I have been on the campfire for awhile now and as I ponder my next purchase it seems that Brownings are conspicuously absent from discussion here.

I have one Stainless Stalker in 30-06 circa mid-80's, a couple of Kimbers, A couple of Weatherby's and a few Remingtons and with the exception of the Browning, all seem to get more airplay here.

Is there something in particular folks don't like about Brownings? Something in the newer models than I have that I should be aware of?

I welcome your thoughts.

Dan

Do they still have aluminum components in the triggers?

I think they are highly polished turds..... There isn't much I could like about an A-bolt. A Remington 700 or Winchester 70 is a much better action. I can't grasp hot glue bedding the recoil lug or attaching barrels to actions via locktight. They just don't inspire me at all...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

If I were a Japanese-made gun collector, I suppose I'd have several.

The bottom line for me is; 3 shots in 3/4" or less @ 100yds. That is what it is all about, nothing more. If it is held together with duck tape and shoots 3/4" groups @ 100 yards, it is a far better firearm then one that has a hard time with 1-1/2" groups.

So, I'm sorry to hear if I have to rip my A-bolt apart it may be more difficult. AMF Harleys had the same easy takedown as Win and Rem and mechanics just loved the he11 out of them.

I would rather have a rifle that shoots then have spare parts!

A pressure point and no bedding is better then free floated and at least some bedding?

I do have a Rifle that I was thinking of having glass bedded but you know, I could do the same thing with hot glue and save $99. Thank you.

Sorry Ahlman's.

they just look too glossy for my tastes...

There's nothing wrong with a Browning A-Bolt at all, as far as the basic quality of the rifle ... I've not seen one yet that didn't shoot as well as any other RemChester or similar. They are a tad more expensive, at least down here, but they are a good product.

To answer your question about why they don't get much play around here, is simply because this is a forum full of mostly rifle loonies ... and being a loony means you want to constantly tinker with and customize your rifles ... which is the problem with the Brownings ... other than putting a McMillan stock on it, there ain't much you can do to it ... not that it needs it ... just simply put, there are basically no aftermarket parts for it.

My local smith told me he doesn't like them because they are harder to work on than the 'others' ... but more precisely, they rarely need any work, which isn't a good thing for a gunsmith, ya know? He told me of one single instance he knew of where the trigger on one broke, but that was a guy that had is rifle on a hunt high in the mountains, freezing cold and snowy, for days on end ... trigger guard got brittle, and when it got bumped kinda hard, it cracked. Other than that, he's seen no real issues with any he knows of. Also, my uncle has an A-Bolt Medallion in .270win he's been using for 19 years straight, and has never had a single problem with it ... from feeding, ejection, accuracy and reliability, there's narry been a hitch.

the warrentys suck they won't stand behind their products.

It is the same Co. as winchester isn't it.

I like my old BLR81 in .308 that I've had for several years. Wood looks really good after having the glassey finish stripped off and having a oil finish applied to the wood. And for being made in Japan, so is the Toyota I drive to work every day.

The A-Bolt Hunters are now (once again) comming with a nice matte finish on the steel and a very dull matte on the stock. My Dad just picked up a 325 WSM hunter and there's nothing shiny at all on that rifle.

i love my browning ,just bought it a few weeks ago,aND IT WILL SHOOT ONE HOLE GROUPS IF YOU CAN HOLD IT,IT SHOOTS BETTER THAN MY REM AND SAVAGE .

I don't like high gloss stocks for a hunting rifle like you see on some of the Brownings, but then, I don't like the Remington 700 BDL either, for the same reason. As a previous post points out the Browning Hunter models have a satin finished stock, so there's something for everyone, I guess.

I have a Browning Stainless Stalker in 270 WSM. With factory ammo, it will shoot about 3/4" groups at 100 yards. That's good enough for me!

Not made in America always seems to come up when someone mentions Browning A-Bolts. Then again, the Howa and the Vanguard are both made in Japan and they get favorable airtime.

The list of not made here rifles also includes Sako, Tikka and others from Europe, but some folks here cream themselves when those brands are mentioned.

Aluminium trigger components? The famed Win 70 FWT that I owned had an aluminium trigger guard. Seems to be a pretty good market, selling all-steel bottom metal for Win 70's.

Warranty department wont stand behind products? Browning and Winchester are both owned by the same parent company. My "Riflemans Rifle" that I owned had to go back to the warranty department 3 times. Never got the problem fixed. It found a home elsewhere.

I own 2 A-bolts, and they shoot good. Will I only buy Brownings? No. Whatever fills the niche that I am trying to fill will get the nod.

