Browning BLR vs Henry Long Ranger: Box-Magazine Levers

Why box-magazine levers exist

A traditional lever gun stacks cartridges nose to tail in a tube under the barrel. That works beautifully with flat-nosed bullets and has for 160 years, but it rules out the pointed bullets that most modern hunting cartridges are built around. Under recoil, a sharp tip resting on the primer ahead of it can act like a firing pin.

The box magazine sidesteps the problem. Cartridges sit side by side, so a .308 or a 6.5 Creedmoor can wear the same pointed bullets it would in a bolt gun. Savage did it with the Model 99, Browning did it with the BLR, and Henry did it with the Long Ranger. This page compares the two you can buy new today. It is an editorial reference built from Browning and Henry specifications and manuals, not a field test.

The Browning BLR in brief

The BLR was designed in the 1960s by Karl R. Lewis, and production has run since 1971. Browning has it made in Japan by Miroku. The current rifles are descendants of the Model 81 and the Model 81 Lightning; the original Model 81 had a steel receiver, and the 1995 Lightning moved to a lighter aluminum alloy receiver, which Browning still uses and describes as "rugged, lightweight aluminum alloy."

Inside, the BLR is unusual. The lever drives a rack-and-pinion gear that moves a bolt with a rotating, multi-lug head, which Browning says is strong enough for magnum cartridges. The trigger travels with the lever on the down stroke, so it cannot pinch your fingers. Barrels run from 16 to 24 inches depending on model, and there are straight-grip, pistol-grip and takedown versions.

The caliber list is the BLR's headline. Over the years it has ranged from .22-250 and .243 up through .30-06 and magnums such as 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum, plus the big .450 Marlin.

The Henry Long Ranger in brief

Henry's Long Ranger is a newer, narrower rifle. Henry lists it in four chamberings: .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, .243 Win, .308 Win/7.62x51 NATO and 6.5 Creedmoor. Each comes with or without iron sights. The 6.5 Creedmoor has a 22-inch barrel and a 1:8 twist; the others use 20-inch barrels.

The receiver is a hard-anodized aerospace alloy. The bolt is machined, chromed steel with a six-lug rotary head. The barrel is free-floated, the stock is two-piece American walnut with a 14-inch length of pull, and Henry lists the weight at 7 pounds. The magazine is a detachable, flush-fit, steel-bodied box with a steel floorplate and a release button on the right side of the receiver.

Head to head

Actions and safeties

Neither rifle has a crossbolt or tang safety, which surprises people coming from Marlins and modern Winchesters. That makes it worth understanding exactly how each one is designed to stay safe.

The BLR relies on its hammer. Browning's manual describes four hammer positions: full cock, half cock, folded forward and fired. The half-cock notch is there to catch a slipping hammer, and Browning is blunt that you should "never trust the half-cock hammer position to function as a 'safety.'" Folding the hammer forward moves it away from the firing pin, which Browning calls "merely an aid." The trigger is blocked until the lever is fully closed. Browning's carry advice is to keep the chamber empty, hammer at half cock and folded forward, and chamber a round only when a shot is imminent.

The Long Ranger uses an in-hammer sliding transfer bar. The rifle is designed to fire only when the hammer is fully cocked and the trigger is pulled. There is no manual button or slider to move. As with any exposed-hammer rifle, lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber is a two-hand, full-attention job; follow Henry's instructions exactly.

Calibers and ammunition

For most deer and pronghorn hunters, the overlap is the four Long Ranger calibers. If you want .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor, both rifles can do the job. If you want a magnum, a .30-06 or one of the less common chamberings, the BLR is the only one of the two that offers it.

Both rifles take pointed bullets. That opens up the whole shelf of modern hunting loads in lever-friendly cartridges instead of the flat-nose and soft-tip loads tube guns need. Stock up in the .308 Winchester ammo section or the 6.5 Creedmoor aisle, and use only the cartridge stamped on your barrel.

Scopes, sights and handling

Both rifles are built for glass. Browning's receiver is drilled and tapped for optics mounts; Henry's top is drilled and tapped too, and unsighted Long Rangers include a scope mount while sighted ones use a Weaver 63B mount. The site's Long Ranger scope mounting guide covers ring height and eye relief on the Henry.

Handling comes down to weight and balance. Henry lists the Long Ranger at 7 pounds. BLR weights run from about 6.5 to 7.75 pounds by model, so a short-action BLR with a 20-inch barrel and an alloy receiver can be a slightly lighter rifle to carry up a ridge, while a long-action magnum will be heavier. Henry's 14-inch length of pull suits most adults; check BLR stock dimensions model by model.

The BLR's takedown versions are worth a look if you travel. Browning says they are "just as accurate and reliable as their unified counterparts" and easier to store and transport. Henry does not currently list a takedown Long Ranger.

Where to buy

Ammunition Depot did not list a Browning BLR when this was written, so check your local dealer or Browning's dealer locator for one. It does carry several Long Rangers, including the sighted Long Ranger .223/5.56 with sights and the sighted 6.5 Creedmoor. The full lever-action rifle section shows what else is in the store this week.

Who should buy which

Choose the Browning BLR if you want a magnum or a long-action cartridge in a lever gun, if a takedown rifle appeals, or if you value the trigger-travels-with-lever design. It is the more versatile platform, and its long production run means a deep used market.

Choose the Henry Long Ranger if one of its four calibers covers your hunting, you prefer a rifle built in the United States, and you like Henry's walnut-and-steel styling. It is a simpler choice with fewer variants to sort through.

Skip both if what you want is the classic tube-fed lever experience. For a brush gun in .30-30 or .45-70, a Henry or Marlin tube gun is a better fit.

Whichever you choose, store it unloaded and locked with magazines and ammunition kept separately.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

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