What's your thoughts on the Browning BL-22

[kimwcook]

I've read a number of posts about the Winchester 9422 and the Marlin 39's, but what about the Browning BL-22. What's the forum's experience and thoughts on this little 22? I have a hard time getting past the trigger being attached to the lever. What say you?

[Terry Murbach]

EXCELLENT 22 CARBINE OR RIFLE. A FEW YEARS AGO THE EASTER BUNNY BROUGHT JUDY A HIGH GRADE BL22 RIFLE WITH THE SLENDER TAPERED OCTAGON BARREL. IT SHOOTS BEAUTIFULLY DEAD ON THE MONEY AND WE'VE NEVER TOUCHED THE SIGHTS.
YOU'LL HAVE NO PROBLEM PAST TWO SECONDS GETTING USED TO THE TRIGGER IN THE LEVER. YOU WILL TAKE A BIT LONGER GETTING USED TO THE SHORT LEVER THROW. I STILL TRY TO BANG IT OPEN WHEN ALL IT TAKES IS A FLICKING OF YOUR FINGERS; I AM A SLOW LEARNER EVIDENTLY.

[O.S.O.K.]

I owned one for a while - good little carbine. Very well made but not very traditional. It functioned perfectly and was very accurate. I didn't care for the shiney stock, plastic coverings on some parts and the shiney black barrel bands.

There is no faster to cycle leveraction out there though - because of the trigger mount...

[Duff L Bagg]

I've had one for close to 20 years. It has fetched home more then its share of tree rats. While it is for the most part a non traditional looking lever gun, you will be happy to make its accuracy a tridition in the woods. Terry is right about it taking a while to get used to the short throw of the BL-22, but all things cosidered they are great little guns.

[Hobie]

Some of this is subjective but I don't think you can go wrong with a new condition Marlin 39, Winchester 9422 or Browning BL22. I think the BL22 is right up there with the others. Everybody loves the Henry but it is a lower price point and you can see why when you look at the details.

[Birdman]

Hobie, you may start something saying that about those Henry's. I have a Golden Boy and I love it. But, I will have to agree a little bit. The devil is in the details. The Henry is a great buy for the money and it will do what ever is asked of it. As for the Browning. A buddy of mine recently bought one and I was blown away. I found it on the rack one day when we were out shopping and he went back and bought it. That thing is SWEET.

[awp101]

I enjoy mine. In fact I only have two problems with it. The front sight was bent when I got it (and I've never replaced it) and it spoiled me against any other lever action .22.

[Borregos]

Had one for over 25 years, love it!!
Love just having to flick the fingers to cycle it.
My trigger is a bit heavy but no creep at all.

[Pete44ru]

YMMV. Different strokes for different folks.

Although the BL-22 fit/finish are very high/nice, I find them too light for me to shoot well, in hunting situations.

I also could never get used to the relatively skinny mag tube, spaced away from the barrel - on both the early Grade II and recent Grade I, that I owned.

They just seemed more like a "kid's size gun" - although extremely nice kid's guns, admittedly.

.

[Hagler]

...I'm sorry. Did someone say something? ...Hen-who? ...Hen-what? ...price-what? I'm not gettin' it... ...huh?!

Shawn

[Lastmohecken]

The little Browning BL22 is a great little gun. I bought a used and slightly rough BL22 Grade II a few years ago and I love it. It's got a few scratches and the blue is worn, but it's a fine shooter, much more accurate then I expected. Since I have used Browning BLR's for many years the trigger staying in the lever was not an issue with me.

I can't think of a better .22 with the light weight and handling of the BL22. I have kept mine with the factory iron sights, because for some reason, I can see those sights better then about any open iron sights I have had on most any gun. The only issue I ever had with it was the fact that the folding rear sight would sometimes get knocked down, by accident. I got tired of that and you can't tell it, but I J.B. Welded the rear sight in the standing position, so it would not fall down anymore.

One thing I would recomemd is if you are in the market for a used BL22, try to find a Grade II, because the engraving helps keep the gun looking good, even after much hard use. The plain rifles in this model just don't look nearly as good, espacally if in a well used condition.

