Browning BAR question.

[Freddymac]

I was just at the gun shop and I saw a browning BAR (the hunting rifle, not the MG) in 30-06. the bore is clean, the chamber was checked and is “GO”. The wood stock is beat up, but not structurally damaged. It’s a little ugly, but the owner let me shoot it, and it’s a good shooter. He wants $250.00 for it with the scope. I don’t want the scope, so he said he sell it to me for $205.00.

My question is; does anyone make extended magazine conversions for the Browning BAR? I’ve seen them for the Rem 700. Right now it has a 4 round detachable magazine. I think that it could be a fun little gun with 10 round mags.

Any help would be great.
Thanks,
-Fred

 

[B36]

No.

 

[MikeJackmin]

Sounds like a bargain at that price.

Can't say I've ever seen a 10 round mag, though.

 

[Leif]

The military did some experiments with 10 round magazines for the Browning BAR (this was posted on TFL, which is down, otherwise I'd try to find the link), but I don't believe that they are available to the public.

That price is ridiculously low for a BAR. Are you sure that the rifle has no damage except to the stock? If the only problems are cosmetic, that's a fine rifle and you should get it, regardless of the magazine capacity. You could restock it and still have paid less for the package than most used examples command these days.

 

[Freddymac]

If there is something wrong I can't tell

The action is pretty clean, and the gunsmith that works there says it's Ok, and he does some nice work. I dont think he would BS me on a $200 rifle. At 100yds it shot 2, 3 shot groups that were around 2". For a rifle that I'm not familiar with, a crappy scope (I've never even heard of this brand), and off of a sand bag, I don't think thats too bad for a semi auto hunting rifle. But the stock looks like someone tried to sand out the gouges and dings and then did some cheesy staining and clear coating. It is not pretty, but I think I'm gonna pick her up any way.

 

[browningguy]

They are literally giving it away at that price, grab it, or email me their phone number.

You can actually buy synthetic stocks for the BAR pretty reasonable, and I think Browning still stocks replacement stocks. If it is an early model you can get spare mags from CDNN for about $10, at least they had them last year, I picked up a bunch of them just to have, they work in my '06 and the 270.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Buy it. If it's a wood stock, you can probably sand and seal it to an acceptable finish.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Aren't these usually $500+ guns? I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

 

[Leif]

Well, if you're pretty certain that the guy isn't pulling a fast one, I'd say that there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't buy it; even if you didn't want it, you probably could resell it at profit with a minimal amount of work. Sometimes gun dealers just want to unload used items quickly and sell them at really low prices, and this may be one of those times.

I may be interested as well, though it looks like browningguy beat me to it. Where is this?

 

[arcsound]

Why no high capacity mag for BAR

What's the point of having a semi-auto with magazine feed if it only holds 4 rounds?! I'm a newbie, and am probably missing something, but you might as well have a bolt action at that point (IMHO). I am interested in this gun, but only if there were high capacity mags available.

 

[627PCFan]

Most people dont lay down a suppressing fire when hunting.......

 

[NWCP]

You won't find a 10 round mag. The price is right if you like the rifle. I have a BAR in .338 Win Mag. They're a nice solid semi auto.

 

[TexasRifleman]

What's the point of having a semi-auto with magazine feed if it only holds 4 rounds?! I'm a newbie, and am probably missing something, but you might as well have a bolt action at that point (IMHO). I am interested in this gun, but only if there were high capacity mags available.

It's a hunting rifle, not an assault rifle. And the magazine is loaded just like a bolt action rifle, from the top. It's not a removable mag. Oh, you can remove it but it takes a while The exact same action is available in the FNAR if you want more rounds and a removable magazine.

Same basic gun just in a "tactical" package.

So, you can have it either way. And yes you are missing something. You are probably like a lot of people who believe that bolt actions are somehow inherently more accurate than semi. That is not necessarily true.

 

[jglcolosprgs]

I think we've covered why that particular model doesn't have a detachable 10 round mag.... but this thread is from May 2006.

:banghead:

 

[TexasRifleman]

but this thread is from May 2006.

Some questions are too good to ever die?

 

[shootr]

Well, I hope he bought it - those are great rifles!

 

[hometheaterman]

Yea I hope he bought it too. I in awe when I saw the price then I realized it was from 2006. However, that's still a very good price from 2006 in my opinion. They seem to go for about $750 for most of the ones I see today.

As for saying the magazine loads from the top like a bolt action that's incorrect if you are saying what I think you mean. You don't load it through the top like through the ejection port in the receiver. There is a hinged floor plate on these that flips down then the magazine is on that. You then load it like a normal magazine. You can also easily unclip the magazine from there. The reason higher capacity magazines wont work is that the floor plate is what holds the magazines in. They don't clip into the gun. You couldn't have one any longer and still get the floor plate to close.

 

[sweninge]

Browning BAR Extended Mag

I have a Browning Lightweight Stalker in a 270 WSM. I love the action on this rifle and carry it without a sling because it's so light. It doesn't kick badly for a 270 but it does through the barrel up so I thought about getting a boss just to help keep on target. My dad has a Remington 7400. The Remington seems to like to jam ever so often. I have only shot a box of rounds through my Browning so I can’t really compare yet.

There are a couple of drawbacks to the Stalker.

1) The plastic stock looks cheap. Not that it's put together badly or doesn't feel solid but the seamlines show where it was molded together and just looks cheap.

2) The clip only holds 2-rounds in 270WSM! I didn't know this when I bought it. Where I hunt in North Dakota you can have a loaded gun in your vehicle but not one in the chamber. Anyone that has hunted in ND knows a-lot of shots will be while you are out driving country roads and need to get out and rattle a couple of rounds off at a running white tail or a coyote. 2-rounds in a semi-automatic doesn't really work very well.

I would have never bought the lightweight stalker but I got it new in 2007 for just over $750 new. I don’t think you can touch one now for under $950. The 270 WSM was touted as being better then beer. It is a great shooting round and riffle, but I really see no advantage over a standard 270 round unless you are an unbelievable shot.

I wish I would have done a little more research and bought a .308 in a Winchester model 70 or Weatherby Vanguard.
Anyone interested in buying mine or trading? Might have to head to the gun shop this weekend and see what I can do on a trade-in.