Think it’s ready, .54 GPR

Other than scoping the bore, have gone over the gun with a fine tooth comb.
1. Barrel wedges were in from the off side, switched them to the lock side. Tried fliping them over, changing slots, they have to be tapped in or out. Will fix after deer season, finish inletting so the estutcheons are flat.
2. Entry pipe wiggles when the rod is out. Will repin with larger rod stock, factory pins are tiny.
3. Nose cap sits 1/16” forward of the stock end, yet the leading edges are perfectly flush with the reliefs. My TC Hawken is worse. Epoxy fill the gap?
4. All cut outs are stained, but unfinished. Wood hardener followed by some kind of oil varnish, and a heavy coating of wax to prtect the components?
5. Prefabbed 15 “stitched” PRB, cotton patch, T17, .530 ball, top “tied” via wrapped thread. Saw some in a local museum, decided to see if it works.
6. Popped several standard CCI #10 caps, nipple is clean and clear, hammer alignment is good.

This is a factory finished gun. Fit is terrible, lots of proud wood, a bit of proud metal. Range day planned for next Monday. Any must do before hand you can point out?

SeaBee133 said:

Other than scoping the bore, have gone over the gun with a fine tooth comb.
1. Barrel wedges were in from the off side, switched them to the lock side. Tried fliping them over, changing slots, they have to be tapped in or out. Will fix after deer season, finish inletting so the estutcheons are flat.
2. Entry pipe wiggles when the rod is out. Will repin with larger rod stock, factory pins are tiny.
3. Nose cap sits 1/16” forward of the stock end, yet the leading edges are perfectly flush with the reliefs. My TC Hawken is worse. Epoxy fill the gap?
4. All cut outs are stained, but unfinished. Wood hardener followed by some kind of oil varnish, and a heavy coating of wax to prtect the components?
5. Prefabbed 15 “stitched” PRB, cotton patch, T17, .530 ball, top “tied” via wrapped thread. Saw some in a local museum, decided to see if it works.
6. Popped several standard CCI #10 caps, nipple is clean and clear, hammer alignment is good.

This is a factory finished gun. Fit is terrible, lots of proud wood, a bit of proud metal. Range day planned for next Monday. Any must do before hand you can point out?

Click to expand...

1. Note that the forward key is ever so slightly shorter than the rear. They should fit such that they won't slide out easily but shouldn't require pounding to get them in or out. The solution is to lay the keys on the bench and lightly tap them with a ball peen hammer. Very lightly! Fiddle with them till they fit right and note that once they do they will have an "up" side.

Be very cautious with the escutcheon screws. They are notorious for breaking when only slightly over tightened.

2. & 3. More notorious features of those guns. Might be simpler to fill the pin holes and re- drill them. That would make a good fit on the nose cap without any epoxy line.

4. Probably not necessary, but carefully applied wood hardener is a good idea.

5. Never tried the tied on patch thing. I think it historically was a military thing. Since you already have them done, you should try them but plan to try the more conventional methods too.

As for range day, I don't know how you are equipped now so have no advice on that.

Plan to inspect your fired patches. With that gun they will almost certainly be sliced and diced. Changing lube, patch material, ball size, etc., won't solve the problem. Resolve to condition the muzzle crown and bore. The forum is awash in "how-to".

The rifle is 34 years old. I’d bet it has less than 100 loads through it. Last time I shot it was in 2023, when my riding buddy still owned it. Tack driver, from 20-120yds.
If I fill and redrill, won’t I have to lengthen the nose cap stock reliefs? Those are a nearly perfect fit to the cap itself.
Military load? Eh, just to satisfy my curiosity. A bit of load work up, 3F Swiss with standard caps, 3F Triple 7 with magnum caps. “Sewn” and conventional loads.
My range days are on my hobby farm. Trees are spaced 60’ on center, shots into a log backed target holder. Shoot & See targets, saves some walking, both knees and one hip are trashed. Plan to do a 5 shot string of both powders and patching styles. 80gr and 100gr charge, T17 1000+ lube, Hornady swaged .530 and 100% cotton patch. Rifle has unmolested stock sights.

