doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com "Fudging" a bit with a BAR in .270

I'm looking at a browning BAR in .270 in Mint condition- with Redfield 2x7 Widefield (Denver mfg.) scope in Weaver rings and also the orginal factory iron sights- not a mark on it, trigger pull fair- very accurate with 130 grainers- But- It says- Made in Belgium- Assembled in Portugal- is this a later series BAR from the first offerings back in maybe 1970- when they were 100% Belgian mfg.? A fair price range of under $900.00 with scope caps, Boyt case, leather sling with QD's and 3 boxes of factory 130 grain ammo?? I am tempted!!

If I remember right,,all BAR production before 1976 was Belgian.
After '76, the parts were made in Belgium and the rifles were assembled in Portugal.

All the Brownings made after '75 will have a 2 letter 'year code' in the serial number. Depending on wether they were Japanese, or European made and assembled,,the 2 letter year code is in a different place within the serial number,,but it is always present in the number.
The date codes use the following letters to represent numbers:
Z=1
Y=2
X=3
W=4
V=5
T=6
R=7
P=8
N=9
M=0

So a serial number of 23456RP789 would show mfg in 1978

With all that said,,the 'assembled in Portugal' BAR's have little collector interest. At least they didn't when I was casually interested in the Brownings. In a BAR, if it wasn't a Belgian made and assembled rifle, it was only a shooter no matter how nice it was.
..and they are nice shooters. The ones I've seen and shot functioned just as well as any of them.
Price??,,I don't know what they go for now. A search of the auctions with specifics to the Portugese assembled rifles should turn up some range of prices.

The other issue to consider is that these older BARs use magazines that are no longer available except as aftermarket. Lose your magazine and it will cost you $75 to replace it. I sold a .30/06 in 2011 with three mags for $750.

Magazines: http://www.cdnninvestments.com/browning2.html

You know, for the zombie apocalypse.

$14 is a whole lot better than $75. If you get the rifle, stock up now on spares!