My uncle just bought the same exact gun as in the link above. He is over 70 years old and has shot the same rifle for 50 years, and wanted a new gun
He picked up this rifle at a local mom n pop gun shop in North Fla. To me, the gun just did not seem like a $1000 gun. I guess that I am missing something on it. I did not find it to be balanced well(very nose heavy), not ergonomically comfortable, the gaudy Browning hump was ugly and LOP was way off for me anyways. All that matters is he is happy with it as my opinion doesn't matter. I do like the rubber material on the grips at the hand placement areas
I guess my question is, what makes this gun so special that it is $1k? I guess I am not seeing it as I can get 2 top of the line bolt guns for that price...
Its the old timers version of today's "AR". Nostalgia..They all wanted one growing up, the only semi-auto on the market back then?? Everybody had a bolt gun...
browning did and still does make a good gun, imo the older the better, esp the Belgians. the 30-06 bar semi's I've shot had uncanny accuracy way beyond what any semi should be able to do. the safari grades had beautiful wood on them. they now make the fn/ar a kinda blend of the fn military and the bar with a 10 rnd mag that might appeal to the black gun crowd. I've heard a good piece of walnut cost the mfgr's more to buy and finish than the rest of the gun, hence all the combat Tupperware we are seeing today. field conditions are tough on wood down here, I never really had a problem with getting scratches on the stocks before but now am considering a set of gun chaps to keep my wood looking good. a coat of west system epoxy and auto clear coat finish help keep the finish hard and looking good also.
Like everything else the longer you wait to purchase the more it is going to cost. I first looked at the BAR Safari grade 30-06 at Sports Authority back 74 or so and they were $525 and I passed. But the same with my Dad's Browning A5 which he paid like $125 in the Rod and Gun club over in Turkey now look at the price 700 to 1400 used. Same with my Remington 600 243 talked to a guy up Chass that just bought a used 600 for in 308 for 700 and it was in really bad shape. But he had been looking for one for years. I think I got mine for 125 when I was like 16 so now 40something years old but I wouldn't sell it just pass on to my son.
I think Browning still makes a good gun, but I'm not experienced or qualified to say the new ones aren't as good as the old ones. But, I have to agree. I just do not see $1k when you can purchase a fine bolt gun for a lot less and also have the factory back it up if any problems. I do think the nostalgia comment is accurate. Back in the mid '80s all I ever heard the fellow dog hunters talk about was somebody getting a BAR .308. I guess they've always been pricey considering the price of everything to go along with it.
