The BAR Match is dead, long live the BAR MK 3 DBM (Detachable Box Magazine) -The Firearm Blog

The Browning BAR Match is dead. I managed to get one of the last ones, haven’t even sighted in mine yet but it shoots very nicely.

But there’s a new version around the corner called the BAR MK 3 DBM.

DBM is short for Detachable Box Magazine, and I don’t think that needs any further explanation.

Some might sigh with boredom over this rifle, but for a lot of hunters the possibility to hunt with an AR15 or similar type of rifle is out of the question due to legislation. For a lot of hunters a rifle like the BAR Match and the new MK3 DBM makes a lot of sense, especially in Europe.

I was afraid that Browning would take a lot of the features away in the new version, but apart from the pistol grip which seems gone, most things look OK or improved.

The price is set around 1 469 USD.

For reference, below is what the “old” Browning BAR Match looked like. It was also available without the pistol grip and a traditional stock. There are magazines with up to 20 rounds available.

Note how the Picatinny is different. There is also a lack (not sure if this would be optional on the MK3 DBM) of a front Picatinny, which comes handy if you want to attach a bipod or a search light quickly.

From Browning, here goes:

NEW FOR 2017 – Multipurpose 308 Winchester semi-automatic rifle. Gas-piston design. 18″ hammer-forged barrel. Detachable box magazine fed. Picatinny rail scope bases. Lightweight alloy receiver and composite stock with 6 pound 10 oz overall weight.

We dare you to find another 308 Winchester semi-automatic rifle that shoots this well, weighs this little, and has all of these features at this price…

The roots of the Browning BAR run deep – going back to John M. Browning’s first design for the U.S. military during the First World War. The sporting BAR’s contemporary design offers shooters and hunters a lightweight semi-automatic rifle with refinements not present in the most popular modern sporting rifles, including a gas-piston design. The BAR MK 3 DBM customize the BAR design to offer shooters a detachable box magazine with a magazine well instead of the standard hinged floor plate design. The DBM model also comes with QD swivel cups (QD sling swivels included), 1913 Picatinny rail scope bases, and an 18″ hammer-forged barrel (an optimal length for a multipurpose rifle chambered in the venerable 308 Winchester cartridge). The best part is that you get all of this in a package that weighs in just a hair over 6½ pounds.

Accuracy
Browning rifles consistently produce the most accurate shot groups in their class. This is due in large part to the quality of their barrels. The BAR is built around a hammer-forged barrel made in a thoroughly controlled and tested process.

Function
The BAR relies on a gas piston design to operate its lightweight action. The gas piston design mitigates shooter-perceived recoil and reduces excessive carbon residue that other modern gas-impingement designs vent into the moving parts of the action. Like most modern sporting rifles, the BAR utilizes a multi-lug rotary bolt – a component that allows for a lightweight alloy receiver.

Feel
The BAR MK 3 feels and handles like the purpose-built hunting rifle it is – lightweight, quick to shoulder and point. Add in the benefits of a well-designed semi-automatic, and you get quick follow-up shots and less perceived recoil than with your standard bolt-action hunting rifles.

Feature Rollup:

Receiver– Aircraft-grade alloy; Drilled and tapped for scope mounts

Barrel – Hammer-forged

Action – Gas-operated autoloader; Multi-lug rotary bolt; Detachable box magazine with magazine well; Composite trigger guard and floorplate; Crossbolt safety

Stock – Composite; Matte black finish; Overmolded gripping panels; Shim adjustable for cast on/off and drop at comb

Features – Sling swivel stud for bi-pod; QD swivel cups, swivels included