Browning BL22

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GunnyUSMC

GunnyUSMC

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Denham Springs LA
The other day one of my coworkers brought a Browning BL 22 to work. He said it belonged to his friend and he wanted to sell it for $350.
I know the guy the the rifle belonged to. He’s a nice guy, but he buys and sells guns all the time, and usually at a loss
Now I need another gun like a hole in my head. But it was a pretty good deal.
I also just finished remodeling my hall bathroom and spent about $2000 on that.
So, not needing the gun and having just spent a bunch on the house, I offered him $300 and he said no way.
Latter that day my coworker sent me a text stating that the gun owner would take $300 for the rifle.
So yesterday I bought the rifle.
It’s in pretty good shape but does show a little. It’s a little dirty so, I’ll most likely take it apart this weekend and clean it up.
Here’s the rifle.
4669DFC7-1CCB-43D4-8846-7BBA8706B25C.jpeg F4B59CCF-A31C-426D-8FB5-E05E3E8BA3EB.jpeg EEFCD859-D174-45E4-901D-E93DF7B1AB4A.jpeg 1A07C451-7295-49A2-BCC4-D3354DA366A7.jpeg B4A6870E-0F6E-4D1E-9937-2CFF1A39FB4B.jpeg 2A7D6765-6533-4DA0-B2B3-5F6D452794A7.jpeg 05CFB27A-36F8-40D1-9668-5CDA96D41DCD.jpeg AD10F6EA-CBB8-40ED-9548-DDCCBCE07EE9.jpeg 6E74DF77-6E1E-4F56-B33F-C3F4124D8D98.jpeg
 
Great little rifle.

One of my coworkers has one that his father purchased for him when he turned 16. That was almost 40 years ago and while it was in good shape, he had never cleaned it. I took it home and cleaned it up for him. From what I remember, there is a tiny little part in the action that was very difficult to put back.
 
GunnyUSMC said:
The other day one of my coworkers brought a Browning BL 22 to work. He said it belonged to his friend and he wanted to sell it for $350.
I know the guy the the rifle belonged to. He’s a nice guy, but he buys and sells guns all the time, and usually at a loss
Now I need another gun like a hole in my head. But it was a pretty good deal.
I also just finished remodeling my hall bathroom and spent about $2000 on that.
So, not needing the gun and having just spent a bunch on the house, I offered him $300 and he said no way.
Latter that day my coworker sent me a text stating that the gun owner would take $300 for the rifle.
So yesterday I bought the rifle.
It’s in pretty good shape but does show a little. It’s a little dirty so, I’ll most likely take it apart this weekend and clean it up.
Here’s the rifle.
View attachment 893398 View attachment 893399 View attachment 893400 View attachment 893401 View attachment 893402 View attachment 893403 View attachment 893404 View attachment 893405 View attachment 893406
Click to expand...
A bargain, no doubt!. Even with the wear and indications of hard use, I would expect to see that little guy at $500+ in most gun shops.
Good on you, Gunny for rescuing that one! I will be watching for an update after you work your magic! :thumbup:
 
Real nice. They also came in grades. I have a grade two. Used it for squirrel in the 70’s. Put in away after getting a 10/22 Now primarily a safe queen.
 
MarshallDodge said:
Great little rifle.

One of my coworkers has one that his father purchased for him when he turned 16. That was almost 40 years ago and while it was in good shape, he had never cleaned it. I took it home and cleaned it up for him. From what I remember, there is a tiny little part in the action that was very difficult to put back.
Click to expand...
That would be the ejector and ejector spring.
But people say that the Ruger MKII is hard to put back together, I find them easy. :)
 
Poper said:
A bargain, no doubt!. Even with the wear and indications of hard use, I would expect to see that little guy at $500+ in most gun shops.
Good on you, Gunny for rescuing that one! I will be watching for an update after you work your magic! :thumbup:
Click to expand...
This one is just going to get a good cleaning. My sell or trade it off in a few years and it will be worth more if not refinished.
 
Gunny, I had one at one time and hope you have better luck than I did. The trigger was one of the worst I've ever seen and my understanding was that gunsmiths didn't like messing with the trigger. I took it to a gunsmith and he said no, that he wouldn't work on it. Luckily it was in great shape and I took it to a gun show and a dealer just had to have it. I sold it for more than I had in it so great to see it in other hands. They are beautiful rifles but my guess is that it had a twelve pound or better trigger pull.
 
