Browning BL22

K

kcub

New member
Anybody else like this rifle? Very easy to cycle with a short stroke. I have one and it is the usual high quality Browning. For its price point you don't see this kind of build quality often these days. I've killed many a birdfeeder robbing squirrel with this rifle and Remington CBee CB caps; quiet and deadly with an expanding hollow point.

I noticed on Gunbroker there is a youth model, a micro midas, a grade I and a grade II. Not sure what the differences are in stock/barrel length.

Here's a nickel engraved with octagon barrel, nice!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=546486501
 
I bought that micro model for my wife. Nice little rifle, though actually finding some place to buy one was tough. That Micro model is really small, with a short stock and a short barrel. Almost too small for me to easily use. If you need actual dimensions, I can go measure it.

She wanted it for blasting armadillos in the flower beds. So far she has scared a couple of 'dillos, but I don't think she's hit one. No fault of the rifle.
 
I picked up one of the grade II's a while back and have been very pleased with it. Quite accurate and easy to operate. The finish is a bit shiny, but very well done and while the trigger is a tad heavy, it has a crisp break which makes up for it in my estimation. The grade II's have the checkered wood and the roll engraving on the receiver and lever. These rifles are already pretty small, so I can't imagine what a micro would be like.
DSC03294cCustom_zpsfd2920f7.jpg
 
JMHO

kcub
First understand that this is only my opinion/experience and not bashing. I owned one for about six-months. before I traded it off. I did not care for the usual Browning hi-glass finish. The front barrel band was made of plastic. The sights were cheap and loose. Aside from that, the biggest problem was that it was a biter. When On firing, the lever would pinch my fingers against the wrist of the rifle. It shot great just somewhat annoying. .... :rolleyes:

Be Safe !!!
 
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Aside from that, the biggest problem was that it was a biter. When On firing, the lever would pinch my fingers against the wrist of the rifle.
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:eek:
You shouldn't be firing it with your fingers between the lever and the wrist.
 
When I did the shoot-off between the Browning Micro & the Henry Youth last year, I went into it thinking I'd buy the Browning when done.

The Henry's still here, the Browning is not. :)
Denis
 
I have one of the early grade II's -- 1970. If you like gorgeous walnut these little lever rifles fit the bill. The gun is accurate in my case fit with a Weaver 3 x 9. The trigger is better than many report.

.02

David
 
Same rifle as bn12- 1972.
Mine is a nice shooter and really liked W-W Wildcats before they went extinct (or at least on the critically endangered list!).
Think the forearm and barrel band are alloy though.

The iron sights were a little tough for me to get down on, so a 4x Leupold fit the bill.

Now you all are making me think I should check the trigger weight along side my 39A.
If it is heavy, I have never noticed in 44 years.

I know the Browning is a lot faster to work from the shoulder and a
choice between it and the Marlin would be for the Browning.

JT
 
My BL22 is also a 70's model, very quick shooter. I just plink with mine, and trigger pull not a "too heavy" issue for me.

Through the years, I've accumulated a number of lever .22's, and still have them. Some are still shot a lot and the BL22 is one of those.
 
I don't care for them. The finish is too much, the faux leather accents, the inability to clean the action easily if at all, having to clean from the muzzle. Over priced not well thought out .22 lever.
 
Some of you are comparing well-broken-in 30 & 40 year old samples with new.

The brand new Micro I shot was a nice little gun.
Its trigger was much heavier than the Henry, the action was short, of course, but very stiff to break out of lock-up, and it was nowhere near as accurate as the Henry at 50 yards.

I loved the first BL-22 I ever saw, a buddy's in 1972/73.
I worked with another one about 15 years back, nice gun.

It's possible to run the Browning on the shoulder without removing the firing hand from the gun, by flicking the lever with the fingers & closing it again, if your hand is big enough.

It CAN be very fast to run.
The new sample I had was too stiff, took much more effort to break lever-lock than it should.

