#308 browning automatic rifle series

The action/recoil spring gets weak and even most gunsmiths neglect to change it. The point on the bolt that the timing latch contacts can also get peened over very badly, even to the point of needing a new, expensive, bolt. The timing latch also gets peened and beat up, which hinders its function. This little piece has a fairly small pin that retains it and also pivots on. Some of the weak points are that there is a little flat bar timing latch that locks the bolt into the barrel’s locking lug recesses. The good news is many of the new rifle parts are compatible and to Browning’s credit they have kept may of the older parts available to gunsmiths. About a week ago the rifle’s owner finally found one. A bit over a year ago I tried to find a bolt sleeve for a customer, I never could find one and gave up. The older BARs are also getting hard to find parts for. They finally blocked his calls.Ĭompared to the Remington, I think the Brownings are better fit and finished for sure, but I wouldn’t say it’s overall a better rifle. The BAR is more complicated but also available in magnum calibers the Remington never has been. Somehow, this Lebanon logger got a hold of Browning’s 1-800 number and called them every morning before heading off to work to express his displeasure. I know for sure that many of the first couple of years of the Mark II Safari’s production in 300 Winchester Magnum had the same feeding problems. The customer contacted them and was basically told it was his fault the rifle wasn’t operating correctly and left it at that. Browning charged him something like $280 dollars to fix a virtually new rifle and it still didn’t feed properly. It never worked right and they returned it to the factory. Right before I bought out the gunsmith I apprenticed under, he sold a brand new BAR Mark II Safari to a customer, chambered in 300 Win. Unfortunately, the BAR is not one of them. The reason I bring this up again is that there are many Browning firearms that are well made and reliable enough that the chances are you will never have to deal with Browning directly. Ask virtually anyone who has dealt with Browning on warranty issues and they will have some unhappy experiences to relate to you. I think this hurts Browning customers because the company seems to think that since it didn’t actually manufacture “it,” they are not really responsible for “it” a few years down the road.Īlthough the customer service of most firearms manufacturers has taken a major dow turn in the last decade, the domestic gun makers, as a whole, seem to have more of a sense of responsibility for their products, for a few years at least.īrowning also seems to have the attitude that since they let you have the privilege of owning a Browning you should be more than happy to pay any price they deem fair for parts and service. It’s all made by other “vendors” and sold under the Browning banner. They don’t actually manufacture anything themselves (that I know of).

#308 browning automatic rifle series

It is second only to the Remington “4” series of rifles, which I went into depth on in my last article.Īs I’ve stated before, I’m not a big fan of Browning. Add in the benefit of well-designed semi-automatic operation and you get quick follow-up shots and less felt recoil than with a bolt-action hunting rifle.The Browning BAR has to be the second most popular semiautomatic sporting rifle of all time. This rifle is lightweight, quick to shoulder and to point. The BAR MK 3 feels and handles like the purpose-built hunting rifle it is. Like most modern sporting rifles, the BAR utilizes a multi-lug rotary bolt that locks securely for improved strength and accuracy. This design mitigates shooter-perceived recoil and reduces excessive carbon residue that many modern gas-impingement designs vent into the moving parts of the action. The BAR MK 3 relies on a short stroke gas piston design to operate the action. This is due in large part to the quality of their barrels. The BAR MK 3 features a hammer-forged barrel made in a thoroughly controlled and tested process. The BAR MK 3 offers shooters and hunters a rifle available in a variety of popular standard and magnum calibers in a semi-auto platform.īrowning rifles consistently produce the most accurate shot groups in their class. The BAR MK 3 is an unstoppable autoloading hunting rifle. Accurate and reliable, it already stands out from the competition with contemporary design.