Browning Automatic Rifle | Weapon | Britannica

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External Websites

• Browning - A brief history of the Browning BAR
• The Army Historical Foundation - Browning Automatic Rifle
• National Rifle Association - American Rifleman - The Browning Automatic Rifle: A Short History
• Warfare History Network - The Browning Automatic Rifle
• Military History Encyclopedia on the Web - Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
• HistoryNet - Scaring Them to Death: The BAR

Browning automatic rifle weapon Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: BAR Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Oct. 16, 2025 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Homework Help Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Browning automatic rifle (BAR), automatic rifle produced in the United States starting in 1918 and widely used in other countries as a light machine gun. The BAR is a gas-operated rifle invented by John M. Browning (1855–1926), an American gun designer. It has been chambered for various ammunition, but most frequently for .30-06 Springfield. About 47 inches (120 cm) long, it has a 20-round magazine and weighs 19.4 pounds (8.8 kg). It can fire up to 650 rounds per minute but can also fire single shots or bursts of two or three to increase accuracy. It can be fired from the shoulder or mounted on a bipod.

Key People: John Moses Browning (Show more) Related Topics: rifle automatic rifle light machine gun (Show more) See all related content

The BAR was used by U.S. infantry forces in World Wars I and II and the Korean War. It remained in U.S. Army service until 1957.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.