Browning BLR LWT .308

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Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Member-Deleted » 02 Sep 2019, 10:56 am

I purchased a Browning BLR light weight in .308, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pig hunting gun, and I had one many years ago and always remember it as very reliable and a good rifle, but that was 20 years ago when they were steel not alloy actions, at any rate I am very disappointed at the trigger, it must be at least 8lb and creepy as they come, even made sighting in a nightmare, but it's a cheapie so can't expect too much. My question is, has anybody had success with having the trigger lightened at least a little? I have asked my gunsmith and he basically said he wont touch them, I rang around and had similar response from other gunsmiths, so I'm guessing they are not the easiest thing to work on, has anyone gone down this path and what was the end result?
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Bill » 02 Sep 2019, 11:20 am

The BLRs are fast handling shooters, enjoy the slickness and speed of the action, factory trigger is easily good enough for 3 shot Moa groups.

Ive owned 3 Blrs, still got a take down in 358 Win and I've never once worried about the trigger. I did have a BLR 358 81 lightning and its trigger had been smithed (no one touches em because time consuming) to around 4lbs but to be honest I never once thought it was light.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Blr243 » 02 Sep 2019, 11:35 am

I got mine done from a gunsmith but I was warned there’s not a lot can be done with them. It slightly improved but when held in the normal shooting position, when cycling the action the teeth on the underside of the bolt grated against the top of the cocked hammer. So I took it back to them and they fixed it. As it was at least twenty yrs ago I can’t remember how much improvement I got. I actually purchased a sauer100 boltgun to replace my blr because the trigger was awful. But yesterday I decided I wanted a faster cycling action for my night time pig hunts. So I stuck my thermal on my old blr and that’s what I used last night. So now I have a slick fast action but a terrible trigger. Just can’t have My cake and eat it too. Nothing wrong with the ally actions When I get back home I will put a trigger pull gauge on my blr and let u know .......ask in2anity he knows a stack about lever guns
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Blr243 » 02 Sep 2019, 11:39 am

U may be interested to know that ten round after market mags are or are soon to be available for blr s,,,,,But I really don’t see the need. There’s no such thing as a bomb up anymore. Once I have fired 4 shots the rest of the mob has packed its bags and gone
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Member-Deleted » 02 Sep 2019, 12:26 pm

Thanks BLR 243, I get what your saying, but to me a heavy trigger of this weight is way too annoying, I'm not after a match trigger but also do not want one I need to jump on to fire the rifle, if I could get 4lb I would be quite happy. On the magazine, your right if after 4 shots you haven't done the job, the rest is history.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by deanp100 » 02 Sep 2019, 12:31 pm

I wish they would make a bigger aftermarket for the old style mlr. 10 is too many but 6 plus one up the spout would be good. It not hard to run the 4+1 dry. A miss, a couple of hits, a finisher and a sniff around in the high grass for anything that didn’t run and you haven’t got much left..
Last edited by deanp100 on 02 Sep 2019, 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Member-Deleted » 02 Sep 2019, 1:04 pm

Bill wrote:The BLRs are fast handling shooters, enjoy the slickness and speed of the action, factory trigger is easily good enough for 3 shot Moa groups.

Ive owned 3 Blrs, still got a take down in 358 Win and I've never once worried about the trigger. I did have a BLR 358 81 lightning and its trigger had been smithed (no one touches em because time consuming) to around 4lbs but to be honest I never once thought it was light.



Thanks Bill, personal preference but to me a trigger this heavy is crazy, also 3 moa is not really what I call acceptable for even hunting conditions, I realise these are not bolt actions and no match triggers, I purchased it for pigs where mostly the shots are inside 120mtrs but on many occasions I have had to take longer shots, I do get your point though. Looks like perseverance with finding a smithy is the simple solution apart from the $$$ they will charge.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by in2anity » 02 Sep 2019, 2:49 pm

Let us know how you get on - you need to at least get her polished up and perhaps a new sear spring. I think it’ll come down to 4-ish lbs. I’m not aware of a smith in oz who works them - but would love to find out about one! FWIW the Henry Long Range is known to have a better trigger. Or just get a Marlin.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Blr243 » 02 Sep 2019, 3:36 pm

I just rang Kingston brothers in bris who did mine. They said they will be there between 10-12 tomorrow to provide quotes for this work
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Bill » 02 Sep 2019, 6:54 pm

in2anity wrote:Let us know how you get on - you need to at least get her polished up and perhaps a new sear spring. I think it’ll come down to 4-ish lbs. I’m not aware of a smith in oz who works them - but would love to find out about one! FWIW the Henry Long Range is known to have a better trigger. Or just get a Marlin.



3 shot 1 MOA group mate, so 30mm :thumbsup:
When a guy is digging his own grave, you don’t fight him for the shovel.

Success leaves clues, Fools follow failure !

20 Hornet, 218 Bee, 222 Rem, 256 WM, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5x55 Scan, 270 Win, 357 Mag, 358 Win, 9.3x62, 500 A Square
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by GQshayne » 02 Sep 2019, 7:12 pm

I agree that the standard BLR trigger is not very good. It can be improved a lot, so I would persevere with looking for a gunsmith that will do it for you. Mine is quite good, and I have had another done that is good now after smithing. My BLR was made by FN, and compared to the newer rifles, it certainly shows its quality. The second BLR is Japanese, but still a steel action. Time consuming to get them right I am told.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Member-Deleted » 03 Sep 2019, 7:58 am

Bill wrote:
in2anity wrote:Let us know how you get on - you need to at least get her polished up and perhaps a new sear spring. I think it’ll come down to 4-ish lbs. I’m not aware of a smith in oz who works them - but would love to find out about one! FWIW the Henry Long Range is known to have a better trigger. Or just get a Marlin.



3 shot 1 MOA group mate, so 30mm :thumbsup:



Your right Bill, sorry I misread the note, took it as 3MOA assuming at 100, but a 3 shot MOA is plenty good enough. Sorry again.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Member-Deleted » 03 Sep 2019, 8:03 am

Thank you all, I'm taking it to Bob at Kudu here in Vic, he said he will have a good go but only because I been taking my works to him for 20 years if not more, he did explain that it is a nightmare job and can take quite a few hours to get anywhere near OK, he said that the main reason they don't like doing it is because if it takes him 1 hour or 4 hours they normally can only charge $120-$180 for a trigger job, which sound fair enough I guess. I'll post the results once I get her back,.
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Re: Browning BLR LWT .308

Post by Bill » 03 Sep 2019, 11:01 am

atleast Bob was up front mate, hopefully he gets it right
When a guy is digging his own grave, you don’t fight him for the shovel.

Success leaves clues, Fools follow failure !

20 Hornet, 218 Bee, 222 Rem, 256 WM, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5x55 Scan, 270 Win, 357 Mag, 358 Win, 9.3x62, 500 A Square
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