Browning BAR Review: The Soft-Shooting Classic

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

The Browning BAR Mk II Safari is one of those rifles that can make a bolt-gun loyalist raise an eyebrow after the first shot. It is classy, quick on follow-up shots, and surprisingly gentle in a caliber that still gets real hunting done.

From Battlefield BAR to Deer Camp Icon

The Browning BAR, pronounced B-A-R, was originally designed by John Browning in 1917 and adopted by the U.S. military in 1918 as the M1918 BAR, or Browning Automatic Rifle. The BAR was a lightweight select-fire rifle that chewed through 20-round magazines of .30-06 Springfield ammo at a rate of about 500 to 650 rounds per minute. The action used a long stroke, gas-operated piston.

The BAR saw limited service in the trenches of WWI, but during WWII and the Korean War, there was a BAR issued to every 12-man squad to provide automatic cover fire. The BAR had a lot of name recognition with GIs returning home. Many of those veterans were hunters, and Browning leveraged the mystique of the military rifle in the sporting version of the BAR rifle when it was introduced in 1968. The hunting version of the BAR had the same humpback, flat side receiver of the military BAR, except these rifles were semi-automatic and chambered in a who’s who of popular hunting calibers.

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Why the Browning BAR Still Earns a Spot on Your Bucket List

Back in the 1980s, which would be the late 20th century, many deer hunters brought semi-automatic rifles to camp. They were either a Remington or a Browning. Sure, there were a few other brands, but the Remington and the Browning were the top dogs. The BAR really set the bar, pun intended, for a semi-automatic hunting rifle in terms of quality of build, the grades of the rifles, which ranged from plain to luxurious, and the performance. A Browning BAR was an aspirational purchase and definitely held a higher social status than a Remington Model 740, 742, 7400, or 750. Back then, a gorgeous piece of wood, a polished blue finish, and an engraved receiver were desired. Today, the most popular semi-automatic hunting rifles are AR15s and AR10s. Current hunters think more in terms of polymer furniture, forged aluminum, and customization.

You owe yourself the experience of shooting a lightweight, semi-automatic hunting rifle chambered in traditional high-power calibers like the .243 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .308 Winchester, 7MM-08 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum, or .300 WSM. Calibers that are typically reserved for a bolt-action rifle. The BAR offers a fast follow-up shot, is accurate, offers a surprisingly soft recoil that makes a follow-up shot easier and faster, and is lightweight and easy to carry. That is a big reason the Browning BAR review still matters today.

Browning BAR Specs That Made It a Semi-Auto Legend

Like its namesake, the sporting version of the BAR uses a gas piston-operated system. The piston is compact and situated inside the forend. The BAR uses a rotating bolt with seven locking lugs for sturdy lock-up. The gas system runs clean and only needs maintenance after 1,000 rounds, according to Browning. More on that later. Browning advertisements back in the day said the BAR’s action provided bolt-action strength and accuracy.

The receiver on the original BAR was steel, and barrel lengths were 22-, 23-, and 24-inches. The 23-inch length was reserved for WSM calibers, and the longer 24-inch length for magnum calibers.

Unique to the BAR is a trap door magazine system. The magazine is attached to the hinged floor plate, so the magazine can easily be loaded while attached to the floor plate. The magazine can also be detached from the floor plate in case the user prefers a separate, fully loaded magazine. I like this system. If you have ever been in a tree stand and dropped a magazine or dropped a magazine in deep snow, you know what I mean.

Original models had iron sights, while newer models did away with irons. All, however, are drilled and tapped to mount a scope.

Stocks were typically beautiful pieces of walnut, hand checkered, but as the BAR design evolved, synthetic stocks were introduced in camo as well as Cerakote-flavored finishes on metal surfaces.

Browning BAR Models Explained Without the Headache

The BAR has been in continuous production since 1967 and has gone through numerous design changes. Here is a cheat sheet on the model variants.

Browning BAR: The BAR, when first introduced in 1967, was available in standard calibers, .243 Win., .270 Win., .280 Rem., .308 Win., and .30-06, as well as magnum calibers, 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag., and .338 Win Mag. I have a pal whose dad shoots a BAR in .338 Win. Mag. He calls it The Finger of God. Everything he has shot with drops in its tracks. The original BARs were built between 1992 in Belgium and fetch a higher value. All later models are assembled in Portugal. Original models were first introduced in two grades. Grade I was a simple blued receiver model. Grade II featured better wood and a blued, engraved receiver. Additional grades, Grade III, Grade IV, and Grade V, were introduced, which were more lush than the previous grades. The quick way to spot an original BAR is the receiver. If there are no pins in the receiver, it is an early BAR.

Browning BAR Mk II Safari: In 1993, Browning improved the bolt release, gas system, and trigger assembly. Barrel lengths varied according to caliber and were 22, 23, or 24 inches. Gold triggers became standard with the Mk II guns. Some models were fitted with a BOSS, Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System, which was essentially a muzzle brake. A Lightweight model was made from 1997 to 2003 with a lighter alloy receiver. During the Mk II period, Browning introduced synthetic stock models called the Stalker. The quick way to spot a BAR Mk II is by the two pins in the receiver that hold the trigger assembly in place.

Browning Mk 3: In 2016, the Mk 3 was introduced with a re-styled receiver profile and rifles in right and left-hand variants. Barrel length ranged from 18 inches to 24 inches, depending on the caliber and model. The DRM was an 18-inch barrel variant in .308 Win. with a 10-round detachable magazine. Various Cerakote colors and camo finished stocks were available on the Hell’s Canyon Speed, Speed, and Camo variants.

