The first BLRs (US, Belgium and Japan) had steel receivers and drop magazines. The next generation BLR81 still had steel receivers but had the more flush fitting magazine. Don't know when they went to alloy. I briefly had an early steel BLR81 in .358, never cared for how it handled or shot (vertical stringing). After the trigger hung up a couple times I got rid of it and found a Savage 99 .358 Brush Gun.......mucho better.
