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The best blr's were the early steel Belgian guns. Beautiful workmanship and smooth. Absolutely. But I also have owned the next models pre-81 gun with the extended clips and they are not far behind.. The new guns are not even close with the aluminum receivers. No thanks.
Last edited by DLSguide; 02/19/18.
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Here ya go. A Belgium BLR in 308. Best of the best in my opinion. ![[Linked Image]](http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL782/4063224/24663723/412687703.jpg)
Harry
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I tried to find a protruding magazine a few years ago for someone bought a rifle without a magazine. $300 for a magazine? No thank you.
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I tried to find a protruding magazine a few years ago for someone bought a rifle without a magazine. $300 for a magazine? No thank you. That's the biggest problem with the pre-81s is that the mags are stoopid expensive. I see them here in Canada for $200 or more. Good rifles but I would choose the BLR81 over the pre 81 for that reason alone. Both have all steel receivers and don't have the ugly pistol grip that the later ones have. I don't care if it's made in Japan or Belgium. Both work very well and are nicely made.
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I tried to find a protruding magazine a few years ago for someone bought a rifle without a magazine. $300 for a magazine? No thank you. That's the biggest problem with the pre-81s is that the mags are stoopid expensive. I see them here in Canada for $200 or more. Good rifles but I would choose the BLR81 over the pre 81 for that reason alone. Both have all steel receivers and don't have the ugly pistol grip that the later ones have. I don't care if it's made in Japan or Belgium. Both work very well and are nicely made. I've had both in the past and like the 81 model a little better. That's enuff to make my decision. Jerry
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
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Here ya go. A Belgium BLR in 308. Best of the best in my opinion. Well....OKAY, I'll PM my address and you can bring it.  Jerry
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
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I tried to find a protruding magazine a few years ago for someone bought a rifle without a magazine. $300 for a magazine? No thank you. That's the biggest problem with the pre-81s is that the mags are stoopid expensive. I see them here in Canada for $200 or more. Good rifles but I would choose the BLR81 over the pre 81 for that reason alone. Both have all steel receivers and don't have the ugly pistol grip that the later ones have. I don't care if it's made in Japan or Belgium. Both work very well and are nicely made. You just have to be on the lookout. I found a mint condition pot belly mag for .243/.308/.358 in a glass case full of different mags at the Ruston gunshow about 3-4 years back. Sticker said $75. Bought it. Found another .243/.308/.358in a box of stuff at the Little Rock gunshow for $10. Bluing condition was a little rough but function was fine. Sold it for a lot less than I could have helping a fire member out.
Some people are educated beyond their intelligence.
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I seem to remember an article when the BLR 81 came out that there was also a primary extraction engineering change to the 81's.
IIRC, it was a John Wooters article, but that part's possibly wrong.
I had an 81 Miroku 358 for a short while. Unemployment and babies make for some painful decisions.
I really liked it, and would still have it if life didn't get in the way.
A buddy has one of the aluminum 358's, having been a 336, 94, 99 guy all his life.
The BLR is definitely his favorite
Mark
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Sorry for the side track jwall! For the record, I'd go with the first generation potbelly BLR!
I don't want one of the later, long action, aluminum frame, takedown BLRs. I think that they will take some abuse though. I talked a Dealer out of an aluminum BLR in 270 that had been fired 5 times with 308 ammo. The case of the last round is still stuck in the chamber. I had to sign a paper for him stating that I knew what had been done to the rifle and that I would render it inoperable. I'm going to make a lamp out of it, but it took the pressure and is evidently none the worse for the wear, except for the stuck case. They are all great rifles! AFAIK, the BLR bolt rotates into lug recesses in the barrel, not the receiver, so the only disadvantage to an aluminum receiver is if you like carrying a heavier rifle. Strength is not compromised. And according to what Ive read the Miroku, Japanese-built BLRs are every bit as well made as the earlier Belgium-made models.
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Sorry for the side track jwall! For the record, I'd go with the first generation potbelly BLR!
I don't want one of the later, long action, aluminum frame, takedown BLRs. I think that they will take some abuse though. I talked a Dealer out of an aluminum BLR in 270 that had been fired 5 times with 308 ammo. The case of the last round is still stuck in the chamber. I had to sign a paper for him stating that I knew what had been done to the rifle and that I would render it inoperable. I'm going to make a lamp out of it, but it took the pressure and is evidently none the worse for the wear, except for the stuck case. They are all great rifles! AFAIK, the BLR bolt rotates into lug recesses in the barrel, not the receiver, so the only disadvantage to an aluminum receiver is if you like carrying a heavier rifle. Strength is not compromised. And according to what Ive read the Miroku, Japanese-built BLRs are every bit as well made as the earlier Belgium-made models. My buddy bought one of the first BLR's to hit gunstores a long time ago, it had uneven press checkering as the only fault I could find with it, made in Belgium. I bought mine a few years later probably 1980-1981 time period in 308 and it had the cut checkering. It was a very nice gun and quite accurate.
