# Browning BAR



## Rebel_Ray (Jan 31, 2015)

Can a BAR be rebarreled? I have one that I inherited from my uncle and the throat is totally eroded. It shoots 4 foot groups at 100 yards and I was told that rebarreling a BAR could ruin the receiver. Anyone got and advice or ideas? 


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Are you talking about the sporting version of a BAR, or the original military BAR which was a totally different design.


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## bbquman (Oct 1, 2005)

If you consider this to a keepsake from a close relative, you may want to think about just keeping it in its original condition. A 30-06 bar barrel on numerich gun part website goes for 450. Don't know what cal you have but maybe it can be rechambered to an ack. Imp.


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## bbquman (Oct 1, 2005)

If you consider this to a keepsake from a close relative, you may want to think about just keeping it in its original condition. A 30-06 bar barrel on numerich gun part website goes for 450. Don't know what cal you have but maybe it can be rechambered


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Pocketfisherman said:


> Are you talking about the sporting version of a BAR, or the original military BAR which was a totally different design.


X2


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## Rebel_Ray (Jan 31, 2015)

It is a Browning Bar Safari model. It's one of the Belgian made guns from the 60's and is chambered in 7mm mag. Before the gun went to **** my dad said he saw my uncle drop an elk at 450 yards with it, so I did use to shoot well. 


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Have a scope on it, if so I would start there.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

CHARLIE said:


> Have a scope on it, if so I would start there.


I agree, start with everything else and finish with rechambering/barreling the rifle. Scope, mounts, rings, ammo and stock all could be major contributors. I had a BNIB 7mag that would shoot 1' at 100 yds with Hornady SST AMMO. Less than 1 MOA with hand loads. Rifle was fine, it just hated the Hornady ammo.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Have you tried a thorough cleaning with a copper solvent like Sweets or Butch's? Don't use a bronze brush (it has copper in it), and clean and re-apply until a patch comes out clean without any trace of black or green residue indicating copper fouling.


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## B-Money (May 2, 2005)

If the scope on it is from the 70's or earlier, it is probably all beat up on the inside. New scope and mounts will probably cure you as mentioned above. 

7 mag is a bell ringer. You may need to look at the $300 - $500 scopes (Monarch and Leupold vx or better). The $100 scopes will not hold up.


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## snapperlicious (Aug 11, 2009)

Agree, try a scope but I wouldn't fool with anything else. Take it to a gunsmith and get it checked out. My buddy has one from his grandpaw and its worth about 7 grand. He thought it was just another toy at first and was hauling it around in a soft case.


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## Rebel_Ray (Jan 31, 2015)

It's not the scope, we had a new swarovski scope with good rings and bases. And we've tried many different brands of ammunition and bullet weights. It's definitely the throat of the rifle. I was told it would be $1200 to fix it by building up the throat. The gunsmith said that the barrel couldn't be removed without damaging the receiver. I think he was just trying to screw me over. What do yall think? 


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## snapperlicious (Aug 11, 2009)

Try a different shop and get a second opinion.


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## B-Money (May 2, 2005)

A bad throat does not throw a 4 foot group. Even a buggered crown won't do that. A bad throat throws maybe a 12 minute group. Something has to be loose to be that bad. 4 feet is bad on the order of putting a 270 shell in a 280 rifle.

Try another smith.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Rebel_Ray said:


> It's not the scope, we had a new swarovski scope with good rings and bases. And we've tried many different brands of ammunition and bullet weights. It's definitely the throat of the rifle. I was told it would be $1200 to fix it by building up the throat. The gunsmith said that the barrel couldn't be removed without damaging the receiver. I think he was just trying to screw me over. What do yall think?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Im no gunsmith but i have never heard of this. Can you explain how he said he would do that


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## Rebel_Ray (Jan 31, 2015)

He said he would build it back up with metal and then file it back down. I've never heard of it either, which is why I am suspicious 


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Don't b suspicious-RUN LIKE HELL!--Go find a reputable gunsmith. "Build it up and FILE it down"? Up inside a 0.284 hole? I believe not. Ruin the receiver by rebarrelling? Maybe, if you heat it with a cutting torch. (Yes, I know--sometimes you do have to warm one up a tad to help get the old barrel loose ) I would want to see a chamber and throat cast before I let anybody do anything other than clean the bore and check for loose screws, copper fouling, bedding problem, etc. Good luck!


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## theeyeguy (May 24, 2011)

Talked to my smith about this. He's pretty adventurous on trying things and he went white. I'd look elsewhere on this.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Rebel_Ray said:


> It's not the scope, we had a new swarovski scope with good rings and bases. And we've tried many different brands of ammunition and bullet weights. It's definitely the throat of the rifle. I was told it would be $1200 to fix it by building up the throat. The gunsmith said that the barrel couldn't be removed without damaging the receiver. I think he was just trying to screw me over. What do yall think?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't believe that for a minute. But, I do know that the gas port and tube are brazed to the barrel, so it takes a gunsmith with some skill to do the work. If you shorten the barrel and rechamber it, now you have the gas port closer to the chamber and running a lot more pressure which throws the timing off. You might call some of the barrel makers who sell replacement barrels and see who they recommend. One name that has come up in the past for BAR work is a smith named Dennis Olson from Plains MT.

Dennis Olson
[email protected]
P.O. Box 337
500 First Street
Pla.ins Montana 59859
 Phone: 406-826-3790
Company: Olson Gunsmithing


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Dont all those take the type 2 barrels? If so would this work for ya?
http://www.midwestgunworks.com/mm5/...760B&Category_Code=browning-bar-rifle-barrels


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## Stevieray54 (Dec 26, 2013)

If you are in the Houston area, i would contact Freer Fire Arms in Spring Branch, he is a Browning Service center and deals in older Brownings and Winchester been in business well over 50 years


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## Rebel_Ray (Jan 31, 2015)

Well I just called Mr. Olson and he confirmed that it would be $600 minimum. He explained it to me that the locking lugs lock into the barrel so he'd have to cut off the old barrel and then remove the locks and re-thread them into the new barrel. Oh well, I guess I'll just leave it be. Thanks for all the information though!


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Barrell just wont make it that bad IMHO. gotta be something else.


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## Superman70 (Aug 13, 2014)

Take the fore end off and shoot it. Over tightening on that one little screw along with a minute amount of wood contact will wreak havoc on one of these rifles. If you think a bolt gun acts up with poor bedding on the fore end you can multiply by 10 for a split stock style rifle.


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## snapperlicious (Aug 11, 2009)

Why don't you let a gunsmith look at it instead of all these over the phone deals?


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## shooterstx (Dec 20, 2011)

See Freer first. You've been sufffering from some very poor advice.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

What caliber ? You sure ?


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