I have decided I want a Browning BAR. I am predominantly a shotgun guy and a bird hunter. So shotguns are my main point of reference for firearms. A local shop has in stock a BAR Mk3 DBM in the wood finish. Before going to the shop, I checked Browning's website to make sure I understood all of the specifications. One of th specifications I was interested in was Length of Pull (LOP). On a shotgun, my LOP is fairly long, about 14 3/4 inches. I'm a tall guy with long arms... The Browning website listed the BAR Mk3 LOP as 14 3/8 inches. So not far off. I get to the shop and look at the gun. Shoulder it. It feels short. I look at the tag: LOP 13 3/8 inches. I ask the guy behind the counter to measure, and he does--three times. Confirmed: 13 3/8 inches. (By the way, we examined this gun closely, and based on the Browning website we did determine it to be the Mk3 DBM. It is not the plain Mk3, the Safari, etc.). The gun feels fine when I mount it. But my concern is if I put a scope on it will the scope punch me in the face when fired... Here is my real question, not being a big rifle guy: Does LOP on a rifle have to be the same as a shotgun? I can't imagine Browning would sellany of these guns if consumers didn't like the LOP. Then again, I'm a larger-than-average person... If I use a 14 3/4" in a shotgun, must I have the same or similar LOP in a rifle? Thanks for your help. Mark
LOP can be shortened or lengthened on just about anything. It does not need to be the same as a shotgun. The scope mounted and fit/feel with determine all that. Your lop isn't much different than most normal guys. Look at the Auto 5, normal is 14 1/4, but you can learn to shoot a little shorter than that, even a little longer is doable. Now an inch either way may be too much and cause problems, but until you settle into it with a scope mounted, you're not going to know for sure. The scope should be able to move forward, backward, up and down to get the correct sight picture. If it is correct and you hold it correctly then the scope will not hit you. If your face is too close and you let the recoil get away, that scope will kiss you for sure, but from my experience it only happens once. I watched a lady shooting a 300-win mag it broke her nose and blackened both eyes. Blood everywhere. She was done after that. Now why her old man let her shoot that is beyond me, but hey maybe she got what she deserved. He didn't seem to be worried too much.
Those DBM bars have shorter barrels. They may not be quite as accurate as the longer barrelled non DBM bars. If you’re looking for a hunting rifle, I suggest a non DBM bar.
