2006, 09:50 PM

I'd agree with you that the BAR is sort-of the forgotton "sporter" semi-auto. The reason that the modern BAR doesnt come up in most of the semi-auto discussions around here is that they focus on "military" style rifles (SKS, AK, AR)

I think that if I had the money I'd buy a BAR, The new short-tracs look very nice, they give you more round selection than the remington 7400 and did I mention that they look very nice.

robctwo · August 11, 2006, 12:41 AM

I bought the 308 BAR Stalker a few years ago. Love it. Very accurate, light weight and reliable. NEEDED the 300 WSM with BOSS. Bought it two years ago. It is an amazing rifle. I can get five shot groups in one large hole with my reloads at 100 yards from a rest. Have taken a couple mule deer with it. Looking for elk this fall.

I reload for both. Getting out to the range this weekend to run the dust off before hunting season.

Anthony Terry · August 11, 2006, 12:51 AM

Any browning made rifle is very nice and accurate. I love my a-bolt and love all the BAR's I've seen also. Browning rifles and accuracy go hand in hand. Hard to go wrong with any browning. I think soon they'll get the respect they deserve.

GreenFlash107 · August 12, 2006, 07:18 PM

Anytime I see or hear someone talking about a BAR, it is always the WWII version I think about. I would love to own the WWII version

BusGunner007 · August 14, 2006, 07:33 PM

...after having open heart surgery this summer

, I may test my Remington 700 / .375 ULTRA a few times and sell it for this Browning BAR MkII Lightweight Stalker in .338 Win.Mag.

I have a MkII Safari w/BOSS in 7mm Rem.Mag. and will put the nice wood back on it so it'll look right.
But, for a Big Game hunting rifle, the BAR Lightweight Stalker in .338 Win.Mag. looks pretty good ( I have a Bell & Carlson stockset for it already ).

I've pretty much given up the idea I'll ever hunt Alaska or Africa with a .458 LOTT...

Ditto for shooting 3 1/2" SuperMag shells in my 870...

FirstFreedom · August 14, 2006, 07:56 PM

Well, you've got to draw a distinction between sporting semi-autos:

742/7400
BAR
Win superX
Benelli R1

etc.

with semis based on .mil designs - AR, AK, FAL, M-14 type, G3 type, etc.

Reason the latter get more attention by a lot of knowledgeable shooters is that they are tried and true DURABLE military designs, which have a history of being able to shoot tens of thousands of rounds without major malfunctions (assuming proper maintenance), and be able to function in extreme environments of temperature, humidity, sand/dust, etc., and after they (and their mags) have been dropped & thrown around as they would in a .mil environment. Unlike the sporter rifles which may or may not stand up to rigorous hard use such as that.

I would love to have a BAR, and would get one if they made one in .35 whelen in a heartbeat since I like that round as the next addition to my caliber family. As it stands, I will be getting another good and nice-looking rifle chambered in it for less money, the new Rem 750 woodsmaster.

Busgunner, I don't blame ya, and heal up soon, brotha. I love it - only a true gun nut would 'downsize' to a .338 magnum!

I will have to second the nomination of the *original* BAR being a great bear defense gun!

BusGunner007 · August 14, 2006, 09:01 PM

B.O.S.S. plus open sights!

So, that means one could have the factory style ( Williams, I think... ) sights added to a BOSS BAR.
The 'no-holes' BOSS is much quieter, too.

Hmmmmmmm...
http://www.browningint.com/products/...IER+AFFUT+BOSS

There's even a Browning Optics site to pick from...
http://www.browningsportsoptics.com/rifle/index.html#
I'd choose the little European version, I think...

Thanks for the well wishes, too. Once I get a decent night's sleep more than once in a row, my energy level will kick it up a step.

Huntergirl · August 14, 2006, 09:14 PM

I had a BAR Safari 7mag and it was a great shooter, especially with the Federal Premiums. It filled my freezer with elk a few times. Had a Burris 6x on it. The main reasons I sold it was the weight, and I was moving and wanted money for furniture.; it was cumbersome to lug it in the mountains. But it ran flawless and accurate. I've had some interest in the new Remington 750, seems more streamlined and lighter. But haven't heard any reports on it yet.

