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C H -

Yeah, those bucks are so small, I'm surprised you took pics ....









Congrats:

C Hell.

Quit shooting dinks.

C... don't you know that lever guns are inaccurate and totally inadequate for shooting at game?!?!?


... nice bucks! And I'm pretty happy with my BLR in 358 Win, BTW...

My jap one as you call it was excellent..

Out of all the BLR's I have owned 2 308's and a 358 the belgium model circa 1980 was my favorite. I could never warm to the alloy receiver model(358). Do the Belgium models have a nylon pinion gear or is that just the Japanese mode? I don't remember that .

The BLR 81' has the all black recoil pad and spacer. The BLR 81' also has the flush fit magazine. I don't think there is a nylon gear anywhere in the BLR. If I'm not mistaken there is however a nylon bushing in the inner works.

A magnet will stick to any gear in a BLR.

I had a 7 mag in the BLR circa 1997, and Id be hard pressed to have bad words about it's fit and finish, and the trigger can be helped, as my smith helped mine. Bottom line, nothing wrong with the Japanese version either.

Let me guess, biggots dont like the japanese version. Nor do ex slave owners...............

You talking to me?

I own 2 Japanese made 81's. Please show me where I've ever said anything about negative about the Japanese made versions of these rifles.

Some were made with nylon and some were made with steel. Some had a plastic bushing inside a steel gear. I've seen them and 2MuchGun has as well.

You won't find any info on the plastic ones, just people denying it, but I know for a fact some were made with a nylon gear.

Have no idea what serial numbers had 'em or how many were made like that.

Being a gunsmith for several years, I have worked on quite a few BLR's. To clear up some confusion on models.

First in 1971 came the BLR made in Belgium
Second 1971-73 came the BLR made in Japan
Third BLR 81 Short Action made by Miroku in Japan from 1981-1985, flush magazine.
Fourth BLR 81 Long Action. Introduced in 1991.

All BLR's made from 1971 to 1985 were very high quality guns including the ones made by Miroku in Japan. Remember these guys made Weatherby MK IV, Chas Daly O&U, Weatherby O&U, and many other high quality guns.

The BLR's made from 1991 to date (with the folding hammer) has good workmanship but must have been designed by a committee of congressmen, women, British and monkeys. Absolutely out of proportion, pregnant looking, butt ugly. The early BLR's are proportionate very handsome rifles. They are balanced and carry well in the field.

All early BLR's I have had apart had metal gears and rack. The gears do however have nylon washers/spacers which might be where that idea of plastic gears came from.

The BLR and BLR 81 short action in .358 is the ultimate elk hunter's black timber rifle. I own a BLR 81 short action in 358, it shoots MOA at 100 yds with 250 grain Hornady spitzers or factory Win Silver Tips and will really hammer an elk. The lever action is slick and fast. I will never part with it.

There were approx. 250 BLR's that were produced under contract by TRW (Thompson Ramo Woolridge) before 1970.

This was mainly prototyping and TRW had an agreement to start production, but the partnership ended and production was sent to FN in 1970.

From an excellent article done on the history of the BLR, Model 81 and Lightning. Link below.

After much research, I have heard that some earlier models of the BLR (maybe the 1991 LA�s) had some particular components (gears/pinions) that were made of a different metals and their rate of expansion during extreme cold temperatures was considerably greater than that of their surrounding metals, causing them to bind

Link to article
Article

JohnMoses,

I believe AggieDog was referring to my original post, wherein I made reference to "Jap-made" BLRs. That term was an abbreviation and was not intended to be a slur against Japanese people or rifles made in Japan by Miroku. I apologize if I offended anyone.

People that spend time on the internet looking for reasons to get their panties in a wad are usually successful. I wouldn't worry about it....

David

I have an 81 that was made in the late 80's in 284 Winchester. The rifle shoots great and I wouldn't change a thing about it. I had an early BLR with the extended magazine that shot very well too, but it didn't carry as good as the flush magazine model does. I don't remember whether or not it was made in Belgium. I do remember that the guy I sold it to fell out of his tree stand, landed on the rifle and broke it in half.

Ouch!

Canazes9,

I doubt I'll lose any sleep.

Got my 358 in 82. Shot many a hog and deer in Florida and South Carolina up through 2008. Now I mostly use my 270 A-Bolt. Looking for a 300 WSM X-Bolt now for Colorado.

I checked the buttpad on my BLR and there it was, "BROWNING."