browning lever....

[canuck4570]

has anyone shot the browning lever in 450 marlin or 358 winchester.... if yes what is your evaluation on this gun.... Canuck

[Pilgrim]

I have one of the original style BLR's (Pre-81 I think is the descriptor, but...) in .358 Win. The factory barrel on mine was trash. I sent it back to Browning Service in Missouri (?) and they "fixed" it. Instead of shooting a 18+" group at 100 yds (5 shot, although why I shot that many I'm not sure), it tightened right up to about 5" to 6" groups. They lapped it and recrowned it. I wasn't very impressed with the results. They reported it shot "...one hole groups with Win 200 gr silvertips..." I suppose if you only fire one shot, a one hole group is prolly OK. I wasn't very impressed with the service people I spoke to, either. They seemed pretty hostile when I called to ask the status of my repairs. Maybe they were just having a bad day. Dunno. Anyway, it now wears a Douglas barrel (22" vs. 20"), shoots 1.5" or so groups at 100 yds with either FLGC's or Boolits, carries OK and is one of the few rifles I'll probably keep for a while yet.

Of all the companies in the firearms business I've dealt with through the years, Ruger and Browning are hands down the worst re: service and backing their products. I still buy both brands if it's what I am looking for, but rarely new, and always with the idea I'll probably wind up footing the bill for making the gun "right". What the quality of the BLRs is now I can't say. Just as Ruger has upgraded their barrels, I suspect Browning has upgraded their firearms as well. Beyone that, I dunno. FWIW...Pilgrim

[canuck4570]

thank you pilgrim.....
I will stick with my no 1 ruger....

[lovedogs]

Canuck... One of my good friends is a pretty fair gunsmith and a real shooter. He won't touch one of those BLR's. He said they are real bad news in every way, terrible to work on and pure junk. Like any gun, if you want it bad enough to pour money into it you can make it work. But why bother when there are other choices?

[Frank46]

Sure wish ruger would come out with a new #1 in 45-70 with a longer and heavier barrel. I love my 45-70 but it always reminds me when shooting it of a carbine. Say something like 24-26 inches long and about a pound or two heavier. Oh well one can always dream. Frank

[MT Gianni]

I have an old model 81 in 308 that shoots cast or jacketed as well as I can shoot. This has the ugly clip protruding out past the magazine well. I regret that I turned down buying a 358 in the same style in the early 90's. The stock has way to shiney of a finish but mine does shoot, and a broken firing pin has been the only repair in the 17 years I've had it. Gianni.

[floodgate]

Sure wish ruger would come out with a new #1 in 45-70 with a longer and heavier barrel. I love my 45-70 but it always reminds me when shooting it of a carbine. Say something like 24-26 inches long and about a pound or two heavier. Oh well one can always dream. Frank

Frank:

They did, once. It was that magnificent, cased Lyman Centennial issue made back in 1978, long old-style 'scope and all. I passed it up then - couldn't afford it. Another one came by, still new in box at $1500 about five years back, and I was STILL too dumb to sell a half-dozen other guns and get it! *Sigh*

floodgate

[versifier]

Frank:

They did, once. It was that magnificent, cased Lyman Centennial issue made back in 1978, long old-style 'scope and all. I passed it up then - couldn't afford it. Another one came by, still new in box at $1500 about five years back, and I was STILL too dumb to sell a half-dozen other guns and get it! *Sigh*

floodgate

There's always rebarreling....

[JDL]

Canuck4570,
I bought the 1st model BLR in .358 about 1980 and found it handles jacketed and cast with very good accuracy, although the trigger isn't anything to brag about. Son-in-law killed a large bobcat last season with 225 grain gc'ed boolits. So far, no complaints. -JDL

[omgb]

I traded into a BLR in .358 Win back in '79. It was OK. 3-4" groups at 100 yards. I killed a couple of deer with it, then I traded it. I forget what for but I do remember I got beat. The BLR was always kind of a dissapointment. The trigger was crappy and it was fussy about OAL. Also, once you put a scope on it it wasn't so handy any more...rather awkward really. I don't think I'd care to own another. Now, I also have a little Mod 53 in 32-20. That is exactly what a rifle should be. World of difference.

[26Charlie]

The BLR I bought second hand about 15 years ago in .257 Roberts shoots both jacketed and cast pretty well, 2" or better at 100 yds - which is very good for a lightweight hunting rifle in my book. The RCBS 120 gr. GC is good, as is a NEI 85 gr. PB with light loads of 6 gr. 700-X.

[Slowpoke]

has anyone shot the browning lever in 450 marlin or 358 winchester.... if yes what is your evaluation on this gun.... Canuck


I bought one in the mid 80's in .358 win, still have it, if I fell on hard times and had to dispose of my guns it would be the last to go.

Can't speak of the newer ones as I have no experience with them.

Good luck

[Frank46]

Floodgate, I've only seen one of the lyman rifles and it was as you described. Beautiful rifle.
Ruger seems only to cater to the mass market rather than shall we say limited market for rifles such as these. Now if they would make a ruger #1 with an external hammer that would be really nice. Course the silly wet shooters wouldn't allow such things for the steel silhouette matches but one could certainly hope. Frank