Browning BAR ShortTrac and LongTrac: These rifles were produced from 2004 to 2015 and featured new styling on the receiver. Both use a gas piston system. The ShortTrac was chambered in short action calibers, .243 Win., .270 WSM, .300 WSM, .308 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., 7mm WSM, and .325 WSM. LongTrac variants were chambered in long action calibers, .270 Win., .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., or 7mm Rem. Mag. A shim-adjustable stock was added with the ShortTrac and LongTrac models.

Browning BAR Mk 4: The Mk 4 design is the latest model and evolutionary. The biggest change was that the barrel threads into the receiver, like most other rifles, instead of a clamped-fit barrel on previous models. Of course, Browning changed the cosmetics on the rifle to suit contemporary hunters.

Range Time With the Browning BAR Mk II Safari in .270 Win.

I had a BAR in the back of my gun safe that hadn’t seen the light of day for years. I used it for deer hunting in thick timber where a quick shot is required. I never mounted a scope to it because I liked how it shouldered and loved the open sights. It was also relatively light at about 7.5 pounds.

This BAR is chambered in .270 Win. and is a Grade I, which sports a nice checkered wood stock with a glossy finish. A classic Browning characteristic. A thick rubber recoil pad helps tame recoil. The metal wears a polished blue finish, and it wears it well. The receiver is engraved. The trigger guard is also engraved with the Browning logo and gold-filled. The trigger is gold-plated, another Browning trademark.

I wanted to see what type of accuracy I could squeeze out of the BAR with popular and inexpensive ammo, so I used Remington Core-Lokt soft points in 130- and 150-grain bullets. A scope could easily be mounted since it is drilled and tapped. I decided to shoot at 50 yards and used my range bag as a rest. Starting with the 150-grain load, my best three-shot group measured 1.79 inches and averaged 1.85 inches. I thought this was good using open sights. Average muzzle velocity was 2735 fps, and muzzle energy averaged 2492 ft-lb. With the 130-grain ammo, my best three-shot group measured 1.20 inches, and I averaged 1.38 inches. Even better. The BAR is an easy rifle to shoot. Muzzle velocity averaged 2698 fps and muzzle energy averaged 2101 ft-lb.

We tend to wrap ourselves around an axle when talking rifle accuracy. The fact is, most rifles are more accurate than we can shoot them. Some shooters gripe about the accuracy in semi-automatic rifles, and they are right. An automatic is not as accurate as some bolt-action rifles, but you need to put your shooting into context. Are you shooting a 1,000 yards or is your typical hunting distance out to 200 yards, maybe 300 yards? The BAR is a hunting rifle, and I would use either of the loads tested for hunting in a New York minute. In fact, the mild recoil offers a fast follow-up shot, providing peace of mind to place a second hit if needed. The trigger pull weight on the BAR averaged 4.7 pounds. Could it be better? Heck, yes, but it is serviceable.

What I really noticed after the first few shots was the mild recoil. The gas system helps eliminate the jolt. Not that the .270 Win. is a shoulder slammer. Recoil was pleasant and, more importantly, had less effect on my aim compared to a bolt-action in the same caliber. The rifle cycled flawlessly.

Older BARs that have been stored incorrectly can get a bad reputation. Remember when spraying WD-40 was the proper way to store a gun? WD-40 in storage creates a beautiful shellac-like finish that completely gums up the action, especially the piston on a BAR. It will make a manual repeater out of your semi-auto rifle. This is where some BARs get a bad rap. Not from the design, but improper storage and maintenance. If you inherited a BAR, do yourself a favor and clean the piston and chamber. Gas bleeds out of the barrel port to operate the piston, and gummy varnish in the piston will cause the rifle not to cycle and jam.

Browning BAR Mk II Safari Specifications

Action	Semi-Auto, gas-operated, rotating bolt
Caliber	.270 Win.
Finish	Polished blue
Stock	Glossy checkered walnut
Magazine Capacity	4-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Hooded post front, adjustable u-notch rear
Barrel Length	22 in.
Overall Length	43 in.
Weight	7.8 lb.

Pros and Cons of the Browning BAR Mk II Safari

• Pros: Mild recoil for a .270 Win., fast follow-up shots, classic walnut-and-blue styling, reliable cycling, and hunting accuracy that is more than serviceable.
• Cons: Trigger could be better, older rifles can suffer from neglect and gummy gas systems, and the platform is less fashionable today than modular black rifles.

Final Verdict on the Browning BAR Mk II Safari

What the BAR does well is tame the recoil of high-power rifle calibers. Your shoulder doesn’t get slammed from the recoil, nor is your field of view knocked out during recoil, as it can be with a bolt-action rifle. If you have the opportunity to shoot a Browning BAR, do it. In fact, after you shoot a BAR and check it off your bucket list, you might want to hunt with one and check that off your list, too. That is the charm of this rifle. The Browning BAR review starts with nostalgia, but it ends with a rifle that still makes a lot of practical sense.

Related Reads from GunsAmerica Digest

• Browning BAR Mk 4: Next Gen. Autoloading Hunting Rifle
• Tested: Browning’s New Tack-Driving X-Bolt 2 Speed Rifle
• Heroes Hidden in Plain Sight: The Browning Automatic Rifle

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