Browning BAR - Durable Enough to be a Good Ranch Rifle?

[Blue Jeans]

I've found what I think is a pretty good deal on a used Browning BAR in .30-06. I have been looking at a BLR in .308 for the same uses, an aperture sighted ranch gun, but I think this BAR deserves some consideration, especially as I can actually disassemble the BAR when I learn how; from what I know, you have be one crazy Bubba to even consider that with the BLR
Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a BAR vs BLR thread, I just want to know how people feel these particular rifles (that is to say, BARs) stand up to regular use with proper maintanence. This will be slid in and out of saddle scabbards, bouce around in the back seat, undoubtedly pop many coyotes in its life of use, and serve as a thick woods rifle. Everything many well used Marlin and Winchester 30-30s have been put through.
I realize that semi-autos are an unorthodox choice for a ranch/saddle/truck gun. There are always concerns of malfuntion, this partucular model is probably a bit too long for a saddle gun, and bad things can happen with semi-autos on horseback. Well, I don't shoot off horseback, the BAR is pretty flat sidded, I've never heard anybody packing a Winchester 71 or a 26" inch barreld 30-30 (rifles with longer overall lengths) complain about how awful their rifles are in scabbards, and with all the lever guns that I seen which have never been cleaned for a long long time but still somehow perform reliably I imagine a semi-auto with the proper care and cleaning shouldn't be too much of a bother.
Okay, I suppose a BAR may be somewhat of an unconventional choice, but maybe that's why I like the idea.

So relaibility and durability of the Browning BAR; give me all you got about it.

One other thing, I've heard some people say that that action of the BAR makes it a noisey or blasty rifle. I personally don't get this, but maybe that's just my ignorance showing. As I understand, the BAR employs a gas piston and an interia block and the bolt is driven back by two rods. So no gas is being blown back into the action (not that that seems to make ARs loud), and shouldn't the bullet and gases have already exited the barrel by the time the bolt opens anyway? It all seems like internet BS to me, but I've been proven wrong a few times in the past.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

A friend of mine shoots a BAR in 30-06. I have shot it a few times and really have nothing bad to say about it. The only thing I would consider is reloading for it. Most semi-autos I have had experience with are a little particular about the ammo put thru them. We have to really be careful about the brass and how it is sized in my friends rifle.

That being said....go for it. You have already listed the pro/cons of it in your post, so get your cash out!

 

[Slugz]

Second what CC said. Need to re load that thing. Factory ammo tolerances are just way too big IMO.

 

[roknHS]

Interesting choice. I have a BLR and a BAR. The BAR's are really sweet to shoot. Low recoil and no bad habits if you keep them clean.
Some of the newer model BAR's are short barrel versions that will fit the truck gun category quite well. Reloading won't be a problem if you opt for the RCBS black box full length reloading dies. These dies are designed for semi-autos that require full length resizing.BAR's are one of the most user friendly of the semi-autos.
BLR's are lighter and shorter. As you stated, they are a challenge for the novice to work on. They come with a trigger pull that is about 8 or 9 pounds. Many gun smiths won't work on them because their action is a timed gear affair that is complicated and time consuming. I had to hunt for a gun smith that would fix the god awful trigger pull.
Most of us blue collar types would consider these Brownings to be on the expensive side. But, you get what you pay for......both are exceptional rifles.

 

[Sawfish]

The BAR will certainly serve your purpose. My Uncle Bob used a 30/06 BAR as his only rifle from the late sixties until his death two years ago. He was a rancher and a hunter, and the old BAR served him well. That being said, the ranch rifle concept is based on a lighter and shorter gun that is easy to reload. The BAR is none of those things, but it is a great rifle. If that works for you, go for it.