Free floating a barrel on a Browning BAR

hometheaterman · 01-02-2010, 08:56 PM

So for you guys that have Browning BAR's have you free floated the barrel? I have heard several guys recommend I sand the forearm so that it's not touching the barrel. In factory configuration it was touching on one side but not on the other. In order to get it to not touch on either it now is more wood on one side of the forearm than the other side. I'm sure you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for it but it still sort of bugs me. However, if I sand wood off the other side it will make it a lot larger gap between the forearm than barrel. Did you guys free float yours? Or did you leave them alone? If you did free float them did you run into this issue? It's like the forearm may not have been cut perfectly in the center or something. The barrel seems to be further to the right than the center of the forearm when you put it all together.

spaniel · 01-02-2010, 09:33 PM

I'd float it. I care a lot more about how it shoots than how it looks, especially if they have to look hard to notice it.

Hairtrigger · 01-03-2010, 04:21 AM

If it strings it's groups vertically I would free float it.
If it shoots fine I would leave it

Lonehunter61 · 01-03-2010, 04:43 AM

You could let it alone if its shooting ok but what if your hunting in bad weather that wood will swell up depending how well the their finish applied to the inside. If it bothers you do it just take your time as long as you can slip a dollar bill under and around that should do it. You can cut Birch Wood Casey's Tru-oil with mineral spirits 50/50 like 1oz of each to make a sealer to apply first. Then give her the top coat of truoil, I would do 2-3 applications using your fingers or a rag there are instruction for use on the container at least it used to be this will protect what you just undone from factory .

hometheaterman · 01-03-2010, 05:19 AM

Someone on another forum said he wondered if the barrel wasn't square in the receiver.
I didn't think about it being that the barrel wasn't square to the receiver. I thought it was going to be that the forearm was not cut in the center as it appears. However, now you've got me thinking the barrel might not be square and maybe that's caused my accuracy problems. Anyway to check this?

The thing that started this last year is that I got about a 8" group if I was lucky. I was shooting Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips and they were all over a 8" target. This was at 100 yards. I'd previously shot Winchester Silver Tip's the classic ones at 50 yards and all 6 shots just made one big hole.

Anyway, I started reading and saw to free float the barrel so I took a little off but not much. I then tried a few different brands of bullets. I found that with the Federal Fusions I took it down to about a 2" group at 100 yards. So I just chalked it up to not liking those bullets and liking the Federals. I also shot a 3" group at 100 yards with the Federal Soft Points at the time. The Winchester Soft Points seemed ok too but not quite as good.

Well, the last time I took it out to shoot I shot about a 1.5" or 2" group with the Federal Soft Points. It seems like with the Federals it's shooting plenty good for a hunting rifle. I shot 6 shots and had 4 touching and 2 that were fliers. The 2 I'm pretty sure I pulled on as it felt like it when I shot and sure enough they were off. I left it alone until just the other night I noticed the stock was still touching and it was rubbing the bluing off of the barrel in that spot. So I sanded it some more so that it wouldn't rub the bluing off the barrel anymore.

Would this have hurt accuracy or at worst will I just see no change?

So is there a way to see if the barrel is square in the receiver? Or if I'm getting 2" and slightly smaller groups should I just not worry about it? Could it being off be why It's soo picky about ammo when it comes to accuracy? It didn't like Remington Core Lokts either.

It seems to shoot all ammo pretty will without jamming but I've had a few stovepipes recently too. Not many but 2 or 3. It was odd as in the past it's never jammed and been 100% reliable. It still is very reliable imo I just had those 2 or 3 stovepipes.

Lonehunter61 · 01-05-2010, 05:49 PM

IMOP I would make sure wood is not touching , you said that it was rubing the barrel in a particular spot so this I'm sure could be the bulk of your problem. Get it cleaned up or if you feel better contact Browning and see what advice they give tell them what ammo your using.

My dad has one of these and he was getting good groups with it , only diff was the ammo thats because I was reloading for it. I'm not bashing factory ammo or saying I'm better.
And make sure you check you scope mount screws they seem to be snug enough , check your cleaning and lube if its causeing you to have feeding issues it could be dirty or maybe you need a little lube or maybe if your shooting and its been real cold maybe the lube your using isnt doing to well in this case and or it is the ammo.
Mass produced ammo can have quallity problem's some times things get missed. Just remember to put a coat of finish on the inside of that forearm when and if you do more clean up work on it hope this helps sorry if it got kinda drawn out

bigbulls · 01-05-2010, 07:26 PM

I hate to break it to all of you but you can't free float the barrel on a BAR. The forearm is attached to the barrel via the gas block under the barrel.

thndrchiken · 01-06-2010, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbulls

I hate to break it to all of you but you can't free float the barrel on a BAR. The forearm is attached to the barrel via the gas block under the barrel.

Not to mention the fact that he said he was getting good groups with the regular silvertips, when he switched to the BST's it opened up. Then shooting Federals came back down to more realistic groups. Seems like his gun don't like the BST's. That is why the standard answer for questions like recommend a load comes down to "Buy several different bullet types and weights and see what your gun likes".

Lonehunter61 · 01-06-2010, 05:35 AM

Crap I didnt consider that I was thinking of him seeing the wood touch the barrel so yea I guess you cant really do a freefloat on this like on a normal bolt action but if the wood is touching the barrel at one spot along the sides I would think it would help to remove enough so its not ?

devil dog · 01-08-2010, 02:45 PM

Open up the channel to get the wood off the barrel, cosmetic change only. You could bed the forarm and the stock for that matter, the only thing that this will do though is save your wood from eventualy splitting, this is a trick I learned for the old A5 shotgun. You might have a crown issue, but you said you went from a 8" group to a 2" group just by changing the ammo, I wouldnt think that would be the case. My best recomendation would be to start shooting various different loads to find what shoots best in your rifle, not just brands but weight also, ie. 125gr, 150gr, 180gr & etc., reloading could offer benifit also to accuracy issues.