The Browning Automatic Rifle, variously known as the B.A.R. or simply the BAR, is one of the most influential automatic rifles ever developed. To succinctly describe it would be very difficult, given the number of variants on the original platform that have been developed over the years, and the number of ways in which it has been applied in battle.
The original Browning Automatic Rifle is the venerable M1918 that was developed by John Moses Browning in 1917, chambered in .30-06 Springfield, and saw notable use in the hands of American troops along the Western Front in the First World War.
The original M1918 BAR was an air-cooled, gas-operated light machine gun capable of rates of fire of up to 650 rounds per minute when paired with the .30-06 Springfield cartridge. Unlike the belt-fed M1917, the M1918 was fed by either a 20 round or 40 round detachable box magazine.
In the years that followed its release, the BAR was adapted to a variety of different cartridges, including but not limited to the .303 British, 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridges, and several others. Variants of the B.A.R. saw active service in the hands of troops from a variety of different countries around the world. It was in service in the United States Armed Forces from its introduction in 1917 until 1973, but over the years variants have been carried by Armed Services of more than 40 countries around the world.
Notably, variants of the Browning Automatic Rifle were adopted by Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, and the United Kingdom, but models have also been adopted by other states, including Nazi Germany, Japan, China, Turkey, Egypt, and both the Spanish Republic and the Spanish State, among many others.
Whatever variant it is for which you need parts, Sarco, Inc. can help. Check out our collection of various BAR parts and accessories on this page, and if you have any questions or need additional assistance, get in touch with our historical firearms experts at 610-250-3960.