*COLLECTION OF TEN US MADE BROWNING BLR RIFLES.

*COLLECTION OF TEN US MADE BROWNING BLR RIFLES. In the early 1960’s Browning began searching for a design for a rifle to compete with the Winchester Model 94, under the Browning name. They contracted with a brilliant firearms designer, named Karl Lewis, to design for Browning such a rifle. In a short period of time, Mr. Lewis had perfected his design and produced a prototype rifle with 19-1/2″ round bbl, full magazine tube with a front band similar to a Winchester. It was designed with a flat side receiver and a loading gate in the bottom. The lever was 1-pc with integral trigger that moved with the lever. Mr. Lewis designed a round 1-pc solid rotating bolt specifically for this rifle. This bolt became a subsequent bone of contention between Browning and Lewis when Lewis wanted the patent rights to it. Browning simply redesigned the bolt into a 2-pc system and gave Lewis a cash settlement. The rifle was redesigned during its testing stage and the original sample has a 1/4″ spacer in placed at the rear of the ejection port. It also has other small modifications done to the right side of the receiver. Lewis’ original design has a heavy machined forearm band that is not reminiscent of anything previously known. Browning contracted with the TRW Corp. of Cleveland, OH to continue with design and production of this rifle. Over a two year period that Browning and TRW were working to perfect this design, it is estimated that all together only approximately 250 “MADE IN USA” Browning lever action rifles were ever made, although there were pieces and parts for possibly up to 400 more, in various stages. Of these, only about 50 were ever delivered to Browning for inspection. Just 16 of them were accepted with the remaining 34 rejected. Four of them were sent to FN for testing and pattern use, and subsequently returned to Browning. Three were sent to the Browning Arnold, MO facility. Two of the 16 were presented to the Browning R & D Historical Library and two were disposed of. The nine remaining rifles, including the four FN test rifles and the original Lewis pattern rifle, along with tubular magazine, remained at the Utah Facility until 1981 when FN bought Browning. At that time, the 34 rejected rifles were returned to PRW for re-work or disposal. The 9 remaining rifles were subsequently sold to a local gun dealer who offered them for public sale, along with to the original Karl Lewis rifle. These 10 rifles represent the only known legal sales of “MADE IN USA” Browning lever action rifles, although TRW made a number of presentations to executives and several were apparently obtained VIA the “LUNCHBOX SPECIAL” method. This lot is accompanied by a 7-page article by William G. Fohrman from the 1992 “GUN DIGEST”, giving great detail on the development and production of U.S. made Browning lever action rifles. 1) This rifle has an 8-5/16″ long “H”-style checkered forearm, straight stock with checkered wrist and an unusual cast aluminum buttplate. It also has a 1/2″ tack in the left side of the buttstock with the number “96” etched on it and it has a tiny sling swivel. There is the number “B7″ stamped on the bottom of the receiver, just forward of the loading port and that may be the SN. The right side of the receiver has a black and silver Browning property tag No. 1892. CONDITION: Excellent. Metal retains 96-98% strong original blue with a couple of touched up modifications on the right side of the receiver. The wood is sound and retains most of its original finish on the forearm while the buttstock finish has alligatored. Bright shiny bore. 2) SN 6K01001. This is the first production sample made at TRW in Cleveland, OH. It is in Cal. 243 with 20” tapered round bbl, ramp front sight and standard Browning rear sight. It has a flat sided checkered forearm and straight stock with checkered wrist and Browning waffle pad. It also has the early 1st-style American magazine with checkered side panels, still in the white. The right side of the bbl is marked with the SN, “MADE IN USA” and “PATENT PENDING”. CONDITION: Excellent. Retains about all of its original factory finish to both metal and wood with only minor handling and storage nicks and scratches. 3) SN 6K1002. Cal. 243. This is the 2nd production sample produced at TRW and is identical to #2 above, with the same dimensions and configuration. It also has the 1st-style magazine with checkered side panels and is blued. CONDITION: Excellent, plus. Retains about all its original factory finish to both metal and wood with only minor handling and storage nicks and scratches. 