That probably would have lightened up with use, but altogether the difference in ease of shooting & the accuracy between the two guns sent the Browning back to its maker at the end.

I also found the Henry sights easier to see, another factor in overall "shootability".

None of which is saying don't buy the Browning, just passing on my most recent experiences with one.
Denis
 
Good point about the age of some of our guns Denis! To tell the truth, I like all lever guns and would have difficulty parting with any. My Henry's are all recent vintage. My Browning, Winchesters and Marlins are all at least 30 yeas old.

Funny thing, in the late 70's and 80's, when buying guns, I thought I missed the golden age of firearms by not getting in on the pre-64 Winchesters. To many here, the guns of the 80's were the golden age.
 
I do try to keep age in mind when comparing firearms I've had experience with, but that is a good point.

The Marlin 39a in my family is now 40 years old. (40k rounds? 50k rounds through it?)
The Browning BL-22 is 35-38 years old. (15-20k rounds?)
But the Henrys are ... I think 6 years old, at the most. (Mabye 5k rounds?)

All of the owners are happy with their purchases.
That being said... Two of the Henrys were purchased specifically because of their price point and to "save" the Marlin 39a from additional wear and tear.

If all of the owners laid those .22 leverguns down and told me I could take any one of them home, it would be the Marlin 39a.
In general, I do think the Browning BL-22 is the better rifle (if a bit gaudy with the high gloss finish); but that particular 39a is better than any BL-22 that I have handled or fired.
 
Browning rifles are famous for their high quality walnut stocks. Fit and finish are generally superb. I opted for the plain Jane Henry model and its also quite accurate and useful.

Jack
 
I have one of the early grade II's -- 1970. If you like gorgeous walnut these little lever rifles fit the bill. The gun is accurate in my case fit with a Weaver 3 x 9. The trigger is better than many report.
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Correct, if by that you mean most people rate the trigger as really horrible when, in truth it's merely horrible.

My wife has a Grade II and it's a beautiful gun, but the trigger is really bad. However, all is not lost. I did a trigger job on hers which transformed it into a really nice shooter. Unfortunately, the trigger mechanism is made more complicated by the fact that it is attached to the lever; adding several extra parts including a couple of extra springs.

Plus, the rifle is a real PITA to disassemble and, particularly, reassemble. Not difficult, but fiddly and time consuming.

For those reasons, doing a trigger job takes much longer than a conventional bolt action rifle. So if a gunsmith tells you he can fix your BL22 trigger for 50 bucks, chances are he's just going to cut a few springs, NOT a good idea. If you have half a clue about triggers and the dangers of doing the wrong thing, you can do it yourself.

It requires a good deal of fiddly polishing and several springs need to be replaced to do it correctly. Don't discount the time consuming disassembly/reassembly. And, of course, just like all "trigger jobs", doing it incorrectly can easily lead to making your weapon dangerous.

But in the end it was well worth my effort. If you had to pay someone two hundred bucks for his time, perhaps it wouldn't be as worthwhile.
 
70s vintage here and never a lick of trouble. I never felt it was anything but a fun out-in-the-mangroves gun and was always minute of land crab accurate.

I did almost cry, however, when I got my first good size ding in the buttstock.
 
My wife has a Grade II and it's a beautiful gun, but the trigger is really bad. However, all is not lost. I did a trigger job on hers which transformed it into a really nice shooter. Unfortunately, the trigger mechanism is made more complicated by the fact that it is attached to the lever; adding several extra parts including a couple of extra springs.
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It may be a little more complicated than a Marlin 39A or Henry H001 trigger, but it's (functionally) no more complicated than a Marlin 336/444/1895 or Winchester Model 94.

This is a complicated trigger mechanism: Chiappa Rhino guts.
 
We have a BL-22 and BL-22 Micro Midas. The first for me to plink and the second for my son to plink.

I got a grade 1 for the full-size. NIB at a decent price. I really wanted the Grade II, but I felt it would be too pretty and I would be too fearful of getting those first dents and scratches.

They will be used. If not...what is the point?
 
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