[OJ]

My BL22 is my favorite rimfire rifle - light weight & balanced, short throw action, accurate, and reliable. Shoots shorts, longs, & long rifles - all in the same mag loading if you want. I installed a Williams FPGR aperture rear sight (fits on to the grooves for scopes so doesn't need D/T to install) which, in turn, required a taller front sight but, that's a level of "gun smithing" I can do. Not having other lever 22 rifles, I don't know about comparisons with Winchesters or Marlins but, I sure like this one and i'm not sure if having the "best" one is that important - to me - since this one does the job well.-







I've leveled it since I took this pic but you can get the idea. I remove the aperture to have a ghost ring sight.

Of interest, I bought this one in 1968 - the same day I bought a 26" barrel Winchester 94 Buffalo Bill Commemorative 30-30 from the same dealer - who charged me $100.00 for the BL22 and only $90.00 for the 30-30. Raised to not look a gift horse in the mouth, I didn't ask questions but always assumed, since those Buffalo Bill Commemoratives were sold in pairs - 20" & 26" barrel with consecutive serial numbers - he made his profit from the 20" customer and figured he might have trouble selling the one with the longer barrel. Some days you're in the right place at the right time.

[J Miller]

kimwcook,

I've never had the opportunity to shoot a BL-22. They've always been around, but never available. Early in my shooting years I looked at them and always found them more expensive than I could afford.
Later I bought my 9422 and quit looking.


OJ,
I tried a Williams FPGR on my 9422 some time back and it did the same thing as yours. It tilted. How did you level yours? I fixed mine by selling it.

Joe

[OJ]

kimwcook,

I've never had the opportunity to shoot a BL-22. They've always been around, but never available. Early in my shooting years I looked at them and always found them more expensive than I could afford.
Later I bought my 9422 and quit looking.


OJ,
I tried a Williams FPGR on my 9422 some time back and it did the same thing as yours. It tilted. How did you level yours? I fixed mine by selling it.

Joe

Well, to tell the truth - it's still slightly tilted even though I tightened the screw in top. However, with the available adjustments, it works just fine - good enough for my shooting, anyway - it's more a cosmetic thing than function thing anyway. I put one on my Ruger 10/22 also and it sits higher and level - I don't see any real difference function-wise in a slight tilt and, generally, no one sees it but me.

[Pete44ru]

The tilting can be remedied by installing one of these Williams peeps - but not this model, as it's for a flat-topped receiver.

Williams, however, supplies Savage (IIRC) the same sight with a male dovetail under the front tongue - which could easily be radiused inline with the bore, to fit the radiused topped receivers of the BL-22 & 9422.



.

[Henry McCann]

My dad has owned one since 1973 and it has accounted for at least 1500 gophers and has had an estimated 20,000 rounds through it. Figure 100 gophers a summer on the ranch since then and my 1500 estimate is low. Never a single jam or hiccup and it's accurate.

Great lever action .22!!!

[Rexster]

I have a hard time getting past the trigger being attached to the lever. What say you?

I don't have a BL-22, but the trigger being attached to the lever assembly is one reason I like the Browning BLR so much. The short throw is what has kept me away from the BL-22, as I don't want to momentarily confuse the issue and short-stroke my BLRs, the household Winchester '94, or the wife's Rossi '92. I am not saying that anyone else would have this problem, but I worry about myself. I have seen others short-stroke pump guns, though I have not. I have embarrassed myself at a defensive shooting class, taught by well-known instructors, by short-stroking a SIG DA trigger after a morning of shooting a bunch of rounds through a Glock, which has a shorter trigger stroke. I sold off the Glunck pronto!

[Cimarron Red]

My experience with the Browning BL-22 is limited to handling and shooting one at a silhouette match on one occasion. I was impressed with the gun. However, the one that I shot had a top tang made of some kind of polycarbonate material, and I was concerned about mounting a tang sight on the gun. So, I chose a Winchester 9422 instead. Perhaps other versions of the BL-22 had tangs made of steel; I don't know.