Browning BAR Grade I .30-06 First-Generation, Belgian-Made Semi-Auto with 22 Inch Barrel (1981)
This first-generation Browning BAR Grade I is a Belgian-made semi-automatic rifle produced in 1981. Built by FN for Browning, it features a polished blued steel receiver without engraving, a 22 inch barrel chambered in .30-06, and classic walnut furniture. It retains the period-correct configuration with a hooded ramp front sight and a barrel drilled and tapped for a rear sight, plus two-piece scope bases and 1-inch rings already installed. Made in Belgium.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: This firearm is in solid shape, with various cosmetic imperfections, scratches, blemishes, and areas of finish loss. The bore remains clean and shiny.
What’s Included
- Scope Rings: 1-inch vertically split scope rings installed
- Scope Base: Two-piece scope bases installed on receiver
This rifle is a first-generation sporting BAR, Grade I, made in Belgium by FN for Browning in 1981. It carries the plain, polished-blue receiver characteristic of Grade I rifles and a 22 inch barrel chambered in .30-06. Ejection is to the right, and the bolt features the short handle used on early models.
The action is a gas-operated, rotating-bolt semi-automatic system. Feeding is via a detachable box magazine retained within a hinged floorplate, with a stated capacity of 4+1. The barrel is marked "BAR CALIBER 30-06 ONLY" over "BROWNING PATENTS." The steel buttplate is stamped "BROWNING."
Furniture consists of a gloss-finished walnut stock and matching walnut forend, both with cut checkering. The stock includes sling swivel studs and a steel buttplate. Length of pull measures 14.0 inches.
Sighting equipment includes a hooded ramp front sight. No rear sight is installed; the barrel is drilled and tapped for a rear sight. The receiver is fitted with two-piece scope bases and 1-inch vertically split rings, ready for the buyer’s preferred optic setup.