Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General BLR or Model 88

I'm looking to pick up a lever gun, can't say why I just want need one. I've been looking at a BLR in 284 and Model 88 in 308. What should I look for and/or avoid? What would be a fair price for an 88 or BLR?

thanks,
stoma

I have both, you get both ! I tend to use the blr more than the 88. No reason, just works out that way. But the blr is quicker to operate but not much.

I've had both. I still have the 88 and the BLR went down the road a long time ago. To me there's no contest. The 88 is a fine piece of work, reminiscent of days when things were made with care, using quality materials. The BLR represents a gun made with the bottom line in mind - a matter of form over function, looks over quality. It's just a bit too glitzy for me, and the plastic gear and aluminum receiver fail to give me the confidence that I want when I carry a gun afield. Lots of folks like 'em, though, and if you could find an older, Belgian-made, steel receiver BLR you'll have a gun of higher quality than the newer models.

Neither has a good trigger when compared to even an average bolt action. The BLR is a lot lighter than the 88, so if light weight is important to you, go for the BLR. When all is said and done, though, it lacks the cachet and character of the Winchester.

I have never owned a BLR (handled a few of the old ones) but own or have owned several Model 88's. I like the 88 because of the handling (see some of John G's remarks above), but I also think they are "sleeper" guns as far as collecting goes. You can buy a nice .308 M88 today, hunt with it for a few years (taking care of it) and I think you will make more than your money back if you decide to part with it later. I wouldn't part with mine because they are just too fun to hunt with, you might really end up liking it.

Well said. And agreed. To paraphrase:

88's ROCK, BLR's SUCK........

Plastic gear...........no such animal in a BLR!!!

I just picked up a BLR SST in 358 winchester. Smooth action, bolt assembly looks like a good bit of engineering went into it. I considered a Marlin sst, at least a pound "feel" heavier, and the asking price was too close to the BLR to consider the Marlin.

Trigger is heavy, but will be fine for the intended purpose. I am sure down the road the Winchester will hold it's value well, but so do the BLR's I have been watching on Gunbroker if well kept.

Tough decision, and Good 2 to decide between. Dad has a M100, not the same but basically the same size/ shape gun. I can see why they went away, but for collectors value, probably a value at current market prices. My next purchase may be a Savage 99 or M-88....

Allen

Good point Rich

The poster who says PLASTIC parts is misinformed.......

The 88's feel and carry more like a bolt gun ( sort of a m70 with a lever and a detachable mag)
The Blr's carry and balance quite a bit more like a traditional lever.
If you can find a steel reciever 81 or one in the original configuration, I'ld say go with the BLR. If you can't get one of those then maybe lean towards the 88. I can't warm up to the aluminum alloy recievers of the blr to well.

Or look for a good Savage 99

Semantics - whatever the gear is, it sure ain't metal!

Besides, that's a minor point. I believe I gave a pretty fair evaluation of the two guns, having owned each of them. They come from different times and they reflect that pretty accurately. I included reasons why one might want to choose the BLR over the 88. If you prefer the BLR, more power to you. They both go "bang" when you pull the trigger and a bullet flies outta the front end, so a lot of what we talk about here falls under the category of splitting hairs.

Wrong again.............all the current BLR's are all steel except for the receiver!

I spent another 30 minutes after my reply above going over my aluminum receivered BLR. The action is what I suspect is a billet aluminum block from the machining marks inside the magazine opening. The front portion of the action is a steel block where the head of the bolt's locking lugs contact steel, not alloy.

Just more food for thought to the OP. I could care less what someone else's opinion is, ie. they have a right to their's and I have no reason to try and tell them they are incorrect.... unless they give out MISINFORMATION on plastic parts that don't exist......

Sorry for dragging this thru the mud, OP. I am not defending my selection of my BLR over buying an 88, I think I stated it is on my radar for future purchase....

Allen

I haven't seen one of the newer, non-plastic ones, but I stand corrected. Didn't mean to pass out misinformation, as the one I had did have a plastic gear.

My preference still goes to the 88, regardless of the gear.

No mud on me, nor was I slinging any, so not to worry.

Interesting on the plastic gear. Sorry for assuming what is current has always been current....

Allen

I am in the 88 camp as well. Had a .308, gave it to an uncle like an idiot. It just had the cool factor, except it kicked hard for a .308. Nothing wrong with a Browning, I am just a Winchester kind of guy, that and I like the 1 piece stock.

Ditto on the Sav 99 as well, even though it is a 2 piece stock like the BLR.

Thanks all. I'm going to move on the 88 today and then check my resources to see if the BLR will be in the cards too. I've got an acquaintance who seems to have an affinity for the BLR's so if for some reason I decide to let it go it should be pretty easy to find it a good home - it's only ever happened once to me because I like most guns.

cheers,
stoma

aren't winchester model 88 parts hard to find now? the blr is current proeuction and it should be easier to find parts.

Not so Grass hopper ! I took a blr81 to Browning and they said they sold all the parts and didn"t work on them anymore. I was shocked. I can"t find any plastic on mine they were made in Japan and have steel recievers.

I've posted this before.........I spoke with Neil Jones (guy who does the good trigger work on BLR's) and was told that the only plastic that was ever in a BLR was a buffer that the hammer rested on..........and this was on older BLR's. He never saw any other plastic in them. I also called Browning on this and was told that there is no plastic in the BLR!!!


Tattoo.........what was the issue with your BLR??? Andif browning won't work on a problem with one what do they do when one is sent in???

Did ya get it ??? Love to see pics , and maybe a range report too

on the topic of plastic/BLR

Speaking honestly with no reason to make stuff up or what ever. I once sort of lusted for the BLR. I still think the steel receiver models are very nice looking.

I got one, an 81 with flush fit magazine chambered in .243

very nice looking rifle, also a good shooter.

But it failed me numerous times.


the action. it would lock open. you had to be very careful cycling the action. she'd lock open, you could crack it loose by giving a good sharp wrap on the back of the bolt carrier with a plastic faced hammer. But I preferred to pull the action pins & take it apart & re-time it.

When I did this I became familiar with the innards of an 81 BLR.

there is a round gear with 2 gear faces on it. the outer face of the gear interfaced with the rack gear on the bottom side of the bolt carrier. then a step down gear face of a smaller diameter interfaced with a half moon gear on the lever itself.

These are small gear teeth, scary small, as in... "that looks delicate".

So, anyways, the round gear with a driven face & a driving face has a bushing in it. The bushing�.. was plastic.

I think that�s where most of this plastic gear talk usually comes from.

Some of the 81�s, (certain years) had a plastic bushing in this gear. The bushing rode on a receiver pin.

I blamed the plastic bushing for the excessive play that allowed those tiny gears to jump out of time & lock the action if you cycled too fast.

If it happened while you were hunting, it would be enough to sour you on BLR�s.

For me just the sight of the delicate gears in the action was enough to make me sell mine.

I know you could get a brass replacement bushing for them & a lot of guys had this done. A friend of mine hunting with a BLR in 270 shot at a buck one year during deer season, cycled for a follow up shot and the action locked wide open, stuck!

In his haste with his buck getting away he pulled back hard on the action lever & he shredded the little gear teeth in the action�. Kind of a bad feeling. Not only did the buck get away but he broke his gun, not just a simple re-time that his buddy dave could do for him, broken parts, gun out for the rest of the season.

So, in short, when people talk about plastic gears etc in BLR�s they are probably talking about that bushing that truly does exist in some blr�s

Me, I�m an 88 guy.

I won�t bash the BLR, I just prefer the 88 if the 2 are compared.