Browning BL-22
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.27 kg
- Introduced
- 1969
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Browning BL-22 is a lightweight lever-action rimfire rifle introduced in 1969 and still in production, chambered for interchangeable .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle. Its signature is an exceptionally short 33-degree lever throw that allows rapid cycling while the firing hand stays on the straight-grip walnut stock. Built by Miroku of Japan to Browning's specifications, it pairs a machined steel receiver and blued 20-inch barrel with a 15-round (.22 LR) tubular magazine. Long regarded as one of the best-built lever-action .22s available, it remains a benchmark plinking and small-game rifle.
The BL-22's defining feature is its 33-degree lever throw, among the shortest of any lever-action, letting a shooter cycle the action with two fingers without removing the hand from the grip. The design needs no half-cock notch, and its feed geometry is engineered so cycling does not deform the soft lead rimfire bullets.
Although Browning is an American brand with Belgian/FN heritage, the BL-22 has always been manufactured in Japan by Miroku. Tube capacity is 15 rounds of .22 LR, 17 of .22 Long, and 22 of .22 Short. Browning retained a machined steel receiver rather than an alloy one.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Browning Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1969
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Overall length
- 933 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.27 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Lever action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 15
- Magazine
- Tube
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 383 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 190 J
- Effective range
- 137 m
- Maximum range
- 1500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Short 33 degree lever throw- No half cock needed
- Does not damage ammunition when cycling
Tubular magazine accepts mixed short long lr
Grooved receiver for optics
Machined steel receiver
Straight grip stock
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 2.27 kg | 2.61 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 207 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 933 mm | 1016 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 228 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 508 mm | 547 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 231 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 15 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Browning BL-22
How much does the Browning BL-22 weigh?
The Browning BL-22 weighs 2.27 kg (5.00 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Browning BL-22?
The Browning BL-22 is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Browning BL-22 hold?
The Browning BL-22 holds 15 rounds, fed from a tube magazine.
How long is the Browning BL-22?
The Browning BL-22 is 933 mm (36.7 in) long overall, with a 508 mm (20.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Browning BL-22?
The Browning BL-22 is made by Browning Arms Company (United States). It was designed by Browning Arms Company.
When was the Browning BL-22 introduced?
The Browning BL-22 was introduced in 1969.
How does the Browning BL-22 operate?
The Browning BL-22 uses a lever action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian sport shooters and small-game hunters
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/browning-bl-22' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "browning-bl-22", "name": "Browning BL-22", "manufacturer": { "id": "browning", "name": "Browning Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1878, "website": "https://www.browning.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "5d8cf4fb4b938ebaed9e76da3c57ad4cd9f27d22ee35d8b2265942435fbb875c" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1969, "barrel_length_mm": 508, "weight_empty_g": 2268, "action_type": "lever_action"}