Survival Directory
John M. Browning filed a partent for the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) on 1
August, 1917 and the rifle was in combat by 1918.
The original Browning Automatic Rifle could fire 550 rounds of .30-06
ammunition a minute.
The Browning Automatic Rifle was used by the U.S. military through WWII and
the Korean conflict. A few Browning Automatic Rifles even saw service in
Vietnam.
The U.S. military adopted three variations of the Browning Automatic Rifle:
- M1918 Browning Automatic
Rifle, adopted in 1917, was selective to fire either semi- or
fully-automatic. The M1918 did not have the shoulder support plate or
bipod that was characteristic of later models. The M1918 had a blade front
sight and a leaf with aperture rear sight.
- M1918A1 Browning Automatic
Rifle, adopted in 1937, was selective to fire either semi- or
fully-automatic. It had a shoulder support plate hinged to the buttstock
and a spike type bipod. The M1918A1 had a blade front sight and a leaf
with aperture rear sight.
- M1918A2 Browning Automatic
Rifle, adopted in 1940, was fully-automatic, but selective at either Slow
(300-450 spm) or Fast (500-650 spm) rates of fire. The M1918A2 was
originally issued with a spike based removable stock rest which fitted in
a hole in the buttstock. It had a shorter hinged shoulder support plate
and a skid type bipod. Later modifications included a plastic buttstock
and the addition of a carrying handle. The M1918A2 had a blade front sight
and a leaf with aperture rear sight adjustable for windage.
In 1967, a sporting version of the Browning Automatic Rifle was introduced.
The rifle pictured above is a BAR Lightweight Stalker.
Articles on the Browning Automatic Rifle
Browning Automatic Rifle
The BAR is a gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed weapon. As built for the
U.S. military, the BAR was chambered for the standard service round of that
period, the .30-06 Springfield. It weighed from 16 to 19 pounds (7.3 to 8.6 kg)
empty, depending upon the model. Magazine capacity was 20 rounds.
Browning Automatic Rifle Patent
Automatic Machine-Rifle
Browning Automatic Rifle Manuals
BAR (pre-1993 models)
BAR ShortTrac/LongTrac
BAR Mark II