Big-Foot · August 15, 2006, 12:26 AM

Naw, if I could get a European BAR it would be a 9.3x62mm. http://www.browningint.com/intro.html That oughta thump em.

Other than a fast second shot in case of a deflected bullet BusGunner007 touched on one of the best features of a semi. The recoil reduction is probably about 20%, and that's without the BOSS brake. My aluminum reciever Stalker in 30-06 kicks less than my ex-wife did. And she had Karate class experience. She couldnt aim worth a damn though, thank god, cause you know just what she was trying to hit huh.

August 7, 2006, 04:02 PM	#1
Ian2005 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 355	Browning BAR's I sure read a lot about AR-15's and SKS here on this site, I'm almost left to believe everyone here has one.... anyway, don't get me wrong, I want a semi-auto like everyone else, I just like the look of the BAR's over the others and it seems noone talks about them, or their forgotten, or something. Does anyone here have one? A newer one (post 2000)? How is the form?, how is the fuction? Browning owners report in - Official BAR HomePage

August 7, 2006, 07:26 PM	#2
JD 500 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 110	BAR Lightweight Stalker (Synthetic) .300 Win Mag I would highly reccomend a Browning BAR. You are clearly not going to get fast (Read tactical) follow up shots with a .300 Win mag but my BAR has harvested many deer and elk. The gun has been flawless and off the bench is close in accuracy to my Tikka T3 lite .300 win mag bolt action. If I had it to do over, I would get a safari model (Wood stocks) and the BOSS system.

August 7, 2006, 07:29 PM	#3
brett30030 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2006 Location: Buford, Georgia Posts: 198	my .02 worth AR-15's and SKS are in my opinion completely different than a BAR, it is very much like the old apples and oranges analogy. As far as the BAR is concerned, i have owned a BAR for about 10-15(?) years. I believe the model was a Mark II Safari (i am going from memory) in .270. I have not treated it well, often been negligent is cleaning it regularly, let a few rust spots pop-up after hunting for days in the rain and yet never had the first problem with it. Of all of the firearms purchases that i have made, this has been the one that i feel has been the greatest value in terms of real use. good luck with your search. __________________ Join the NRA Join the North Georgia Striper Club

August 7, 2006, 07:36 PM	#4
maas Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2005 Location: The state of Jefferson Posts: 897	338 win mag in a safari flavor. all bar safaris are the same from 93 to present. bars are a very popular rifle on here and i refer to mine alot. __________________ I don't try to offend....some times i get lucky! There's always one thing that makes Republicans look good on election day...........Democrats!

August 7, 2006, 08:50 PM	#6
brett30030 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2006 Location: Buford, Georgia Posts: 198	"AmesJainchill Member Coincidentally, do the old 20 round mags work with new .30'06 guns? Or did they change the mag well in some fashion?" I don't know how anything other than the factory or similar would fit. Do they all not have a floorplate covering the magazine slot? I think that maybe Ian2005 and AmesJainchill are confusing this: http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/browning.htm With the modern BAR. The M1918A2 BAR is a machine gun and would require a permit to own if i am not mistaken. And they would be very, very, very heavy to carry. __________________ Join the NRA Join the North Georgia Striper Club

August 7, 2006, 07:55 PM	#5
AmesJainchill Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2006 Posts: 278	Coincidentally, do the old 20 round mags work with new .30'06 guns? Or did they change the mag well in some fashion? Not that it's a practical idea, since the mags are probably very expensive.

August 7, 2006, 09:31 PM	#8
Ian2005 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 355	Arghh.. No Not But

August 7, 2006, 10:53 PM	#9
maas Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2005 Location: The state of Jefferson Posts: 897	hey if i could get my hands on the original bar id hunt deer with it __________________ I don't try to offend....some times i get lucky! There's always one thing that makes Republicans look good on election day...........Democrats!

