Thread: Browning Blr takedown

It is new - good feedback, thank you very much

Originally Posted by Mark Gibb

It is new - good feedback, thank you very much

Take it back to the retailer, don't get anyone to "fix" it.

Originally Posted by Friwi

@Mark Gibb,
Can you take a close up picture of the rear of your action with the lever closed and the hammer cocked? It is just to see if the bolt is fully engaged. If it is not, this can be an explanation. The other one is a possible issue with your firing pin. How do the primers of the unfixed cases look like? Also a longish headspace can be the issue. If the rifle is brand new untouched ,maybe take it back.

Hi Friwi,
Thanks heaps for your response.
Here are some pictures that hopefully show what you were asking for.
Regarding the bullets - the group circled as "A" are misfires, "B" are successfully fired, and "C" are the same batch of bullets fired confidently through my 308 Tikka T3X during the same session as a test comparison. You can see that the BLR pin hardly makes a dent compared to the T3X - is this an indication that the BLR is at fault?
Thanks heaps for your help and advice! I owe you a beer!
Attachment 282025
Attachment 282026
I had issues uploading these photos without going over the file limits. So txt me your email on my number mentione a few posts back for me to email more high res immages. Thansk again for your help!
Cheers, Mark

Take it back.both a &b don't look right. I look forward to hearing opinion on closed photo,maybe timing is out one tooth??? Easy enough to do.... Lovely rifles,should never have horse traded mine....

Older brother used to shoot his on range very successfully....trick was to keep off hand back on magazine rather than on forestock. The same technique worked for me as well. Not huge deal as grouped same poi as holding normally just tighter group.

There's been a couple BLR recently that have had hammer springs that are too light. Just take it back to whichever retailer you got it from and they can get a replacement spring from supplier. Super easy fix.

Got the same rifle have put about 80 rounds through it now and last week sighting in I had a miss fire on reloads . Was a light primer strike so recocked and bam all good . Would suck if it was bush hunting critters .

Sent from my Nokia X20 using Tapatalk

Try it on Sako ammo and compare the results? My BLR 308 TD always light striked for Finocchi cheap FMJ. Winchester light strike was like 15~20%. Sako ammo so far is 100% success. /fingercross

Looking at the picture, it should still go bang. See what your retailer says after you have tried the Sako ammo. But honestly it should shoot everything with out a glitch.

Originally Posted by Friwi

Looking at the picture, it should still go bang. See what your retailer says after you have tried the Sako ammo. But honestly it should shoot everything with out a glitch.

Thanks Friwi, your advice is much appreciated. What are your thoughts on the comment above (by the helpful gentleman Coop) about replacing the hammer spring ?
It also did misfire more and more as my sighting in session went on, so I'm not sure if that tells us anything?
Thank you good sir.
Cheers, Mark

Originally Posted by Coop

There's been a couple BLR recently that have had hammer springs that are too light. Just take it back to whichever retailer you got it from and they can get a replacement spring from supplier. Super easy fix.

Thanks Coop - very helpful feedback. My issue currently is that Gun City Wellington are blaming the ammo! Very cheeky of them considering it's a brand new rifle from them and my other two 308s have been eating that same ammo just fine (same batch, and other batches for decades!).

Originally Posted by Mark Gibb

Thanks Coop - very helpful feedback. My issue currently is that Gun City Wellington are blaming the ammo! Very cheeky of them considering it's a brand new rifle from them and my other two 308s have been eating that same ammo just fine (same batch, and other batches for decades!).

Usually the first step is to look at the ammo and I would describe Winchester in the harder primer section so I'm not too surprised that was the result. Most of the time if a rifle doesn't like a particular type of ammo it will work fine in the other brands etc and then that sorts the problem. If you have another brand of ammo around then it's worth trying it as if it doesn't work then it's a pretty good indicator of a problem. Though in this case I think it's worth going back to GC Wellington.

I work at GC HQ in CHCH and we have definitely seen a couple of these BLR light strike out of the box the last few months. Not many, mind you, literally just a couple. Your photos above look a little light on the strikes so I've just given the Wellington guys a call and spoken to Neil up there. He's going to call the NZ supplier and see if they can flick down a hammer spring and then they can get their local gunsmith to fit it and get it sorted. Hopefully the NZ supplier will just do that rather than want to see the rifle themselves. Feel free to pop in and have a chat to him and get the rifle booked into our repair system.

Originally Posted by Coop

Usually the first step is to look at the ammo and I would describe Winchester in the harder primer section so I'm not too surprised that was the result. Most of the time if a rifle doesn't like a particular type of ammo it will work fine in the other brands etc and then that sorts the problem. If you have another brand of ammo around then it's worth trying it as if it doesn't work then it's a pretty good indicator of a problem. Though in this case I think it's worth going back to GC Wellington.

I work at GC HQ in CHCH and we have definitely seen a couple of these BLR light strike out of the box the last few months. Not many, mind you, literally just a couple. Your photos above look a little light on the strikes so I've just given the Wellington guys a call and spoken to Neil up there. He's going to call the NZ supplier and see if they can flick down a hammer spring and then they can get their local gunsmith to fit it and get it sorted. Hopefully the NZ supplier will just do that rather than want to see the rifle themselves. Feel free to pop in and have a chat to him and get the rifle booked into our repair system.

Coop - you are a gentleman and a scholar! Thank you, good sir. Very much appreciated. I think changing the hammer spring and perhaps switching to Sako ammo (as a few have recommended) will hopefully have me sorted and on my merry way. Thanks again - I'll reach out to Neil.

Hi @Mark Gibb - The pictures you posted of the misfired and fired cases with cratering could be identical to mine. Factory or reloads. I have a new to me (apparently 20 rounds from new) BLR takedown in 308 that misfires like crazy and if it does fire, shows significant primer cratering / creep into the firing pin hole. Did the main spring replacement sent to you from Neil at GC (who sold my rifle too apparently) actually fix your issue? My smith who has only seen the photos of mine thinks it's likely a headspacing issue.......appreciate your update if possible!