Browning BAR mk3 vs Benelli R1

[u/BowFella]

So I've owned a couple Browning BAR Mk3s in 243 over the last couple years and just picked up a Benelli R1 in 308. These guns are similar in function and price so I thought I'd compare the two.

The browning BAR Mk3 is an ok rifle but I'm very disappointed in it's design and performance for a $2K gun. Dont get me wrong, it is comfortable to shoot, looks nice, comes in a good selection of calibers, and has a buttery smooth feeding system and comes with an adjustable gas block. But it is inaccurate, you can get anywhere from 1.5moa to a 4moa rifle. The barrel is bolted to the receiver, not threaded in so after 2-3 shots the gun heats up and the groupings go wild. The nut on the fore end that the sling attaches to has to be torqued 50-60inlbs or the groups open up. It's also made out of soft steel and prone to snapping. The barrel is not free floating so resting it anywhere except close to the magwell throws it off. Oh and you need allen keys, a socket wrench, and a punch set just to field strip it...

The benelli R1 is basically the browning MK3 but none of the flaws. It has a toolless takedown, faster twist rate, and a free floating barrel that is threaded in. For accuracy it's not exactly 1:1 since the benelli is a 308 but the benelli was way more accurate around 1.25-1.5moa and the groups stay consistent as you shoot. I notice the trigger has a slightly lighter break as well. The gun is also more modular, you can; use benelli M4 stocks with some slight modifications, change out the barrel and bolt for different calibers, and is tapped in 5 places on the receiver and 4 places on the barrel to add iron sights. I also like the ergonomics slightly more too. The grip isnt as fat and you can reach the mag release, bolt release, and safety with your index finger.

It just seems like a lot more thought went into the Benelli R1 in design and would definitely be my pick over browning.

[u/Q-Ball7]

The Browning BAR is, fundamentally, a civilian 1960s design. That generally translates to "it makes a bunch of stupid design decisions for no apparent functional reason" in 2026, but from 1960 through 2000 it was the only way to make a semi-auto that was under 8 pounds without going to exotic materials (aluminum, plastic, fiberglass).

Remember, military rifles of the day were closer to 10 and you couldn't easily put optics on them either; you can do both with the BAR.

The R1 is what the BAR should have been if Browning/FN ever bothered to update anything. It still has weird nonsense going on because it's just an M4 turned into a rifle (and is still making those same compromises to keep the weight down), just more refined, because it's a 2000s civilian design instead of a 1960s one.