August 7, 2006, 11:39 PM	#10
brett30030 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2006 Location: Buford, Georgia Posts: 198	Ian2005, Arghhh On what level are you looking for comparisons between an AR-15/SKS and a BAR? They are so fundamentally different, that i do not understand what you are looking for. One is a hunting rifle the others are primarily military assault weapons that have some applications as modified hunting rifles. It is like comparing and Indy with Nascar, they both have a relatively specific purpose, but not much relevance to each other. I am not trying to be a jerk, i just don't understand what you are trying to garner from your post. __________________ Join the NRA Join the North Georgia Striper Club

August 8, 2006, 07:46 AM	#11
Delynn Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 45	Good rifle for the money I have a 300 win mag safari BAR and a 30-06 BAR. I had a ton of problems with my 300 win mag when I got it. It would not shoot better than a 5 MOA group. After 10 different ammos with different bullets for each, 2 scopes, different recoil pads, different shooters shooting it, and many many many bad words are the range, I gave up. I finally sent it back to Browning and they fixed the problem but I never found out what the problem was. It shoots great now. And as for my 06. I won it in a raffle. Cost me 2 bucks with a vx II Leupold on it and it is a little dream. Shoots any kind of ammo and likes most all of them. It's not too loud and almost no recoil. My eight year old nephew has shoot about a 15 of so deer with it and I use it for deer depredation permits and have shoot well over 100 with it. Can you see my love for this rifle. Not the absolute best rifle in the world, but for the money it will be hard to beat. If you want a semi auto hunting rifle, the this is a good one. I don't really see the need for a semi auto hunting rifle for most people, but for what I use it for. It is great. Sometimes I need lots of shoots and fast. This rifle works well for what I do. For target shooting, i would suggest a bolt action. Just my 2 cents.

August 8, 2006, 08:22 AM	#12
Dirty_Harry Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2006 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 1,484	My dad just bought a browning BAR in .308 (I guess these are hard to find) well it does not feed another round into the chamber. I am geussing that it was the owner before him and not a manufactuer's error. It is one beautiful rifle though. I outshoot him with my Springfield M1A though. __________________ "The only purpose for a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have laid down." "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." -John Wayne

August 8, 2006, 11:14 AM	#13
Ian2005 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 355	Omg Brett30030.. did you just have to type something to have your words on the big screen? wow.. just wow.:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:

August 8, 2006, 04:34 PM	#15
superpelly Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 499	I have a Bar safari Mk II 7mm Boss. Love it, Shoots very straight. With the Boss system it shoots like a 308 and you can dial in the barrel vibration to very tight group. It takes a few times of shooting before you really know what your doing (scope+BOSS system, dialing both together) but its worth the tight groups at 100 to 300 yards.

August 8, 2006, 09:28 PM	#16
brett30030 Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2006 Location: Buford, Georgia Posts: 198	""Ian2005 Brett30030.. did you just have to type something to have your words on the big screen? wow.. just wow."" I have no idea what that means? maybe this: Christopher Walken's SNL character "The Continental", "Wow, wow wee wow, wow, wow"! If you have a problem with something i posted, please clarify. I posted about my experience with the BAR. I wished you good luck with your search. I thought you might possibly be confused with what you were referring to as a BAR. Then tried to get you to clarify what you were looking for as far as feedback, and in the same post said that i was not trying to be a jerk, but trying to get what you were looking for. Then you post some cryptic response with a vomiting smilie. Good luck in your search. __________________ Join the NRA Join the North Georgia Striper Club Last edited by brett30030; August 8, 2006 at 11:43 PM.

August 10, 2006, 09:50 PM	#17
Jseime Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,775	I'd agree with you that the BAR is sort-of the forgotton "sporter" semi-auto. The reason that the modern BAR doesnt come up in most of the semi-auto discussions around here is that they focus on "military" style rifles (SKS, AK, AR) I think that if I had the money I'd buy a BAR, The new short-tracs look very nice, they give you more round selection than the remington 7400 and did I mention that they look very nice. __________________ I love the smell of fresh shotgun in the morning.

August 11, 2006, 12:41 AM	#18
robctwo Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2002 Location: Albany, Oregon Posts: 644	I bought the 308 BAR Stalker a few years ago. Love it. Very accurate, light weight and reliable. NEEDED the 300 WSM with BOSS. Bought it two years ago. It is an amazing rifle. I can get five shot groups in one large hole with my reloads at 100 yards from a rest. Have taken a couple mule deer with it. Looking for elk this fall. I reload for both. Getting out to the range this weekend to run the dust off before hunting season.

August 11, 2006, 12:51 AM	#19
Anthony Terry Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2006 Location: Virginia. Posts: 673	Any browning made rifle is very nice and accurate. I love my a-bolt and love all the BAR's I've seen also. Browning rifles and accuracy go hand in hand. Hard to go wrong with any browning. I think soon they'll get the respect they deserve. __________________ Anthony...

August 12, 2006, 07:18 PM	#20
GreenFlash107 Member Join Date: June 16, 2006 Location: North GA Posts: 87	Anytime I see or hear someone talking about a BAR, it is always the WWII version I think about. I would love to own the WWII version

August 14, 2006, 07:33 PM	#21
BusGunner007 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2001 Location: Upper Left Coast Posts: 2,116	...after having open heart surgery this summer , I may test my Remington 700 / .375 ULTRA a few times and sell it for this Browning BAR MkII Lightweight Stalker in .338 Win.Mag. I have a MkII Safari w/BOSS in 7mm Rem.Mag. and will put the nice wood back on it so it'll look right. But, for a Big Game hunting rifle, the BAR Lightweight Stalker in .338 Win.Mag. looks pretty good ( I have a Bell & Carlson stockset for it already ). I've pretty much given up the idea I'll ever hunt Alaska or Africa with a .458 LOTT... Ditto for shooting 3 1/2" SuperMag shells in my 870... __________________ "...if you're not havin' fun, you're workin'..."

August 14, 2006, 07:56 PM	#22
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Well, you've got to draw a distinction between sporting semi-autos: 742/7400 BAR Win superX Benelli R1 etc. with semis based on .mil designs - AR, AK, FAL, M-14 type, G3 type, etc. Reason the latter get more attention by a lot of knowledgeable shooters is that they are tried and true DURABLE military designs, which have a history of being able to shoot tens of thousands of rounds without major malfunctions (assuming proper maintenance), and be able to function in extreme environments of temperature, humidity, sand/dust, etc., and after they (and their mags) have been dropped & thrown around as they would in a .mil environment. Unlike the sporter rifles which may or may not stand up to rigorous hard use such as that. I would love to have a BAR, and would get one if they made one in .35 whelen in a heartbeat since I like that round as the next addition to my caliber family. As it stands, I will be getting another good and nice-looking rifle chambered in it for less money, the new Rem 750 woodsmaster. Busgunner, I don't blame ya, and heal up soon, brotha. I love it - only a true gun nut would 'downsize' to a .338 magnum! I will have to second the nomination of the original BAR being a great bear defense gun!

August 14, 2006, 09:01 PM	#23
BusGunner007 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2001 Location: Upper Left Coast Posts: 2,116	Then there's this BAR --- ! B.O.S.S. plus open sights! So, that means one could have the factory style ( Williams, I think... ) sights added to a BOSS BAR. The 'no-holes' BOSS is much quieter, too. Hmmmmmmm... http://www.browningint.com/products/...IER+AFFUT+BOSS There's even a Browning Optics site to pick from... http://www.browningsportsoptics.com/rifle/index.html# I'd choose the little European version, I think... Thanks for the well wishes, too. Once I get a decent night's sleep more than once in a row, my energy level will kick it up a step. __________________ "...if you're not havin' fun, you're workin'..."

August 14, 2006, 09:14 PM	#24
Huntergirl Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: Wyoming Posts: 907	I had a BAR Safari 7mag and it was a great shooter, especially with the Federal Premiums. It filled my freezer with elk a few times. Had a Burris 6x on it. The main reasons I sold it was the weight, and I was moving and wanted money for furniture.; it was cumbersome to lug it in the mountains. But it ran flawless and accurate. I've had some interest in the new Remington 750, seems more streamlined and lighter. But haven't heard any reports on it yet.

August 15, 2006, 12:26 AM	#25
Big-Foot Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 404	Naw, if I could get a European BAR it would be a 9.3x62mm. http://www.browningint.com/intro.html That oughta thump em. Other than a fast second shot in case of a deflected bullet BusGunner007 touched on one of the best features of a semi. The recoil reduction is probably about 20%, and that's without the BOSS brake. My aluminum reciever Stalker in 30-06 kicks less than my ex-wife did. And she had Karate class experience. She couldnt aim worth a damn though, thank god, cause you know just what she was trying to hit huh.