Browning BAR

[olsingleshot]

Semi-Automatic Rifles Are Not What They Used To Be
By John Johnston

   The BAR, Browning automatic rifle, was designed by John Browning in 1917. It was a light machine gun that fired the .30-06 military round. At the time our soldiers were in need of a hand carried machine gun that could be used in the trench warfare of WWI. The BAR was first issued to the troops in 1918. Since that time it has seen service in WWII, Korean War and the early stages of Viet Nam. To say it was a versatile, dependable and a highly deadly weapon is an understatement. It had a few minor changes over the years but was even copied by our allies.
   Fast forward to 1967, the year Browning came out with their sporting semi-automatic rifle named the BAR. Browning saw a need for a hunting rifle that could get off follow up shots easily and quickly. This gas recoil operated rifle was a hit for hunters, especially in the northeast where hunting was done in thick vegetation and even seeing a deer was a day to remember. Because it was gas operated, the recoil was reduced somewhat. The way this works is, the gases that propel the bullet from the barrel were partially bled off before reaching the muzzle. They were directed back to the action to work the bolt. So the force of the gases exiting the muzzle and causing recoil was reduced. There were a few drawbacks to this system. The action had to be almost an inch longer than a bolt action and larger over all. The added weight was nice to help recoil but not real desirable if you had to carry the rifle all day. The bolt has to slammed closed to lock up the recoil lugs. The empty cases being ejected are very hot.
   Over the years I have owned and shot many of Browning’s competitors’ rifles, from the Remington Model 74 to the most expensive (at that time) semi-automatic sporting rifle, the H&K Model 940. Being a reloader and accuracy nut, these rifles proved quickly to me that a semi-auto hunting rifle was not my cup of tea. They would shoot less than two inches at one hundred yards, which was sufficient for a hunting rifle but not for me. Mostly, I hated chasing the empty case.
   Till recently I had never shot a BAR in any form. Browning sent a new BAR Long Trac Stalker for me to test. This model has an alloy action, synthetic stock, and matte finish. It weighed in just less than seven pounds without optics. This weight I could deal with during a long stalk. I know some of you may be a little leery of an alloy receiver but remember alloy receivers are used on nearly all the new shotguns. These shotguns have lot more recoil and are shot far more times than a hunting rifle. Besides, Browning is excellent about standing behind their products with superb customer service.
   This rifle comes with shims that can be added to the rifle to change the pitch of the stock up or down and side to side. This allows shooters to customize the fit of their rifle to their needs.
    I mounted a Weaver style one piece scope base to the receiver and a Leupold 3x9 scope for testing. Loading the rifle is easy. It has a drop down floor plate like a bolt action but with a detachable magazine. The trigger pull, which is very important to me, weighed in at 4.75 pounds. This may seem heavy but it is so smooth, it was no problem. Shooting some factory 180 grain ammunition showed it was capable of groups in the area of 1.5 inches.  The 150 grain ammunition was about the same. The barrel has a 1 in 10 inch twist which would normally favor a larger bullet. I then tried some 150 grain reloads which resulted in sub 1 inch groups. The load used Barnes TTSX bullets and IMR4895 powder.  This load was a pleasure to shoot. In fact I shot over twenty rounds that session, which I never do with other .30-06’s.
    Some semi-automatic sporting rifles do not function well with light loads since they may not work the action. I did try some reloads that were equivalent to the reduced loads sold by some companies. It was a 125 grain bullet at around 2700 feet per second. They worked the action normally and had no effect. The accuracy was not that good but sufficient to use for hunting.
   Browning has several different models in the BAR line up to choose from including some magnum cartridges but I highly recommend the models with the synthetic stock because this stock does assist in recoil reduction. The BAR would make an excellent hog rifle. So if you are looking for a rifle that has reduced recoil, fast follow up shots and is accurate, then look at the Browning. After all, in my book, the name Browning means quality.

[mannyrock]

   OK, I've shot a Browning Semi, with the alloy frame, in .308 Winchester.  I loved the way it carried and shot. 

   But what did I hate about it?    In your review, you say that they are really easy to reload.  Oh really?  Compared to what? 

   To reload it, you have to hold the rifle in one hand, reach underneath it with the other, find and depress a magazine floorplate latch, let the plate swing all of the way down and back like a trap door, then rearrange your hands so that one hand is holding onto the back of the  floorplate, while the other hand yanks off the little magazine box.   You then have to reload the box (which I think only holds 3 rounds?), and snap that box back onto the swinging floorplate (which isn't so easy to do), and then swing the floorplate and magine back up into the rifle, and push it all in until it snaps.  Very clumbsy, very slow, and you almost have to kneel down in the dirt to do it.

    As an alternative, you can swing the floorplate down, leave the magazine attached to it, and use two hands to load additional rounds into the magazine box, which is being suspended downward at 90 degrees with the floor plate, and then shove the whole thing back up into the rifle.  Also very clumbsy and slow, especially if it is really cold outside.

    Compare this to reloading other standard semi-auto rifles, which consists merely of pressing a mag release button, dropping the empty mag into your hand, reinserting a charged mag, and pushing upward until it snaps.  This takes about 5 seconds.

    Compare this to reloading a bolt action rifle with a blind magazine, where you simply shove the cartridges down into it, one by one.  Most folks can reload 4 rounds in about 10 seconds.

    This reloading factor is the sole reason that I have never gotten one of the newer Browning Semi-autos.   It is a HUGE negative.

Mannyrock

   

[olsingleshot]

First you are correct in some of what you say. This is a sporting rifle, not a combat rifle. To load, I loaded the magazine, snapped into the floor plate and pushed it up. I found no need to kneel in the dirt.