The next time someone bashes a certain brand, ask them if they ever owned that particular brand, and what specific problem(s) they had with it. You will probably find that they never owned one and are going by hearsay.

Just my two cents.

Honestly - I am not sure what it is but I just don't "like" them. They are about the only game in town in a short action compact lefty, yet everytime I pick one up I just think "yuck" and put it back down.

no flies on the A-bolt, just not many aftermarket accessories for them. Steel floorplates and trigger gaurds are on the way sometime. I love my brownings, I have treated the in ways that would seem cruel and unusual and have never had a problem with them............blake

I had almost forgotten about the brittle triggers. I've had 3 come in over the last year with that problem. As far as mechanics goes, I've had few problems with any of the big 3 (Rem/Win/Br). Like some of the others have posted, I just don't care for the plastic looking stocks, although nearly the same thing can be said of Remmies......

I have a feeling the major issue is cost factor, at least in these parts...

I'm sorry if you had that experience. But, my experience was fantastic. I had to send an A-Bolt medallion (243) in for a warranty repair. My customer service experience with them was top notch. They were very courteous and helpful. The turn around time was extremely fast.
I'm not sure what the standard "warranty" time frame is on them, but I had owned that gun for several years before I had to send it in. And, there was no cost to me other than the initial shipping charge to get it there.
Not to mention, it went to Utah for repairs, not Japan.

To top it off, the gunsmith that worked on my rifle did a follow up call to make sure I was happy with everything once it had been returned.

So, in other words, blanket statements like yours are not worth taking into consideration.

I own Brownings, Remingtons, and Winchesters, They all shoot good. But, none of them shot as good straight out of the box as the Brownings. That is just my experience, yours may vary. But, I also like to fiddle with guns, As mentioned earlier, you can't really do that with a Browning.

The point is, I think that it is great that we have several choices of the brand and style of gun we buy. How boring would it be if we could only buy a Remington 700?

Ryan

I bought my blued, synthetic 223 used about 10 yrs ago. The second time I removed the action from the stock I snapped the trigger 'shoe' off. Sent it back to Browning and had it back in 3 weeks with no charge. Only had it out of the stock a few times since then.

It has a lot to like. Very accurate. Stock fit, function and feel are fine for me. Durable finish, only signs of wear are on the bolt knob. I like the mag/clip set up best of all factory offerings. Barrel always cleans easily. Very smooth action. Adjusted trigger not noticably different from my Rem triggers.

Only complaint is my personal dislike of the tang safety. Works fine, easy and quiet to operate, I just prefer the Remington positioning of the safety.

I own Two Browning Rifles.
One BLR in 358 with the worst trigger known to Mankind but it will shoot into an Inch at 100 yds.
I have an Abolt in 25/06 that shoots an easy 3/4" @100 yds.
What upsets me is that I also have a Savage 11F that cost less than 1/2 what the Brownings did and shoots the best of any Rifle I ever had off the shelf.
My complaint about Brownings are Price and Glossy finish both are over done.
But if you like bright shiny baubles that go Bang they are the way to go. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

i don't like their looks. something strange about the shroud and shape of the bolt handle and flats on the receiver. they are greatly over-priced. just aesthetics mostly for me. but they do shoot.

The reason that I don't have any Japanese made guns is that my mothers only brother was killed by the Japanese army in WW11. We have his letters and pictures. Now I happen to covet a M52 Sporting or even a new Highwall or Lowwall but I have drawn the line.

Perhaps my decision is only one in a million but thats how I see it.

There are some Brownings that are made in Europe such as the BAR.

realwood1
I have owned A-bolts and have seen them fail. The triggers are prone to freezing up from corrosion when near saltwater. And they do it fast! The extra parts used to make an A-bolt bolt do not inspire confidence in them...

The banana peel explosions that have shown up are not a big concern, but I have never seen a 700 do that, nor heard of one either...
art

JAPAN!!!!!!!

The one A-Bolt I owned was a decent shooter and all, but I ended up selling it because I just couldn't get used to the looks and it never felt right in my hands. The Sako I bought to replace it fit me much better, was a little more accurate and looked a lot better to my eyes. Since that one experience, which occured about 5 years ago, I've never seriously thought about buying another A-Bolt.

I bought one in '92 and another in '94, both have killed everything they have been fired at. ( edit here- there was one cow Elk that got away)
My 280 sees little use anymore but my kids 7 mag still gets regular use.
Since I've been forum "educated" I know better now, but before I learned how bad they were I liked them.

