The Firearm Blog

Waffen Greger, a German company, makes bullpup conversions of the Browning BAR (the hunting rifle, not the military BAR).

Once converted the overall length of the rifle is just 31.5", about 12" shorter than a standard BAR¹. Aside from the length, a significant benefit would be the better balance offered by the bullpup configuration, with the action sitting right up against the shooters shoulder.

The standard magazines that are supplied with the rifle hold just two rounds, although they can supply three or four round mags. In Germany, hunting with semi-automatic rifles holding more than two rounds is prohibited.

Many thanks to Mehul for sending me the link to this company.

I was very surprised when a reader email me about this new rifle from Winchester. The poor Browning BAR hunting rifle has been through yet another evolution and rebranding.

In early 2008 FN announced a tactical sniper rifle, the FNAR, based on the Browning BAR (FN owns both Browning and Winchester Arms). It added a detachable magazine, pistol grip and top, bottom and side picatinny rails.

The new SX-AR is a heavy barreled FNAR in a Mossy Oak camo finish but without the side rails and full length top rail (interestingly the bottom rail remains). It comes full circle, taking the tactical FNAR improvements back to the hunting market.

Winchester SX-AR

This rifle will have been developed to fight the new AR-10 based hunting rifles that have been coming into the market, for example, the Remington R-25. I suspect the reason it is being rebranded and marketed under Winchester, and not Browning, is so that the risk of the BAR being named in any Assault Weapon Ban (federal or state) is reduced. The Browning BAR can continue to be a "traditional" styled hunting rifle.

For comparison, there are photos of the SX-AR ancestors ...

Browning BAR

FNAR

A big thank you to Reese for emailing me about this new rifle.

Browning BAR ShortTrac is now available chambered in the very popular 7mm-08 and the .325 Winchester Short Magnum.

BAR ShortTrac Stalker

The .325 WSM is an 8mm round that was introduced about four years ago.

At the IDEF ‘09 arms show, Turkish pistol and shotgun maker Sarsilmaz had the P6 pistol on display. I was quite surprised to see what I though was the Baby Browning. It is in fact a direct copy of the .25 ACP (6.3mm) Bernardelli (VB) Vest Pocket .25.

Photos of the Sarsilmaz P6:

The dimensions and weight of the P6 appears near identical to the original design. The slide on the P6 appears to have a larger ejection port. Original Bernardelli Vest Pocket photos (by huggiebear @ gunboards.com):

The pistol is not a great option for self defense. It’s .25 ACP cartridge is very low powered, about the same or worse than a .22 Long Rifle!

UPDATE: I originally posted that the pistol was a copy of the Browning Baby, which looks very similar to the Bernardelli vest pocket. Thanks to George, a collector of .25 pistols, for the correction.

The Winchester 1885 single shot rifle, designed by the one and only Mr John M. Browning, has been in and out of production for over 120 years. Winchester is once again manufacturing it. A variety of models are available:

1885 High Wall Sporter


Creedmoor Black Powder .50-90 Sharps

Short Hunter


High Wall Trapper

Not pictured is the Traditional Hunter model.

They are available chambered in:

* 45-70
* 50-90 Sharps
* 38-55
* 405 Win.
* 30-40 Krag
* 32-40
* 45-90

I really like the short barreled trapper model. It is available chambered in 38-55, 30-40 Krag and 45-70. Weights only 6 lbs and has a 16.5″ barrel.

MSRP is $1514.99 to $2226.56 depending on model and caliber.

Earlier this month Browning announced, to much fanfare, a new 12 gauge autoloader shotgun called the “Browning Maxus” at the annual sales meeting. Browning have really hyped this shotgun and have called it “The Most Reliable Autoloading Shotgun the World Has Ever Known.”.

The Browning Maxus Stalker model

The Browning Maxus Mossy Oak Duck Blind model

Browning claim the shotgun generates 18% less felt recoil, 44% less muzzle jump, 19% faster bolt speed and 24% faster locktime. The shotgun has a variety of improvements that make this performance increase possible:

* A new gas system called the “Power Drive Gas System” which is cleaner and more reliable with light loads.

* A new trigger called the “Lightning Trigger System” which has an average lock time of .0052 seconds.

* A new recoil pad called the “Inflex Technology Recoil Pad” which claims to decrease muzzle rise (I recently bought a grind-to-fit Limbsaver recoil pad recently that claimed the same thing).

It also has some nice magazine improvements. A feed system called “Speed Load Plus” allows the first shell inserted into the magazine to go directly into the chamber without cycling the action! Don’t ask me how this works but I look forward to examining the magazine system when it makes its way into the gun shops.

Browning have also introduced an improved magazine plug that can be inserted and removed in seconds using a car key.

The shotgun will be offered in two models (see above photos) and each model will be available in either a 3″ chamber or 3 1/2″ chamber and a 26″ barrel or 28″ barrel. Depending on the configuration the price will range from $1,199 – $1,499. It will be available sometime next year (2009).

Photo from Browning.com. An apparent reference
to the fictional Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius

As part of the launch Browning released a video on youtube. It has some very impressive videography. If you are not interested in the shotgun itself skip to the middle to watch the shooting.

Browning will be releasing a line of A-Bolt Target rifles.

The rifle will come in three calibers: .223 Rem., .308 Win. and .300 Win. Mag. It is a pity they are not offering more exotic calibers. The stainless model will cost $1489 for .223 and .308 while the .300 will cost $1519.

More info @ Accurate Shooter

Gunner’s Journal has a very in depth post about the Hi Power pistol. Highly recommended.

Browning Hi Power Mk III

As much I as I like these handsome pistols for informal target work, small game hunting, or just knocking around in the woods, their original purpose was for “serious” matters in one area of the self-defense arena, military service. Like its Browning-born predecessor, the 1911, the single-action Hi Power’s initial reason for existence was as a military sidearm and not individual civilian self-protection. It is nice that both readily lend themselves to this, however.

Read it here.

Filed under “guns I cannot afford”: Browning has a new trap shotgun. It comes in 32″ or 30″ models.

Price: $4,942.00

The press release is after the jump.

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