Description
The Browning BAR MK3 Speed OVIX in 243 Winchester is a gas-operated semi-automatic hunting rifle wearing a full OVIX camo composite stock and a Smoked Bronze Cerakote finish on the receiver and barrel. It is a 22 inch, four-round rifle that weighs 7 pounds 5 ounces and comes without sights, which is exactly right for a gun almost everyone scopes anyway.
Browning BAR MK3 Speed OVIX Action and Gas System
The BAR has been in production since 1967 and remains one of the very few semi-automatic rifles built specifically for big game hunting rather than adapted from a military design. The MK 3 generation uses a multi-lug rotary bolt locking into the barrel extension and a gas system that bleeds off just what is needed to cycle the action. The practical result is that felt recoil is noticeably softer than a bolt gun in the same chambering, which is a real advantage on follow-up shots.
Feeding is by a detachable box magazine that sits inside a hinged floorplate. You can drop the plate to remove and load the magazine, or top the rifle off through the action. It holds four rounds of 243 Winchester plus one in the chamber. The trigger is a gold plated alloy unit, and the receiver comes drilled and tapped so any standard base and ring combination will mount.
OVIX Camo, Cerakote, and Field Durability
OVIX is Browning house camo pattern, designed to work across seasons rather than being locked to green timber or snow. The mix of light and dark shapes breaks up the outline of the rifle at distance without turning into a dark blob the way some heavily printed patterns do. It covers the composite stock and forend completely.
The Smoked Bronze Cerakote on the metal is the more practical upgrade. Cerakote is a ceramic-based coating that handles moisture, sweat, and abrasion far better than traditional bluing, and the bronze tone ties into the camo instead of shining back at game. On a rifle carried in bad weather, that finish is the difference between surface rust and no surface rust.
Specifications
- Model: BAR MK 3 Speed OVIX
- Manufacturer item number: 031072211
- Caliber: 243 Winchester
- Action: Gas-operated semi-automatic, short action
- Capacity: 4 rounds, detachable box magazine in a hinged floorplate
- Barrel length: 22 in., fluted
- Twist rate: 1:10
- Overall length: 44.125 in.
- Weight: 7 lbs. 5 oz.
- Length of pull: 14.375 in.
- Drop at comb: 0.625 in.
- Drop at heel: 1.125 in.
- Stock: Composite, OVIX camo
- Receiver and barrel finish: Smoked Bronze Cerakote
- Trigger: Gold plated alloy
- Sights: None, receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounts
- UPC: 023614852391
Why Buyers Choose It
Two reasons, mostly. The first is the fast follow-up shot, which matters more than people admit when a group of deer or hogs breaks and runs. The second is recoil, or the lack of it. A gas gun in 243 Winchester is about as pleasant as centerfire hunting rifles get, which makes it a strong pick for a younger or smaller shooter moving up from a rimfire. The fluted barrel trims a little weight and helps the barrel shed heat during a string of shots.
Who Should Buy It
Deer and hog hunters who want a light-recoiling repeater, and hunters in areas where multiple animals may present at once. It also works well for the person who simply prefers a semi-auto and wants one built to hunting standards rather than a modern sporting rifle in a hunting caliber. If you are after a target rifle or the smallest possible group size from a bench, a bolt action in the same chambering will generally shoot tighter, but for hunting inside normal ranges this rifle is more than accurate enough.
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