Thread: BROWNING BLR LIGHTWEIGHT 20″ – 223 REM discussion

For a Japanese made rifle, they are excellent quality and if you are unfamiliar with them, they are a lever gun with a box magazine rather than a tube and are available in a number of more conventional rifle calibres like .308 .223 and so on. The bolt locks allowing the extra pressure to fire safely unlike pistol calibre lever guns.

However, I've seen a number of used come up for sale, suggestion some people really don't like them? My thoughts having held one (but not fired one) is that .223 is likely a great calibre for this gun but it is far too light to be worth getting in anything bigger. Just wanted to know peoples thoughts on this gun, pros/cons, possible reasons for glut of used in market. Thanks in advance.

I know of a few ex-BLR owners who changed to them. 50/50 mix on opinion there. I personally think the BLR's are nice guns and would own the take-down variant myself but they're pricey compared to 'what else' you can acquire on the market.

Also, levers and shooting them from the prone position is a TPITA.

I think it was more that people lost their ar15 due to confiscation and looked at was similar to replace them with have a 308 and 223 takedown blr but now have a 223 GBC direct pull so have no use for the 223 havent shot the 223 but the 308 has been used on pigs with good results nice gun to shoot

I have worked on quite a few. Even the lightweight model is not that light. The action is a bit big for a 223. I believe they have released some in 300 blackout as well.
Around 2007 they were still producing the take down model with a pistol grip and they then dropped it and made the take down only with a straight grip which is a bit of a shame. One in 300wsm would be quite neat.

The Henry version has a simpler mechanism, easier to take apart for maintenance. The blr can be tricky to re time the lever and the bolt so that they close together at the right spot.

As above I have a 308 takedown that I really like but probably doesn't suit my needs down south. The action is very long. Much longer than the equivalent bolt action. They aren't lightweight at all just lightweight compared to the steel version. Cool rifles all the same.

Did they ever improve the triggers ?

I had one a long time ago and thought it was the answer
It wasn't
The trigger was horrible
Otherwise it did the business but I couldn't live with that trigger
Spent good money on a gunsmith improving the trigger
It was nicer but not safe any more
So took it to another gunsmith to fit new parts and make it safe

And sold it
Seemed like the answer for a lefty

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Did they ever improve the triggers ?

I had one a long time ago and thought it was the answer
It wasn't
The trigger was horrible
Otherwise it did the business but I couldn't live with that trigger
Spent good money on a gunsmith improving the trigger
It was nicer but not safe any more
So took it to another gunsmith to fit new parts and make it safe

And sold it
Seemed like the answer for a lefty

I had a fondle of a .223 TD model in Shooters Supplies the other day and the trigger was very nice.

Originally Posted by carlhurley

I think it was more that people lost their ar15 due to confiscation and looked at was similar to replace them with have a 308 and 223 takedown blr but now have a 223 GBC direct pull so have no use for the 223 havent shot the 223 but the 308 has been used on pigs with good results nice gun to shoot

@carlhurley I see you haven't shot the .223, but from your experience with the .308 do you think the BLR would be significantly slower than the GBC? I'm trying to imagine the required hand movements, which is difficult having fired neither. As we've discussed previously, I have wondered if a 223 BLR with the 9/10rd detachable mags would be the closest thing to an AR for goats in the bush.

I would say absolutely based if your talking repeated shots on target as your finger never leaves the trigger and rifle remains very well supported. Mine would be very fast if I didn't want to burn huge $$ worth of ammo

I considered one but the triggers seemed horrible in comparison to a bolt or quality AR, the stock ergonomics isn't nice either. The Henry wasn't much better.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

@carlhurley I see you haven't shot the .223, but from your experience with the .308 do you think the BLR would be significantly slower than the GBC? I'm trying to imagine the required hand movements, which is difficult having fired neither. As we've discussed previously, I have wondered if a 223 BLR with the 9/10rd detachable mags would be the closest thing to an AR for goats in the bush.

Ben to be honest both have taken a little bit to get used too the blr 308 though i have shortened the barrel so is better in the ute would be easier in the bush as they say no good for lying down to shoot they are also lighter to carry but soft shooting the gbc is just like a ar I need to practice more with it though

If you are Bush shooting goats then how about one of the lever action pistol caliber rifles, 38/357, 44, 45 should be fine out 100 mtr and goats are not tough.
357 bullets are cheap, I put a fair few through my 358win for plinking and for kids shooting, at 1500 fps a 158gr XTP hollow point pistol bullet dose a number on a goat.
Z

BLRs make an awesome bush rifle...period...fullstop... NO argument at all...they just work...quick to point,come up very well,the exposed hammer is safe and quiet to use.... yip they are heavy..that helps reduce recoil..yip triggers can suck and blow at same time..BUT a lot of bush shooting is up and bang,ajin to shotgunning with a trigger slap rather than a squeaze...and you can use the trigger for more precise work... sure they are no timney,but they work and are safe....
the 243 has same external barrel as the .308 so is heavier..I imagine the 223 will be worse still.
funny there was a .243 forsale in Buckleys (became Dixs) sports shop in Timaru years ago and the bore was off centre in barrel by quite a lot..pre suppressor days so didnt matter at all.
Ive owned and loved the BLR in .308 and should never have traded it onwards..... my brother has used one for 40 plus years.....they are great.
as for how fast can you shoot one accurately...with a lever Im just about as quick as a semi.....with a pump,Im faster.

Since when was 6.5lb heavy?. For all those who find them hard to get used to, throw away your bolt action .22s and find a lever action .22 with a proper half cock. 9422, BL22 or older 39A etc, then realize it's not a 600 yard platform but a gun designed to be shot standing up.
You can shoot prone over a backpack etc just as well as any bolt action. Yes it is more more of a pain to reload than a bolt but if its that far away you better have got it with the first shot anyway.
The first gun I bought at age 16 after a long summer in a haymaking gang was a Winchester 9422 (still have it) so when I picked up a BLR (308) it was a match made in heaven. I tend to prefer the pistol grip version. YMMV

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

..with a lever Im just about as quick as a semi.....with a pump,Im faster.

Any chance of getting you post a video of yourself firing a pump faster than an equivalent semi? I would really like to see that. Or did you mean faster with a pump than with a lever?

Semi auto is the logical way to go with goats in the bush but you do still need a moment or two to accurately acquire your secondary targets so I understand many people will do this almost as efficiently with an alternative action... which is why I asked about the BLR with the 10 rd detachable mags.