Thanks to all for the responses. I think there is enough to draw from here to steer me elsewhere on my next purchase. I am also looking at the WSM's and Browning has gone shorter (23" barrels) than Winchester or Kimber for some reason.

Anyone played with the .325 WSM yet?

There's a bunch of Japs that won't be making any rifles for any US gun companies-those that my Dad and Uncles killed in WWII.

Japan was rebuilt by us and paid us back by basically engaging in an economic war against us until the recession they experienced a few years back.

USA...all the way.

kidd

I have owned two A-Bolts in the past. A Hunter & a Stainless Stalker.They were ok, but not my cup of tea. I personally think they are over priced status symbols. Kinda like a "bankers" gun. Gimme a true hard working AMERICAN made rifle anyday.

what do you do for a television?

My Philips Magnavox was made in the USA, they are a Netherlands owned company.

Everyone hates them... especially the deer.

On these rifles, do you have the option of loading the magazine without removing it from the gun?

I have Sako, Tikka, Remington, and yes a Browning. Just bought the Browning last year because a buddy got one and I saw the excellent accuracy he was getting. I had never been a Browning fan in the past . . . thought they were too bright and shiney. But I got a Stainless Stalker (I think all synthetic stocks are kind of ugly) and the thing just plain shoots. I also like the short bolt throw, but dont care for the safety . . . especially with a glove on. I dont think the action is very smooth either. But for a rough weather rifle that shoots lights out, I like it.. . especially in the 7m-08.

Long

I've only own two Browning rifles first got in 1965 still shoots great on it's fifth barrel, got the next one last year and it's a great shooter took and elk with it. It got down to around 18 below hunting for afew days and it's a tough rifle. The rifle has one of Rick's paint jobs sure makes the rifle stand out.

This "I won't have one because they're made in Japan" stuff every time the subject of Browning rifles is brought up is kind of amusing . There was a post just a few days ago about Howa rifles and that didn't seem to spark such a response.

I love my Browning A-Bolt as well as my Toyota Tundra and my Honda ATV. They're good values and they work.

I wonder how many hate Mausers because we went to war with Germany a couple of times, or Enfields- We did fight the Brits once or twice

I have several Japanese Brownings including a BPS 12 which I consider the best pump shotgun on the market and the only one for lefties (I am not a leftie, so THAT is not my issue).

I have a buckmark and several Clitoris. The A-bolt I find an insult to John's name... It has nothing to do with the company or the source. It has everything to do with the design. As I have posted more than once, I had a bad problem with an A-bolt new out of the box. The CS was extremely good. The rifle was cleaned up and polished, a perfectly functional barrel was replaced (I had not complained about accuracy) and it was returned free of charge. It shoots incredibly well. I will still buy Browning, but never another A-bolt...
art

I have two A-Bolt shooters, one is a Micro Medallion chambered in 7-08 that I purchased new in '91. It's my go to gun. I was shopping for a light weight rifle to hunt in the high Sierra Nevada's with. After selecting the 7-08 cartridge I found a limited number of factory chambered rifles for it at that time. I had boiled it down to choosing between the Rem Model 7 and the Micro. The Model 7 at that time only came with the 18.5" barrel which was a big negative with me. The Micro had a 20" barrel. Other features that I prefer are: the tang safety, 60 degree bolt turn (the throw had to be lapped), detachable magazine (I thought the trap door was rather novel and still like the idea), the pistol grip (although I wish it were a thumb hole stock and a palm swell would also be an improvement), the recessed muzzle crown, the flattened angled bolt handle. The features on the Micro that I didn't like: the pull length was way to short (a slip on recoil pad solved the problem, it's way to shiney (was looking for a matte finish like the current Micro Hunter but it wasn't offered then, I put clothe type bottom land camo bow tape all over and no one has yet been able to identify it), the aweful stock trigger pull (had the trigger profesionally tuned to 3#'s crisp and now it's perfect). This rifle fits me like a glove and is very enjoyable to carry for at high altitudes or long distances. It's also very accurate with the handloads I've tuned for it and very fast to get on target with.

My second A-Bolt, also a pre-Mk-II, I purchased around y2k is a Stainless Stalker 7 RM. The previous owner had Williams open sights installed and left the Leupold QR base on it. The brass bead on the front sight had broken off when I got it so I replaced it with the Firesight and a hood. Still haven't sighted those open sights yet. I lapped the bolt because the travel was again gritty, worse than the Micro was, but it will never be as slick as the Micro nor my pre-64 Win 70 which is by far the smoothest, and the trigger still needs to be lightened and tuned a little. Even with these nuances it is a very accurate shooter, I suspect because the weight and balance with it's 26" barrel. It loves 160 and 175gr Mag-Tips with H870. It doesn't have the barrel compensator, I forget what they call it but I've always thought they look like a wart on the end of the barrel. I want to have the plastic stock filled with foam one day to surpress the hollow sound it makes when bumped or tapped. To be honest I don't care for the quality of the Stainless Stalker as much as I do for the Micro Medallion. I've often thought the Medallions were produced more for show or display but they sure can shoot once the trigger is properly tuned.

