my brother just bought a BAR in 30-06. s/n 89226m71, he would like to know first, what year it is. second, if there are any common problems with these. and 3rd, if there is an aftermarket "clip" magazine that you do not need to use the swing away floor plate with. thanks.
B.A.R. ?
- Thread starter x_wrench
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GooseGestapo
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What, no BAR owners ???
The BAR is the better of the commercial semi-auto "hunting rifles". It dosen't have many of the foibles of the Remington's. The Winchester M100's were good rifles but cost of production and slow sales killed them off. That, and they only were in "short action", meaning the derivatives of the .308 cases.
The main "issue" with BAR's I saw in my game and fish career were those inflicting most firearms. Neglect and negligence in maintainance.
Your brother should learn how to properly field strip the gun and clean it routinely after range outings prior to storage. This will ensure longevity and reliability. Removing combustion deposits (carbon, mainly and unburned powder residue secondly, and thirdly primer compound residues.).
Most of the "stoppages" I saw with the Brownings were with guns that were abused. Shot, and then reloaded and set aside for extended periods. And then at the first shot when they failed to feed, the gun (or ammo) was blamed, not the idgit that failed to clean it....
Occasionly there was the gun that was shot with corroded or surplus corrosive ammo that caused problems, but these too, go in the neglect, neglignece category.
As regards magazines, the original are all that I'm aware of. These are excellent field rifles, but not "pseudo tactical" rifles. Expect to pay $$ for extra magazines. Most owners only own one magazine, a few two...
There were a few of these guns built with the so called "Salt wood" stocks. Most will have been rusted up and faded from the scene by now.
I'm even aware of a couple of the .300winmag BAR's that were converted to .458winmag. The biggest problem with these conversions is that the butt stocks couldn't take the recoil and would crack in the wrist area.
Overall decent rifles, but a tad heavy. Biggest resistance to acceptance was they were/are pricey... ditto accessories and extra magazines. Typical Browning...
The BAR is the better of the commercial semi-auto "hunting rifles". It dosen't have many of the foibles of the Remington's. The Winchester M100's were good rifles but cost of production and slow sales killed them off. That, and they only were in "short action", meaning the derivatives of the .308 cases.
The main "issue" with BAR's I saw in my game and fish career were those inflicting most firearms. Neglect and negligence in maintainance.
Your brother should learn how to properly field strip the gun and clean it routinely after range outings prior to storage. This will ensure longevity and reliability. Removing combustion deposits (carbon, mainly and unburned powder residue secondly, and thirdly primer compound residues.).
Most of the "stoppages" I saw with the Brownings were with guns that were abused. Shot, and then reloaded and set aside for extended periods. And then at the first shot when they failed to feed, the gun (or ammo) was blamed, not the idgit that failed to clean it....
Occasionly there was the gun that was shot with corroded or surplus corrosive ammo that caused problems, but these too, go in the neglect, neglignece category.
As regards magazines, the original are all that I'm aware of. These are excellent field rifles, but not "pseudo tactical" rifles. Expect to pay $$ for extra magazines. Most owners only own one magazine, a few two...
There were a few of these guns built with the so called "Salt wood" stocks. Most will have been rusted up and faded from the scene by now.
I'm even aware of a couple of the .300winmag BAR's that were converted to .458winmag. The biggest problem with these conversions is that the butt stocks couldn't take the recoil and would crack in the wrist area.
Overall decent rifles, but a tad heavy. Biggest resistance to acceptance was they were/are pricey... ditto accessories and extra magazines. Typical Browning...
I've never owned a BAR. My shooting buddy says it's important to keep the locking lugs on the bolt and the receiver clean. Other than that, cleaning is pretty much like any other rifle. He's shot his 7mm Rem mag BAR for years with no problems.
browningguy
Member
Actually there are plenty of BAR shooters here, but we all went shooting this morning and didn't check THR before we left for the range in the 2 hours and 57 minutes between posts.
Anything is possible with enough money, but there is no reasonable way to convert the magazines, the ones that fit the floorplate are it. I have 10 for mine, I think they are about $5-10 each from cdnninvestments.com.
As for problems none if you clean them on occassion, they are no more susceptable to dirt than other semi autos but more so than a bolt action. Accuracy is perfectly fine for hunting but there are very few that would make a good dedicated target rifle. My .270 is generally in the 1.5-1.75" range with most ammo, my 30-06 is a bit better but really never better than 1.25".
Anything is possible with enough money, but there is no reasonable way to convert the magazines, the ones that fit the floorplate are it. I have 10 for mine, I think they are about $5-10 each from cdnninvestments.com.
As for problems none if you clean them on occassion, they are no more susceptable to dirt than other semi autos but more so than a bolt action. Accuracy is perfectly fine for hunting but there are very few that would make a good dedicated target rifle. My .270 is generally in the 1.5-1.75" range with most ammo, my 30-06 is a bit better but really never better than 1.25".
we live in Michigan, a 200 yard shot is pretty long here. most are less than 75 yards. and 1.25" 100 yard accuracy, from a 30-06, is good enough for 400 yard shots, if the shooter is up to the task. but honestly, i have looked for a long time to find a place to shoot that far that is within a reasonable distance from home, and i can not find one. i did find a spot to shoot 300 yards, but there is no backstop. and i hate shooting into the unknown!
dprice3844444
member
just make sure the ones you buy are steel receivers,not aluminum
steveo452
Member
I had a Bar in .270win. Very accurate rifle. Only one neg. that's weigh.It was stolen last year.
Most BAR mags that I've found locally run between $20-30. CDNN investments is a bit cheaper at $15/mag, but I'm sure shipping makes up for that, as does the convenience of walking into a store and laying hands and eyes on something before you purchase it.
Here's a link to the manual for a Mark I:
http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/bar_om_s.pdf
And here's a link for decoding your serial number. I can make neither heads nor tails of what you posted.
http://www.browning.com/customerservice/dategun/detail.asp?id=18
Follow the instructions in your manual for dis-/reassembly, lubrication, etc.
Here's a link to the manual for a Mark I:
http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/bar_om_s.pdf
And here's a link for decoding your serial number. I can make neither heads nor tails of what you posted.
http://www.browning.com/customerservice/dategun/detail.asp?id=18
Follow the instructions in your manual for dis-/reassembly, lubrication, etc.
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