4). SN 6K01015. Cal. 243. This is a factory cut-away in the same configurations as #2 & #3 above with both sides cut away to expose the inner workings, probably not as a salesman display but as an engineering tool. The chamber is also cutaway and therefore, this is not to be considered a firearm. CONDITION: Excellent, as stated, retains most of its original factory finish with a cleaned area on the right side of the receiver and light freckling of rust on the left side. Fine wood with minor nicks and scratches. No magazine. 5) SN 6K01036. Cal. 308. Identical to #2 above with the same configuration. CONDITION: Appears to be new, unfired retaining about all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. Missing the magazine. 6) SN 6K01256. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above with the same configuration. CONDITION: Appears to be new, unfired retaining all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. Missing the magazine. 7) SN 6K01633. Cal. 308. Reported as an Fabrique Nationale (FN) tooling pattern rifle identical to #2 above with Belgian proofs on the left side of the receiver and bbl. It is apparently a rifle made at TRW and shipped to FN when Browning transferred the contract to them for production. CONDITION: As new, appears to be unfired retaining all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. 8) SN 6K02322. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above with Belgian proofs on the left side of the receiver and bbl. All the metal is completely in the white, never having been blued. This is another tooling pattern model sent to FN during the transition. CONDITION: Excellent. Probably unfired, retains most of its original bare metal finish. Fine wood with satin finish. 9) SN 6K02331. Cal. 308. FN tooling and test pattern rifle in the white. Apparently re-chambered and the bbl set back a slight turn with the number of strange holes drilled around the chamber area and another at the muzzle. CONDITION: Receiver is also in the white and is missing all of its internal parts. Wood is sound missing its buttplate, retains generous amounts of original varnish. 10) SN 6K02355. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above, another tooling pattern model with Belgian proofs, in the white, missing the rear sight. CONDITION: Bbl does not quite align. Fine wood, retaining most of its original varnish. A rare opportunity to own a collection of some of the most rare of all Browning firearms. The following are remarks personally prepared by the current owner of these prototypes. “BROWNING LEVER ACTION PROTOTYPES Sale of prototype firearms by any developer or manufacturer is essentially a thing of the past. There are two major reasons. First is the liability the developer or manufacturer risks today in selling experimental merchandise, regardless of disclaimer. Second is the tax law that allows the developer to donate the item to a tax exempt organization or foundation, such as a museum, with associated write-off well in excess of what could be expected by a retail sale. What began as an unfortunate turn for Browning Arms Company in the early ‘80s in having to sell their company to FN of Herstal, Belgium, becomes a stroke of good fortune for one who chooses to purchase this collection. You are not only purchasing all of the “legal” BLR development rifles FN forced Browning Arms Company to sell, you are purchasing evidence of the thought processes, the talents and the personalities of the engineers and technicians that eventually brought this rifle to production. For example, you can clearly see the numerous modifications to the initial “Lewis” pattern rifle necessary to prove its function. There are five (5) variations to the lever locking system alone among the remaining rifles. If one looks closely, number of other variants can be observed. Two of the rifles were tested to near oblivion to ensure durability of this revolutionary new rack and pinion action. Action parts were no doubt removed for further study. You can imagine the thousands of rounds required to increase headspace to the point that the barrels had to be trimmed and rechambered only to be shot to headspace limits again. There is the “cutaway” that was not made for sales people, but rather as an engineering model to study the operation of the new action. There are those rifles bearing Belgian proof marks. Finally there are the unfired models that include serial numbers “1” and “2” (number “3” resides in the Browning Arms vault). Further details can be found in the article about this collection in the 1992 Gun Digest. An opportunity to purchase a prototype collection of this completeness and as well documented as this is quite improbable. Opportunity knocks only once. As the discerning owner of this outstanding and important prototype collection, it will arguably be one of the most unique and satisfying investments you may ever make.” 4-47138 (15,000-30,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2002

