Browning BAR
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.19 kg
- Introduced
- 1967
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Browning BAR is a gas-operated, semi-automatic hunting rifle introduced in 1967 by Browning and FN Herstal in Belgium. Conceptually descended from John Moses Browning's military Browning Automatic Rifle of 1918 but engineered as an entirely new sporting rifle by Bruce Browning (grandson of John Moses) and Marcel Olinger at FN Herstal, the BAR was Browning's answer to the popular Remington 740/742 Woodmaster and quickly became the most successful semi-automatic hunting rifle in the world. The action uses a multi-lug rotating bolt that locks directly into the barrel extension, allowing the receiver to be made from lightweight aluminum alloy while still safely chambering full-power magnum cartridges. The BAR is one of very few semi-automatic centerfire rifles offered in true magnum chamberings such as 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum. The current Mark 3 generation, introduced in 2016, retains the original gas-piston system while adding a redesigned receiver with a satin nickel finish, an improved Inflex recoil pad, an alloy trigger guard, and a refined Turkish walnut Grade II stock. Available in classic North American hunting calibers from .243 Winchester through .300 WSM, the BAR remains a staple of European driven-game hunting and a favorite among American hunters who want fast follow-up shots on big game.
Although the sporting BAR shares only its name and the gas-operated rotating-bolt concept with John Moses Browning's WWI-era Browning Automatic Rifle, the family ties run deep: the rifle was developed by Bruce Browning, John Moses's grandson, working with FN Herstal engineer Marcel Olinger in Belgium in the mid-1960s. It is the rifle Belgian and French driven-boar hunters most commonly carry, and one of the very few semi-autos chambered for magnum cartridges as powerful as .300 Winchester Magnum.
The sporting BAR is mechanically unrelated to the military M1918 BAR despite the shared name; only the brand and gas-operated semi-automatic concept are inherited. Original BAR production ran from 1967 with the BAR Mark II succeeding it in 1993 (BOSS-equipped Safari trim being notable for its adjustable muzzle brake) and the Mark 3 launching in 2016. All BARs have been assembled in FN's Herstal, Belgium plant since launch, with stock work performed in Portugal for some grades. Magazine capacity is 4+1 for standard calibers and 3+1 for magnum chamberings. Both pistol-grip and traditional walnut stocks are offered.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Browning Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1967
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 559 mm
- Overall length
- 1102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.19 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 4
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Satin nickel polished blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3764 J
- Effective range
- 300 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Gas piston operation
Seven lug rotating bolt
Detachable box magazine
Hinged floorplate
Drilled and tapped
Gold plated trigger
Turkish walnut stock
Aluminum alloy receiver
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 3.19 kg | 3.40 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 73 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 1102 mm | 1100 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 559 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 78 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 4 | 4 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Browning BAR
How much does the Browning BAR weigh?
The Browning BAR weighs 3.19 kg (7.02 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Browning BAR?
The Browning BAR is chambered in .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, and 7mm Remington Magnum.
How many rounds does the Browning BAR hold?
The Browning BAR holds 4 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Browning BAR?
The Browning BAR is 1102 mm (43.4 in) long overall, with a 559 mm (22.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Browning BAR?
The Browning BAR is made by Browning Arms Company (United States). It was designed by Bruce Warren Browning.
When was the Browning BAR introduced?
The Browning BAR was introduced in 1967.
How does the Browning BAR operate?
The Browning BAR uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian Market
- 1967
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/browning-bar' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "browning-bar", "name": "Browning BAR", "manufacturer": { "id": "browning", "name": "Browning Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1878, "website": "https://www.browning.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "5d8cf4fb4b938ebaed9e76da3c57ad4cd9f27d22ee35d8b2265942435fbb875c" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 1967, "barrel_length_mm": 559, "weight_empty_g": 3186, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}