Browning BLR Model 81 Short Action .358 Win Lever-Action Rifle, 20-Inch Barrel, Miroku Japan (1988)
This Browning BLR Model 81 Short Action is chambered in .358 Winchester with a 20-inch barrel and polished blue steel receiver. Built by Miroku in Japan in 1988, it features the BLR's geared rack-and-pinion lever system with a rotating multi-lug bolt, factory iron sights, and finely finished walnut furniture. The receiver is factory drilled and tapped with filler screws installed.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: Scuffs and scratches are present throughout. No magazine is provided.
What’s Included
- Browning BLR Model 81 Short Action lever-action rifle, .358 Win, 20-inch barrel
- No magazine included
The barrel is rollmarked "MODEL 81 BLR CALIBER 358 ONLY" with patent number 3,377,751, matching the chambering and series details provided. This example uses the short-action Model 81 pattern paired with a 20-inch .358 Winchester barrel.
The action uses Browning's geared rack-and-pinion lever that drives a rotating multi-lug bolt. It has an exposed hammer with spur, a standard small oval lever loop, and a gold-colored trigger that moves with the lever. The design employs a detachable flush-fit box magazine system.
The flat-sided steel receiver wears a polished blue finish with anti-glare serrations and comes factory drilled and tapped with filler screws installed. Overall fit and finish align with the Model 81's refined steel-receiver configuration.
Stocking includes high-gloss walnut with a pistol-grip stock and checkered wrist, a recoil pad, and a white-line spacer, paired to a matching walnut forend. Sighting is via a ramped front with brass bead and an adjustable barrel-mounted rear sight. A barrel band sits at the forend tip, and the front sling-swivel stud is installed in the underside of the forend just behind the band. Length of pull is 14.0 inches.
Manufactured by Miroku in Japan for Browning, serial coding indicates 1988 production and the Model 81 Short Action designation. Chambered in .358 Winchester, this configuration presents a classic BLR feature set with steel receiver construction and traditional iron sights.