8/6/03 1:41 PM Page 2 The Best There Is ™ 02-262-BFA_BLR OM_cover LIGHTNING BLR & LIGHTWEIGHT ‘81 BLR LEVER ACTION RIFLES O W N E R ’ S M A N U A L
02-262-BFA_BLR OM_cover 8/6/03 1:41 PM Page 4 SERVICE OR REPAIR If your firearm should require service or repairs, we suggest you first contact a local recommended Browning Firearms Service Center. Contact your Browning sporting goods dealer or call our Service Department for the address of the Service Center nearest you. Otherwise, you may send your firearm directly to our own Service Department.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 1 THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING A BROWNING BLR LEVER ACTION RIFLE. The Lightning BLR and Lightweight ‘81 BLR utilize the most modern design of any lever action rifle, with an advanced rack-and-pinion lever system and strong rotary bolt locking design. And with its detachable box magazine, you can safely shoot ballistically superior pointed bullets.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 2 YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIREARMS SAFETY As a gun owner, you accept a set of responsibilities of the most demanding nature. How seriously you carry out these responsibilities can mean the difference between life and death. There is no excuse for careless or abusive handling of any firearm. At all times handle this rifle with intense respect for its power and potential danger.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 3 jarred or unintentionally manipulated into an unsafe condition. Safe gun handling does not stop with the folded hammer position of your rifle. This is an aid to safe gun handling and is no excuse for pointing the muzzle in an unsafe direction. ALWAYS TREAT YOUR RIFLE AS THOUGH IT WERE LOADED AND READY TO FIRE.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 4 being taken up or down from the stand. Remember, even with the hammer in the half-cock position and the hammer folded forward, a loaded firearm may discharge when dropped. 8 BEWARE OF BARREL OBSTRUCTIONS. Do this for the safety of both your gun and yourself. Mud, snow, and an infinite variety of other objects may lodge in a barrel bore. It takes only one small obstruction to cause dangerously increased pressures that can ruin (swell or rupture) the finest barrel.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 5 safety margins over the pressures developed by established American commercial loads. However, Browning assumes no liability for accidents which occur through the use of cartridges that have nonstandard dimensions or that develop pressures in excess of the commercially available ammunition that has been loaded in accordance with industry standards established by SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute).
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 6 OTHER OBSTACLES. Refer to page 13 of this instruction booklet for instructions on unloading your firearm. Never place any firearm on or against a fence, tree, car, or other similar objects. 17 WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION WHEN SHOOTING. Unprotected, repeated exposure to the sound of gunfire can cause hearing damage. Wear ear protectors (shooting ear plugs or muffs) to guard against such damage. Wear shooting glasses to protect your eyes from flying particles.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 7 22 EDUCATE AND SUPERVISE FIREARMS SAFETY TO ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY — ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN AND NONSHOOTERS. Closely supervise newcomers to the shooting sports. Encourage enrollment in hunting/shooting safety courses. 23 NEVER DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR TAKE ANY TYPE OF DRUGS BEFORE OR DURING SHOOTING. Your vision and judgment could be dangerously impaired, making your gun handling unsafe for you and for others.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 8 FIGURE 1 Butt Stock Safety Rib Operating Handle Barrel Muzzle Forearm Receiver Trigger Magazine Cap Carrier Release Button B R O W N I N G N O M E N C L AT U R E In conventional gun terminology the position and movement of gun parts are described as they occur with the gun horizontal and in normal firing position.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 9 LONG ACTION , STANDARD CALIBERS — One (1) in the chamber, four (4) in the magazine. LONG ACTION, MAGNUM CALIBERS — One (1) in the chamber, three (3) in the magazine. O P E R AT I O N O F T H E H A M M E R Like most lever action rifles with exposed hammers, the Lightning BLR and Lightweight ‘81 BLR do not have a separate manual safety.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM your finger off the trigger while cocking the hammer. Page 10 FIGURE 4 HALF-COCK POSITION — This rifle’s half-cock notch is simply a hammer position (Figure 4) that may catch a hammer that slips from your thumb while cocking (providing the trigger is not depressed). It should not be taken as an assurance it will be caught ALL the time. No Half-Cock Position guarantee can be made that the half-cock notch will prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 11 notch (Figure 5). When a scope is mounted on the rifle, it is necessary to insert the point of the thumb more from the side. A little practice with an empty rifle will enable a person to become adept at using the thumb in either manner. If a cartridge has been chambered in anticipation of an imminent shot, the hammer should be carefully lowered to the half-cock position and the folding hammer rotated forward.