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1558	$11,500.00	COLLECTION OF TEN US MADE BROWNING BLR RIFLES. In the early 1960’s Browning began searching for a design for a rifle to compete with the Winchester Model 94, under the Browning name. They contracted with a brilliant firearms designer, named Karl Lewis, to design for Browning such a rifle. In a short period of time, Mr. Lewis had perfected his design and produced a prototype rifle with 19-1/2″ round bbl, full magazine tube with a front band similar to a Winchester. It was designed with a flat side receiver and a loading gate in the bottom. The lever was 1-pc with integral trigger that moved with the lever. Mr. Lewis designed a round 1-pc solid rotating bolt specifically for this rifle. This bolt became a subsequent bone of contention between Browning and Lewis when Lewis wanted the patent rights to it. Browning simply redesigned the bolt into a 2-pc system and gave Lewis a cash settlement. The rifle was redesigned during its testing stage and the original sample has a 1/4″ spacer in placed at the rear of the ejection port. It also has other small modifications done to the right side of the receiver. Lewis’ original design has a heavy machined forearm band that is not reminiscent of anything previously known. Browning contracted with the TRW Corp. of Cleveland, OH to continue with design and production of this rifle. Over a two year period that Browning and TRW were working to perfect this design, it is estimated that all together only approximately 250 “MADE IN USA” Browning lever action rifles were ever made, although there were pieces and parts for possibly up to 400 more, in various stages. Of these, only about 50 were ever delivered to Browning for inspection. Just 16 of them were accepted with the remaining 34 rejected. Four of them were sent to FN for testing and pattern use, and subsequently returned to Browning. Three were sent to the Browning Arnold, MO facility. Two of the 16 were presented to the Browning R & D Historical Library and two were disposed of. The nine remaining rifles, including the four FN test rifles and the original Lewis pattern rifle, along with tubular magazine, remained at the Utah Facility until 1981 when FN bought Browning. At that time, the 34 rejected rifles were returned to PRW for re-work or disposal. The 9 remaining rifles were subsequently sold to a local gun dealer who offered them for public sale, along with to the original Karl Lewis rifle. These 10 rifles represent the only known legal sales of “MADE IN USA” Browning lever action rifles, although TRW made a number of presentations to executives and several were apparently obtained VIA the “LUNCHBOX SPECIAL” method. This lot is accompanied by a 7-page article by William G. Fohrman from the 1992 “GUN DIGEST”, giving great detail on the development and production of U.S. made Browning lever action rifles. 1) This rifle has an 8-5/16″ long “H”-style checkered forearm, straight stock with checkered wrist and an unusual cast aluminum buttplate. It also has a 1/2″ tack in the left side of the buttstock with the number “96” etched on it and it has a tiny sling swivel. There is the number “B7″ stamped on the bottom of the receiver, just forward of the loading port and that may be the SN. The right side of the receiver has a black and silver Browning property tag No. 1892. CONDITION: Excellent. Metal retains 96-98% strong original blue with a couple of touched up modifications on the right side of the receiver. The wood is sound and retains most of its original finish on the forearm while the buttstock finish has alligatored. Bright shiny bore. 2) SN 6K01001. This is the first production sample made at TRW in Cleveland, OH. It is in Cal. 243 with 20” tapered round bbl, ramp front sight and standard Browning rear sight. It has a flat sided checkered forearm and straight stock with checkered wrist and Browning waffle pad. It also has the early 1st-style American magazine with checkered side panels, still in the white. The right side of the bbl is marked with the SN, “MADE IN USA” and “PATENT PENDING”. CONDITION: Excellent. Retains about all of its original factory finish to both metal and wood with only minor handling and storage nicks and scratches. 3) SN 6K1002. Cal. 243. This is the 2nd production sample produced at TRW and is identical to #2 above, with the same dimensions and configuration. It also has the 1st-style magazine with checkered side panels and is blued. CONDITION: Excellent, plus. Retains about all its original factory finish to both metal and wood with only minor handling and storage nicks and scratches. 