Any Browning BLR serial number experts in the house ??

[SJ Shooter 10]

I have been doing some research on older Browning serial numbers for BLR's specifically. Everything from books I bought, the internet and including the Browning website seems to be backwards.. They all state that in 69 - 75 the serial numbers were YY K and serial # staring with 1000. Example. 69K1000... Mine is a number lower than 1000 and in reverse. XXXK69. Just looking to see if anyone has seen this before. I am curious to see if this is a rare gun or a pre assemble run gun. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Parker 213]

http://www.midwestgu...r-rifle-history

 

http://proofhouse.co...ning/index.html

&

http://proofhouse.co..._dating_sys.htm

 

 

Is yours a unique chambering? If you have a "K," I'll assume you have an early Belgium gun.

[SJ Shooter 10]

Its chambered in .308.. Yes Belgium And thanks for that info as I have already seen all that. As you can see one site says they didnt start until 71. I have the historian at Browning also looking into it.

[Parker 213]

You may have an early '69 production gun. They did originate this model in 1969, but it didn't show up on our shores until 1971, or so they say. Early Belgium's were chambered in only .243 or .308.

[SJ Shooter 10]

That's what I have found out so far. The Browning historian called me back and cant find anything on that serial number. He claims the 250 production models were made in Cincinnati, OH. Were deemed unsafe and to be destroyed.. When they went to destroy about 40 were missing. Mine is 331 so I find that the info out there about starting at 1000 and the reversal of the documented serial numbers very unique.

 

As I never had plans to sell the gun as it was my dads and I want to pass it to my little brother one day. What makes me wonder is there was . 243 also that my other brother got when my dad passed and he sold it.. We may never know if it was a matching gun or a low serial number like this one.