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 12 fold-down feature puts the hammer in a safer position, but this position should not be considered a safety. DROPPED OR FIRED POSITION — This is the position of the hammer after a round is fired. However, it is not a recommended carrying position (Figure 7). PREFERRED CARRYING POSITION — For maximum safety, you should never chamber a cartridge until a shot is imminent.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 13 5 To load a cartridge in the CHAMBER: With the rifle pointed in a safe direction, a cartridge can be chambered by cycling the lever. Then, carefully lower the hammer to the half-cock, fold-down position after chambering the cartridge. Afterwards, whenever desired, you can quickly and easily thumb back the hammer to the firing, full-cock position. At full-cock, any pull on the trigger will allow the hammer to fall and fire the rifle.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 14 2 After each shot, cycle the lever with a downward force. Lower the lever to open the bolt, extract and eject the empty cartridge case. At the bottom of the stroke, resistance will be felt as the lever raises the front end of the carrier and aligns the next round with the chamber. Then, when you raise the lever, the bolt will pick up the next round from the magazine and push it into the chamber. Be sure you cycle the lever completely.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 15 FIGURE 9 FIGURE 10 Horizontal Sight Adjustment Vertical Sight Adjustment needed amount (Figure 10). To lower the point of impact, turn the screw counter-clockwise. CLEANING SUGGESTIONS BE CERTAIN YOUR GUN’S CHAMBER IS UNLOADED. ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE SAFETY GLASSES DURING ALL ASSEMBLY, DISASSEMBLY AND CLEANING PROCEDURES. KEEP AMMUNITION AWAY FROM THE CLEANING AREA. DO NOT TEST THE FUNCTION OF YOUR FIREARM WITH LIVE AMMUNITION.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 16 nitro-solvent. If, or when, fouling should become heavy, it can be removed with a brass bore brush. Dip the brush in nitro-solvent and scrub the chamber and bore until the fouling is removed. To prevent brass bristles from breaking off, the brush should be pushed completely through the bore before being withdrawn. 4 To maintain the utmost accuracy of your rifle it is recommended you clean the bore with a copper solvent.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM 8/6/03 1:46 PM Page 17 will only serve to collect oil and dirt. To reassemble, reinsert the spring and follower, then slide the bottom plate back into position. FURTHER DISASSEMBLY — NEVER ATTEMPT TO TAKE YOUR LIGHTNING BLR OR LIGHTWEIGHT ‘81 BLR APART FURTHER THAN EXPLAINED IN THIS MANUAL. This is a specialized, finely fitted mechanism. You may permanently mar it by attempting to disassemble the inner mechanism assemblies.
You Are Responsible For Firearms Safety As a gun owner, you accept a set of demanding responsibilities. How seriously you take these responsibilities can mean the difference between life and death. Failure to follow any of these instructions can cause extensive damage to your gun and/or possible serious injury or death to yourself and others. There is no excuse for careless or abusive handling of any firearm. At all times handle any firearm with intense respect for its power and potential danger.
6. BEWARE OF BARREL OBSTRUCTIONS, for the safety of both your gun and yourself. Mud, snow, and an infinite variety of other obstructions may inadvertently lodge in a barrel bore. It takes only one small obstruction to cause dangerously increased pressures that can ruin (swell or rupture) the finest rifle barrels. BEFORE CHECKING FOR A BARREL OBSTRUCTION, BE CERTAIN NO LIVE ROUND IS IN THE CHAMBER AND THAT THE MAGAZINE IS REMOVED AND FEED MECHANISMS ARE COMPLETELY EMPTY.
11. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND BACKSTOP. Particularly during low light periods. Know the range of your ammunition. Never shoot at water or hard object. 12. ALWAYS UNLOAD YOUR RIFLE'S CHAMBER BEFORE CROSSING A FENCE, CLIMBING A TREE, JUMPING A DITCH OR NEGOTIATING OTHER OBSTACLES. Refer to "Unloading The Rifle" for instructions on the unloading of your rifle. Never place your loaded rifle on or against a fence, tree, car or other similar object. 13. WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION WHEN SHOOTING.
20. READ AND HEED ALL WARNINGS in this instruction book, on ammunition boxes and with all accessories that you install on your firearm. It is your responsibility to secure the most up-to-date information on the safe handling procedures of your Browning gun. Browning assumes no liability for incidents which occur when unsafe or improper gun accessories or ammunition combinations are used. 21. PERIODIC MAINTENANCE -- AVOID UNAUTHORIZED SERVICING.
02-262-BFA_BLR OM_cover 8/6/03 1:41 PM Page 1 BROWNING.
