I've got some .450 Marlin handloads on the way (300gr Hornady HP @ 1800fps) for a deer brush gun that I don’t own yet (long story). I do not know which powder is being used or any other load data, as I don't handload myself (yet). I hope to get into handloading when I get back stateside permanently in a few years. Anyway, I was looking at getting a new gun for these bullets: either a Browning BLR (specifically, the Lightweight with Pistol Grip or the Lightweight ’81 with a Straight Grip) or a Winchester 94 (specifically, the current-production Short Rifle).
Here are the things that appear to be the same about both rifles:
1. Blued, 20" barrel.
2. 1:20 twist.
3. Substantial recoil pads from the factory.
4. Made in Japan (possibly by the same factory) and imported by Browning.
5. Excellent quality and fit-and-finish, according to everything I've read.
6. Plenty of complaints about the triggers, but especially about the BLRs. Apparently, the right gunsmith can fix either one; bring the trigger pull down to a crisp, relatively-light pull; and slick the action up.
Here are the major differences, as far as I can tell:
1. The Winchester is about $200 more expensive.
2. The BLR weighs 4 oz. more than the Winchester 94.
3. The BLR has a stronger action, although I'm not sure that will matter with this configuration, especially since I'm dialing these loads way down for whitetails. I will never go to Alaska or Africa -- unless a millionaire on this forum wants to treat me -- but I could potentially find myself hunting Moose, Black Bear, or Elk in the future.
4. For this caliber, there appear to be a LOT more BLR owners than Winchester 94 owners (in fact, I can’t find any evidence of anyone who has posted anywhere online who owns the current-production Winchester 94 Short Rifle in .450 Marlin).
5. The BLR is a unique design with a box magazine, and the 94 is a more traditional lever-action design with a tube magazine -- and they will thus handle, shoulder, and recoil somewhat differently.
6. The 94 has a factory-ported barrel. Opinions on this seem to vary widely, with some people saying the porting doesn’t matter, at all, and some saying it makes a huge difference (both in terms of reducing felt-recoil and muzzle jump and in increasing noise). Some say the noise only affects people around you and does not affect you as the shooter, etc. Some say the added noise is so great that it is a deal-breaker.
One final consideration: whichever model I choose, its first stop -- before I ever pick it up -- will be to a good gunsmith for a full trigger and action job. There seems to be a consensus that Neil Jones is the BLR trigger job master, so that’s settled for the BLR.
Here are my questions:
1. Which would you recommend?
2. Can anyone here recommend a good gunsmith for the trigger/action work on the Winchester 94?
3. If the BLR is the way to go, which of the two BLR configurations would you recommend: the Pistol Grip model or the ’81 model with the Straight Grip?
4. If you have experience with both guns, can you share your experiences?
Many thanks!