Milt1 said:
Gunny, I had one at one time and hope you have better luck than I did. The trigger was one of the worst I've ever seen and my understanding was that gunsmiths didn't like messing with the trigger. I took it to a gunsmith and he said no, that he wouldn't work on it. Luckily it was in great shape and I took it to a gun show and a dealer just had to have it. I sold it for more than I had in it so great to see it in other hands. They are beautiful rifles but my guess is that it had a twelve pound or better trigger pull.
Click to expand...
This one has a pretty good trigger. I have run across some that had heavy triggers.
 
Gunny,
You take excellent photos! I am impressed withnthe clarity of your close up gun photos!
Keep em coming!! I really enjoy your posts and photos!

Bull
 
Bull Nutria said:
Gunny,
You take excellent photos! I am impressed withnthe clarity of your close up gun photos!
Keep em coming!! I really enjoy your posts and photos!

Bull
Click to expand...
Hey Bull
When the weather clears up we need to get together and go shooting. I’ll even supply the guns and ammo.
 
Nice acquisition, you lucky devil, you!!! ;):)

Back in the early 1990s I bought a Winchester 9422 with checkered stocks. I almost bought a Browning very much like what you have. The Winchester was less expensive, and I wasn't overly flush with the green stuff, so I got the 9422. I still have it.
As nice as it is ..... I always thought that the Browning was a bit higher class. ...... ........
 
Tommygunn said:
Nice acquisition, you lucky devil, you!!! ;):)

Back in the early 1990s I bought a Winchester 9422 with checkered stocks. I almost bought a Browning very much like what you have. The Winchester was less expensive, and I wasn't overly flush with the green stuff, so I got the 9422. I still have it.
As nice as it is ..... I always thought that the Browning was a bit higher class. ...... ........
Click to expand...
I have a Winchester 9422 XTR that my dad bought me in 1975, I still have it. I have always liked the Browning BL22, but they were always priced more then I wanted to pay.
When the weather clears up and things around here start to dry up, I’ll have to take both of them to the range.
 
I'd have jumped on that in a second. Great find. I would pay more for one like that than I would a brand new one to be honest.
 
I got the Grade II one because it was a closer match to my SA-22. Back in the early ‘90’s it was $352 with tax, new.

I should get it out and throw some lead with it, it’s been awhile.
 
That was my first gun. We had cattle when I was a boy. There was always feeders with grain, that attracts birds.... I bet I killed a truckload of spatsies and starlings with mine.
Those fine sights on the BL22 are excellent.
The deep clear finish on the furniture is prone to nasty dents and scratches.
Empty brass litters the banks of the stream that runs through my parents pasture. No bird, game animal, or reptile that had the misfortune of living there was safe for several summers.
 
Nice find. Around 1995 I was 13 and working an orchard saving for my first rifle and kept going back and forth between Marlin, Browning, and Winchester. Ended up with a 9422, but that Browning always looked slick.

Just this last season I started carrying a lever gun for mountain mulies again.
 
My first gun was a Browning BL22 Grade II that my dad gave me when I was 11. Loved it! Pretty sure I shot the barrel out in the ten years I had it since it no longer grouped very well when I sold it. Still kick myself for ever getting rid of it.
 
I bought a new one back around 05 or so. A plain grade 1. Then years later I got a first year very good condition 1969 grade 2 from a guy selling a bunch of his collection. I gave full price for the newer one but only 300 for the 69 grade 2 (complete with what I believe is a terrible tasco bantam shotgun scope). The newer gun has a far better trigger than the 1969. I prefer the winchester 9422, and the marlin 39, but the Bl-22 is my third favorite lever action 22.
 
Since I was a kid I always wanted everything Browning: A BAR in 7 mm Rem, Superposed 20 ga, BL 22, B 92 in .44 mag, a Hi-Power 9mm and a BDA .380, BPS’ in the smaller gauges and a trim little .22 Auto. Every time I went to a gun store I left with a Browning catalog and wore out the pages looking at the pictures and reading every word.

I owned an A-bolt .338 Win that I had to sell years ago, I was issued a 1967- vintage Hi Power that was an off duty gun for several years and I have the three BPS shotguns in 28.20 and 16. I’m slowly, and I mean s l o w l y, ticking them off the list.

As the others said, I would have been all over that for $300, too. :thumbup: Excellent buy, Gunny!

Something about the Browning name, look and feel that just seems right to me. :)

Stay safe.
 
Great rifle gunny, a relative got one recently and is great rifle very well done (made in Japan), the lever has a short action comparing to the 9422.
Now you need to look up for a Remington 121.
Congrats.
 
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