4). SN 6K01015. Cal. 243. This is a factory cut-away in the same configurations as #2 & #3 above with both sides cut away to expose the inner workings, probably not as a salesman display but as an engineering tool. The chamber is also cutaway and therefore, this is not to be considered a firearm. CONDITION: Excellent, as stated, retains most of its original factory finish with a cleaned area on the right side of the receiver and light freckling of rust on the left side. Fine wood with minor nicks and scratches. No magazine. 5) SN 6K01036. Cal. 308. Identical to #2 above with the same configuration. CONDITION: Appears to be new, unfired retaining about all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. Missing the magazine. 6) SN 6K01256. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above with the same configuration. CONDITION: Appears to be new, unfired retaining all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. Missing the magazine. 7) SN 6K01633. Cal. 308. Reported as an Fabrique Nationale (FN) tooling pattern rifle identical to #2 above with Belgian proofs on the left side of the receiver and bbl. It is apparently a rifle made at TRW and shipped to FN when Browning transferred the contract to them for production. CONDITION: As new, appears to be unfired retaining all its original factory finish to both metal and wood. 8) SN 6K02322. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above with Belgian proofs on the left side of the receiver and bbl. All the metal is completely in the white, never having been blued. This is another tooling pattern model sent to FN during the transition. CONDITION: Excellent. Probably unfired, retains most of its original bare metal finish. Fine wood with satin finish. 9) SN 6K02331. Cal. 308. FN tooling and test pattern rifle in the white. Apparently re-chambered and the bbl set back a slight turn with the number of strange holes drilled around the chamber area and another at the muzzle. CONDITION: Receiver is also in the white and is missing all of its internal parts. Wood is sound missing its buttplate, retains generous amounts of original varnish. 10) SN 6K02355. Cal. 243. Identical to #2 above, another tooling pattern model with Belgian proofs, in the white, missing the rear sight. CONDITION: Bbl does not quite align. Fine wood, retaining most of its original varnish. A rare opportunity to own a collection of some of the most rare of all Browning firearms. The following are remarks personally prepared by the current owner of these prototypes. “BROWNING LEVER ACTION PROTOTYPES Sale of prototype firearms by any developer or manufacturer is essentially a thing of the past. There are two major reasons. First is the liability the developer or manufacturer risks today in selling experimental merchandise, regardless of disclaimer. Second is the tax law that allows the developer to donate the item to a tax exempt organization or foundation, such as a museum, with associated write-off well in excess of what could be expected by a retail sale. What began as an unfortunate turn for Browning Arms Company in the early ‘80s in having to sell their company to FN of Herstal, Belgium, becomes a stroke of good fortune for one who chooses to purchase this collection. You are not only purchasing all of the “legal” BLR development rifles FN forced Browning Arms Company to sell, you are purchasing evidence of the thought processes, the talents and the personalities of the engineers and technicians that eventually brought this rifle to production. For example, you can clearly see the numerous modifications to the initial “Lewis” pattern rifle necessary to prove its function. There are five (5) variations to the lever locking system alone among the remaining rifles. If one looks closely, number of other variants can be observed. Two of the rifles were tested to near oblivion to ensure durability of this revolutionary new rack and pinion action. Action parts were no doubt removed for further study. You can imagine the thousands of rounds required to increase headspace to the point that the barrels had to be trimmed and rechambered only to be shot to headspace limits again. There is the “cutaway” that was not made for sales people, but rather as an engineering model to study the operation of the new action. There are those rifles bearing Belgian proof marks. Finally there are the unfired models that include serial numbers “1” and “2” (number “3” resides in the Browning Arms vault). Further details can be found in the article about this collection in the 1992 Gun Digest. An opportunity to purchase a prototype collection of this completeness and as well documented as this is quite improbable. Opportunity knocks only once. As the discerning owner of this outstanding and important prototype collection, it will arguably be one of the most unique and satisfying investments you may ever make.” 4-47138 (15,000-30,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2002 Please Note:* All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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