I collect rifles factory chambered in the .284 Win and I have a Micro Medallion nib but I'm still missing the Medallion and Hunter. I've missed two of each nib at reasonable prices by only a day both times. dayum.

The Browning A-Bolts fit me well and I've had no serious problems with either of them. Only the factory triggers and rough bolt travel.
I also have Savage 340B, 111FC, Rem 700, Ruger 77RL (tange safety), Sako TGR-S, and Pre-64 Win 70 and I still like my A-Bolt Micro best (see attached pic) followed by the Pre-64 Win 70. I had bought a new Winchester 70 Classic SS/composite chambered in 300 Wea. and the workmanship (ha) on it was terrible and the stock felt like a club in my hands.

The only country of origin that I'm opposed to is [color:"red"]China[/color] and I do my best to avoid purchasing ANY products made there.

realwood,

I am a Remington Man. Some people are Winchester Men. And on and on. I don't know any Browning A-bolt men, though I know a few BAR men. Not to say there aren't any, or that there'd be anything wrong with being one. I just don't know any. I rarely hear much about Browning rifles from any shooters other than those that like BARs. The A-Bolt's reputation as far as I know is not one at all really. Not exceptionally good or bad THAT I KNOW OF. Why? I don't know. Maybe their marketing is shoddy which is no reflection on their product. Some other posts here indicated they are overpriced and show no signs of being worth the price tag in terms of being consistantly accurate out of the box, or fine workmanship. That being said, they may be overshadowed by the lesser expensive Sakos and the like due to their reputation for accuracy, and a heavier presence of advertising. The fact that I am always looking at rifles and pondering a purchase and have never considered buying an A-bolt, not because I hear bad things but because I hear nothing at all tells me their marketing is off.

Just my thoughts.

Yep. You can load from the top just like with any push feed bolt action. You can also drop the floor plate, and slide the mag box off, and then slide another one on, if you want.

I had a browning a-bolt 308,it shot 3 shot .25 groups at 100 yds They will shoot , but they are one ugly rifle. I did not like the stock finish or bolt make up,however the mag was great. I traded it in on a Kimber 84,what a rifle!!!

If American quality is a necessary ingrediant, a Remington 710 may be just the ticket.

WTH, are you a part-time gynecologist now or sumpin?

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't like Abolts for several reasons: They're ugly; Don't care much for the feel of their operating functions; They're ugly; The first one I ever fired was a POS lightweight-something in 270 Winchester that kicked like a mule and grouped about like my buckshot gun. It also had a bad habit of de-cocking itself too, but a few trips to the service dept. finally cured that. Oh yeah, and they're ugly little critters.

Otherwise, they're probably ok.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hey, it's all subjective. If you like your Abolt, so be it. I eat cottage cheese with just salt and pepper on it and that gives some the willies. Now I just hide somewheres when I eat and no one is offended. Might work with Abolts too?

Now it's cottage cheese, Abolts, fat girls, and mopeds.......










Fun to eat, shoot, ride, and ride as long as no one sees you.

Exactly

Yes you can load from the top or remove the mag and load it. Mine was a little rough at first too, I took a jewelers file and smoothed the edges of the magazine and it slicked right up.

Browning makes some fine guns. And have for many years. Their A-Bolt guns however, leave me cold.
Why ? I see nothing in their design that I like. Their bolts are all screwed together. Their barrels are put together in a way that most smiths will have nothing to do with. Their triggers designs are tough to get adjusted right or can't be depending on what you get.
But the worst of all of their problems is they fail in the field. Sitka Deer just mention one problem. JJHack, our resident African PH and former alaskan guide says he has seen far more of them fail in the field than every other make combined. That's enough for me. Give me a Ruger, a Winchester or a Remington. They have all treated me right. E

ROTFLMAO...dat's funny! WTF's on YOUR mind, Sitka? Does M know? I guess she does now! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You have NO choice in a TV, Radio, Computer, etc.
I do have choices in sporting arms to hand down to my family.
My guns can come from US, Portugal, Finnland,Spain,Belgium,
ad nauseum. They won't come from Japan.

Bob

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />