The name Browning is a legendary one in the firearms world. John Moses Browning designed numerous great firearms. Many of his designs, such as the Winchester 94 and the 1911 are still being produced today. However, this article is about a sporting rifle designed by a different Browning – his grandson. Bruce Browning followed in the family footsteps and in 1967 completed the design for the Browning BAR.
Browning has made a number of variations of the BAR over the years with the originals, the Mark II, and the new Mark III being the biggest variations. For this review we are looking at the Mark I (a Type 2 to be exact). My interest in the BAR piqued when I learned that unlike its contemporaries, Browning chambers the BAR in some big magnum calibers. I had to have one and several weeks later I had found a BAR in 338 Winchester Magnum to review.
Specifications
The standard BAR is svelte for an autoloader, coming in at 7lbs 6oz with a 22 inch barrel. The magnum version is beefier, weighing 8.5lbs with a 24 inch barrel to help in burning the extra propellant. The extra weight also helps to tame the harsh recoil of the big magnums. The BAR uses a short stroke gas piston with a rotating multi-lug bolt that is reminiscient to a gas powered pump action.
While modern versions of the BAR utilize various stocks, coatings and aluminium receivers, the original BARS are made entirely of wood and steel. The magazine is a unique hinged floorplate design which holds a detachable box magazine. The box magazine holds 3 or 4 rounds depending on the cartridge. There is a crossbolt safety at the rear of the trigger guard that is a bit stiff but functions well.
The trigger on the BAR is quite respectable for an autoloader. There is a little take up, but the trigger breaks crisply right around 4lbs. While not fantastic by bolt action standards, it is easily good enough for accurate shooting within 300 yards. Accuracy however was dissapointing and will be discussed in more detail below. Ironically, the first group shot with our rifle was sub-minute measuring 0.97 MOA.
Strengths
First off, lets state the obvious. The largest strength of an autoloader is the ability for incredibly fast follow-ups. Coupled with the perfect reliability we saw from our BAR, the BAR is a gun you can count on to give you every shot opportunity possible. The semi-automatic action allows the shooter to stay in the scope to quickly relocate hit game and fire again if neccesary.
Next, is the ability of the gas-powered action to reduce felt recoil. The heavier weight and gas-powered action means the BAR recoils significantly less than most bolt guns for a given cartridge. Add the fact that many BAR Mark II’s ship with a muzzle break and you have an incredibly soft-shooting rifle.
A third strength is Browning’s attention to detail. Like most Browning firearms, the BAR has excellent fit and finish. The wood meets the metal flush and the blueing is superb. Actions are smooth with no obvious toolmarks. It is clear that Browning takes pride in the manufacture of these firearms.
Weaknesses
First of all, as mentioned above, accuracy was unimpressive. BAR’s have a reputation for being accurate, however the one I tested was anything but. Groups ranged from 2.5-6 inches at 100 yards, similar to its contemporary the Winchester Model 100. This is well below the 2 MOA I want from a rifle that I will hunt with to 300 yards. Neither semi-automatics nor medium bore magnums have reputations for extreme accuracy. However, this was below what I would expect taking those factors into consideration.
There was no visible damage to the crown, and groups were shot with different levels of torque on the takedown screw. This type of tuning is impracticle in the field because the takedown screw is also the sling swivel. The rifle’s innaccuracy was verified by shooting it with several scopes as well as testing the primary scope on my Bergara B-14 which I know to be accurate. Because of ammo availability issues I was only able to shoot it with 225gr Federal Fusion ammunition, so better results may be attainable with some experimentation.
The Browning BAR is clearly designed to be a beautiful rifle. This shows in its looks, and makes it very enjoyable to handle and shoot. What it does not do however, is make it very easy to clean. In order to get into the action the shooter must remove both halves of the two piece stock. Dissassembly requires tools and there are enough small parts that I would not attempt it in the field. For hunting use I would recommend cleaning once at the start of the season and then simply wiping it down with oil after each outing.
Another shortcoming of the BAR is the magazine system. The hinged floorplate certainly compliments the lines of the rifle, but in practice it can be a bit awkward. One the other hand, a positive of this system is that it is very difficult to misplace the magazine.
Lastly, the last shot hold open feature on the original BARs drops the bolt forward upon removal of the magazine. This was later remedied, but it does make the hold-open less useful. Even so, the hold open does serve to notify you when your gun runs empty. However, it does not speed up your reload like it would on more modern designs.
Competition
There are several common competitors in the centerfire semi-automatic hunting rifle market. The two common competitors at the time of the release of the BAR were the Remington 742 and the Winchester Model 100. Both of these rifles are out of production but are reasonably plentiful and affordable on the used market. In my opinion the Browning is a superior rifle to both of them. However, I acknowledge that the Remington is a bit nimbler handling due to its lighter weight. Neither the Winchester nor the Remington came in magnum chamberings.
A newer competitor to the market is the Benelli R1. While I have heard that they may have some accuracy issues, I have not handled nor shot one so I will reserve judgement. For those interested, the R1 also comes in magnum calibers.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, the Browning BAR is a beautiful sporting rifle that is suitable for close range hunting applications. They are available in a number of cartridges and are very reliable. The reduced recoil, fast follow-up shots, and large calibers give the rifle appeal. However, poor accuracy limits effective range and for a do-all rifle there are better options.
The Browning BAR is best used in hunting situations where a follow-up shot is probable. In my mind, there are two common scenarios where the BAR offers a significant advantage. First is hunting deer in dense brush where the animal will likely be aware of your presence at the time of the shot. Second is hunting very large game such as moose and brown bear, which often require follow-up shots even with the largest of cartridges.
If you are looking for a handsome rifle that is soft shooting and classy, the BAR is an excellent choice. While not a mountain rifle, the BAR is a good choice for certain hunting scenarios and is very high quality. This makes the BAR is a fine addition to any gun collection.