Browning BLR Problem

[JWT]

I am holding a 1970 Browning BLR in 243 that I get from my Dad. Back in the early 70s he fired the gun and it jammed HARD. The empty is still in the chamber, the bolt and lever are closed and frozen in place. It looks like there was an attempt to drive out the cocking lever and cocking gear pin to remove the cocking lever assembly. Pretty heavy handed job. One has been driven in not out, and the other is mushroomed. The cocking lever pin moved, but it looks like it's short (half missing). The cocking gear pin is stuck tight. The magazine catch appears to be missing, so I don't know if there is anything in there.

Dad's memory is bad enough he doesn't remember details about this gun. I remember talk of small base dies in regard to this rifle and it's current state.

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These guns are known for being hard to reassemble, but its been out of service for 40 years so I don't think I'm going to make anything worse. Any advice? Any gunsmiths familiar with these that are willing to take on a project?

[JWT]

Looks like I stumped the forum.

[mozeppa]

send it back to browning?

is that possible?

[nekshot]

I do believe I would trust that job to former member Tim Malcom, he seems very sensible with metal products and if something needs to be made to fix it I don't know of any better.

[JWT]

I had a bad experience with Browning on a new Buckmark 5.5 Target. Gun would not disassemble for cleaning (steel screw galled in the aluminum frame from the factory). I called Browning and the woman on the phone said "Sure we'll take care of it, send it in and we should get back to you in a few months". I was not impressed and paid a local gunsmith to deal with the gun. I was so irritated with that gun I left it in the back of the safe for 15 years. Only gun I ever considered selling. I have never considered buying anything Browning since.

[lightload]

My experience with Browning has been excellent. They have a toll free number. On two occasions I talked with a technician about my concerns. Call them.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Soaking the entire action in a penetrating lube - Kroil, ATF, including bolt, lever and chamber might free things. I have a couple of Browning BLR's. They cannot get dirty and will not operate without lubrication. I seldom shoot them due to difficult triggers that are unsuitable for field positions - offhand or kneeling. Tightly held on a benchrest they are accurate. I have a .325 that I returned to Browning, shipping was $38. It worked the same when returned - action would seize when lubricant was removed, even when empty! GOOD LUCK with yours. I am hoping Henry does things right. Until then my Savage 99's do just fine with a Savage 358 or Marlin's in 45-70 and 444 for the big stuff in the black timber. The Savag, Marlin and Winchester just work - dry, frozen, snow-covered, in dust and dirt.

[osteodoc08]

Had an experience with a Buckmark similar to JWT. Also had issues with jamming and the front sight not being straight. Sent that gun back to Browning 3 times. Got it back and traded it on a Mark 2. Should have bought that from the start. Got rid of the blued target Mkii in favor of something else. Wish I had never gotten rid of it. I have since made up for it with several Mkiii and 22/45 models.

[wv109323]

Have you soaked the chamber and tried to drive the case out with a rod down the bore?

[ammohead]

I would try soaking in penetrating oil as already suggested. Then with a nonmarring punch of some kind or a lead ingot, and with the hammer back tap the bolt forward while applying opening pressure on the lever. The lugs on the bolt need to turn for the bolt to open and they probably have some backforce on them locking them to the recesses in the receiver. Most likely the backforce is being applied by distorted brass of the offending overcharged cartridge. Tapping the bolt forward may help relieve some of the backforce on the lugs allowing them to turn. Good luck.

[JWT]

I've given it a pretty good dose of Kroil. The bolt head is definitely locked tight. The cocking gear pin is also not moving. Tomorrow I will try tapping the rod against the bolt while trying to work the lever and see if I can get any movement at all.

[MT Gianni]

I have an pre-81 BLR in 308. It had the firing pin and spring replaced after plenty of use. I used a local gunsmith in Missoula and I expect any competent smith could do the same. My trigger is far from perfect but it is accurate and has killed everything from moose to ground squirrels as well as plenty of paper. Living where it gets cold I am careful not to overlube it only once every 5 years or so.

[Camba]

If the cartridge in the chamber had been already fired, you can put a cleaning rod through and use it to help open the lever at the same time. I had to do that to my lever gun and it did work

[Geezer in NH]

40 years and no factory or gunsmith. Pass.