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Yeah the rotating bolt on a BLR locks into the rear of the barrel, so they are very strong indeed, the reciever is not a stressed part so aluminum or steel its makes zero difference, I like the balance and weight of the aluminum models best but the steel recievers look very nice with their high polish blue finish........Hb
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I bought a new 308 BLR 81 with the straight grip from Sportsman’s guide about 2 years ago. I’ve shot it extensively and the 1.5” groups at 100 yards are good enough for me. Good looking gun and I love the way it handles. It can be a little finicky about the OAL of handloads and I have to seat the bullets slightly deeper than I do for my bolt action 308. Not a major issue. I hate the trigger on mine though and not many gunsmiths are willing to work on those guns. I’ve put a lot of rounds through it in the time I’ve had it with no problems.
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I believe that on the steel-receiver, pre-81 BLRs the bolt in fact locks to the receiver. I'm not sure about the steel BLR-81s. On the aluminum-receiver BLRs the bolt absolutely locks into the barrel extension. The receiver is essentially a non-stressed part. The 2 designs, steel and aluminum, are very different-looking to me. The Lightning's bolt head looks like a huge version of an AR-15's bolt head, whereas the older ones just look like some angled lugs were machined out of the outside diameter of the bolt head. I lost track of what "better" means to you, jwall, so I don't have a suggestion for you.
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MZ 5
Better to me means, stronger, reliable, less prone to failure etc.
I’ve come to understand the aluminum receiver is not a weak point SINCE the bolt locks into the barrel extension. And it makes the gun some lighter.
The same principle applies to Rem pumps, barrel/receiver lock up.
Thanks
Jerry
ps: I’d prefer the 81 model PRE. 1995.
Last edited by jwall; 02/20/18.
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
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I'd go for one of the steel receiver BLRs if I was you, if you can find one. I had a 2000-2001 model BLR in 308 with the pistol grip. Used it a couple of years, killed a couple of deer with it, but it was not particularly accurate and the firing pin failed to fire the round a couple of different times. Wanted to really like it but could never warm up. Also, did not like the trigger either.
Might look for one in 243 win, or try one of those Henry Long Rangers or a Model 88 on down the road. Would really like to find a good lever 243.
"Blessed is the man whose wife is his best friend - especially if she likes to HUNT!"
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Actually, with fixed 4x optic on a BLR in 300 WSM, or the sort-of oddball, the 325 WSM, I can imagine a broken-timber, elk hunter could do a lot worse. I’ve had one or two years ago and can’t quite remember but the most commonly heard complaint when there is one is the trigger.
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I have had BLRs from just about every vintage. Never had a bad one. The 7mm-08 and 308 rifles have been very accurate. Rivaling good bolt guns. I have had a couple of 358 rifles and they were more like 2 moa guns. There is not a lot of steel around the bore of a BLR 358.
My favorite version of all of them is the Stainless Takedown in 308 that I have now. It seems to have a better trigger than any of the older BLRS and is the most accurate of them all.
The modern Alloy recievers make the gun a pound lighter,so I prefer it as well. Just buy a new one,I think you'll be delighted. I was.
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Sorry for the side track jwall! For the record, I'd go with the first generation potbelly BLR!
I don't want one of the later, long action, aluminum frame, takedown BLRs. I think that they will take some abuse though. I talked a Dealer out of an aluminum BLR in 270 that had been fired 5 times with 308 ammo. The case of the last round is still stuck in the chamber. I had to sign a paper for him stating that I knew what had been done to the rifle and that I would render it inoperable. I'm going to make a lamp out of it, but it took the pressure and is evidently none the worse for the wear, except for the stuck case. They are all great rifles! AFAIK, the BLR bolt rotates into lug recesses in the barrel, not the receiver, so the only disadvantage to an aluminum receiver is if you like carrying a heavier rifle. Strength is not compromised. And according to what Ive read the Miroku, Japanese-built BLRs are every bit as well made as the earlier Belgium-made models. On the Aluminum 270 BLR that I have the bolt does rotate/lock into a barrel extension not the actual receiver.
Harry
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