I have been looking at both rifles recently with the intention of buying a modern .308 lever gun. Why? Just because.
While most differences are cosmetic or minor, apart from the separate lever and trigger on the LR, and the interrupted locking lug designs, one difference is very significant.
The LR possesses the ability to be disassembled for a detailed cleaning or parts replacement, without the fear of not being able to reassemble it properly. Improper gear timing in assembly could be catastrophic if the bolt lugs are not fully engaged with the lever closed. This is so difficult to achieve that Browning admonishes BLR owners not to take the rifle apart, period.
Henry, on the other hand, actually publishes a wonderful video on their website showing how to disassemble and reassemble the LR, which shows how the small parts can be removed for replacement. This is possible because the LR uses a modular removable trigger group which includes the hammer, trigger, drive gears, and the lever. The entire trigger group could also be dropped into a container of bore solvent to clean it without disassembly.
https://www.henryusa.com/own-a-henry...e-long-ranger/
Henry doesn't seem to advise taking the gears and lever portion of the trigger group module apart, and this does not seem to be as easy to do, but it also seems not needed , since you can clean it just fine as is. And, I think that you could do it if you really had to.
Reinstalling the trigger group correctly seems easy, although it is critical that it IS done correctly, for the same reasons as the BLR.
Since the process does include butt-stock removal, it is something that you might only do every few years, but it is really great that you can do it.
So, while the BLR is prettier, I think that I will buy the Long Ranger.
What do you think?