Take it to a pro you need one.

Not stumped at all just don't have what you are looking for.

[country gent]

JWT you might give Johnson in Adrian michigan a call they had a pretty good gunsmith Ive heard. If the round was an overvcharge the lugs may be "set back" into the recivers creating a mechanical lock. I dont believe the browning have a lot of camming force for chambering or extraction. Also Magnaport (?) outside monroe / Dundee might be able to help you thrut here store and shop THere are some decent smiths in that area but I cnt remeber them all now. Jays in Caire but I dont think they have a smith in house. I would give Johnsons a call

[Mytmousemalibu]

I would maybe try using a brass drift on the back of the bolt to unload the bolt from the locking recesses. As already mentioned, if it had a warm handload lock it up, it might still have a lot of tension on the bolt from the brass being tightly fireformed. Worst case is it encountered locking lug set-back. Make sure it gets a proper safety check and check headspace after it's cleared. Since it has already had a Kroil bath, might try a little more viscous oil. Did you put some Kroil down the bore? I would in the event it leaches some around the case neck. Can't hurt. Lastly, I would pull the fore-end/furniture off and apply some heat to the receiver and chamber area with a heat gun or hair dryer. Getting it hot might be enough to create some differential thermal expansion and might help open it up and allow oil to creep around. Beyond some simple, carefully executed practices like that, I would probably hand it over to a gunsmith.

[JWT]

I got it open.

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The cocking gear pin is still stuck tight. The condition of the teeth in the bolt and the receiver lugs concern me. The bolt head is not rotating either. More work to do.

[MT Gianni]

The teeth in the gear rack look terrible, I would see what is available for parts before reassembling.

[pietro]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=176948&d=1474259935



:coffeecom


The gear teeth on the bolt look to be irreparable w/o installing & headspacing a new bolt - I would strongly suggest you mail the rifle (sans stock) to Browning Customer Service for repair.

(Under Federal Law, anybody can send & receive back a firearm sent for repair w/o having to use an FFL either way)

Who knows ? Browning might even fix it for the bubble, as they've done a few time for guns that I sent them. [smilie=1:




.

[Blackwater]

This is one of those situations where some real and proprietary knowledge is going to be necessary for that gun, and someone with knowledge proprietary to that specific gun and action is going to be VERY much needed, I think. You need a 'smith with really good knowledge of that gun, and there aren't many around. Tim Malcolm would probably be a good one, and you can call him at 479-445-3989 and ask him if he'd be comfortable with this job. John Taylor also comes to mind as a possibility also. Finding the right 'smith is going to likely be 90% of the solution to your situation, I think, and it's likely going to be a bit expensive. I doubt seriously there's going to be a lot of parts available, and there's no telling if the action has been stretched beyond repairability. That last should be your greatest concern! Definitely!

That had to either be one very hot load, probably by accident, or due to some erroneous attempts at 'smithing it in the past, and either way, it's going to be an iffy project from the start, but ... there's no way to know without sending it to someone with the specific knowledge of and experience with this particular action. It's more than the traditional simple system of levers and pins, that most leverguns are based on. Those gears HAVE to be right, just to function properly, and "close enough" just doesn't really exist with this type of gun. Either it's right, or it's just plain not.

This isn't what you probably want to hear, I know, but I know enough about these guns to know most 'smiths aren't going to be competent with it. So, if you DO get it fixed, and returned to service, it'll at least wind up being one of those "special" guns that will likely mean a lot more to you in the coming years. Good luck with it. I've known a little about "Dad's old gun" having problems, so I really feel for you in this one!

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Henry has started shipping the Long Ranger in .243 and .308. Cabela's is listing them. Might be a better investment than fixing the BLR, or a Savage 99.

[Texas by God]

Call Browning. Worse they can do is say no but they might not..... Best, Thomas.

[JWT]

I was hoping for something a lot less severe that what I found. I would like to put it back in service since it is an interesting gun in a caliber that I have been looking at. I will try Browning first since I'm not willing to put a pile of money into restoration. Even though it was my Dad's gun, it has been a junker all my life. His Win100 (308) deer rifle and Smith model 29 are really the guns with sentimental value.