SeaBee133 said:

The rifle is 34 years old. I’d bet it has less than 100 loads through it. Last time I shot it was in 2023, when my riding buddy still owned it. Tack driver, from 20-120yds.
If I fill and redrill, won’t I have to lengthen the nose cap stock reliefs? Those are a nearly perfect fit to the cap itself.
Military load? Eh, just to satisfy my curiosity. A bit of load work up, 3F Swiss with standard caps, 3F Triple 7 with magnum caps. “Sewn” and conventional loads.
My range days are on my hobby farm. Trees are spaced 60’ on center, shots into a log backed target holder. Shoot & See targets, saves some walking, both knees and one hip are trashed. Plan to do a 5 shot string of both powders and patching styles. 80gr and 100gr charge, T17 1000+ lube, Hornady swaged .530 and 100% cotton patch. Rifle has unmolested stock sights.

Click to expand...

2013, not 2023, he passed 3-2-23.

A couple of pictures may assist in answering a couple of questions, especially related to nose cap. And what brand/model rifle is this. I'm seeing percussion caps, but a little more info may help.

Sorry I see "GPR" in title, Lyman then?

CuNosecap said:

Sorry I see "GPR" in title, Lyman then?

Click to expand...

Yes, 1990 date coded Lyman GPR. I’ll have to take it outside for any pictures.
In a nut shell, the wedge estucheons are lower then the wood up top, higher than the wood along their lower edges. Tang metal is lower than the surrounding wood. With the barrel pulled, there is 1/16 of an inch between the large bearing surface of the nose cap, and the stock end. Hairline crack behind the ramrod inlet pipe, and the pipe assembly “wiggles” in the wood.

Gun functions fine.

SeaBee133 said:

Plan to do a 5 shot string of both powders and patching styles.

Click to expand...

I'll be looking forward to the results. I've seen the wrapped balls mentioned but never seen results mentioned.

Regarding other issues; sometimes things are best left alone.

Bought my Lyman LH Perc. .54 GPR from senior Mr. Dixon him self, about 2004 at the shop.

longcruise said:

I'll be looking forward to the results. I've seen the wrapped balls mentioned but never seen results mentioned.

Click to expand...

I had never seen them, thought “Why not”? Something new to tinker with.

SeaBee133 said:

Other than scoping the bore, have gone over the gun with a fine tooth comb.
1. Barrel wedges were in from the off side, switched them to the lock side. Tried fliping them over, changing slots, they have to be tapped in or out. Will fix after deer season, finish inletting so the estutcheons are flat.
2. Entry pipe wiggles when the rod is out. Will repin with larger rod stock, factory pins are tiny.
3. Nose cap sits 1/16” forward of the stock end, yet the leading edges are perfectly flush with the reliefs. My TC Hawken is worse. Epoxy fill the gap?
4. All cut outs are stained, but unfinished. Wood hardener followed by some kind of oil varnish, and a heavy coating of wax to prtect the components?
5. Prefabbed 15 “stitched” PRB, cotton patch, T17, .530 ball, top “tied” via wrapped thread. Saw some in a local museum, decided to see if it works.
6. Popped several standard CCI #10 caps, nipple is clean and clear, hammer alignment is good.

This is a factory finished gun. Fit is terrible, lots of proud wood, a bit of proud metal. Range day planned for next Monday. Any must do before hand you can point out?

Click to expand...

SeaBee, IMO , there's nothing wrong with having to tap barrel wedges in or out. In fact, Id rather do so than to have them a little on the loose side. Also, it is recommended by some manufactures to open or close the notches in the barrel slots to accommodate/facilitate wedge install/removal if need be. In addition, as Crusier stated, there's two different sizes of wedges for the GPR. One is shorter than the other.

In terms of which side to insert the wedges through is recommended by some manufactures. However, I have had to install them from the other side on two different ML with no affects on anything.

There may or may not have been more out there, but yours is the first factory GPR that I've heard of with all the issues like yours has/had. Not that it matters, but are you certain that its not a kit rifle because it has the traits of being so. I have a 1990 model .54 GPR kit rifle and it does not, or did not, have all of those issues. Some but not all. It is picky on wedge alignment during install and I have had to work on that a little.

Mine is very accurate with a maximum load (90 grains) of 3F GOEX, .530 RB and .018 ticking lubed with TOTW Mink Oil. Holes touching from 75 yards if I do my part correctly.

Good luck.

Use #11 not #10 caps.

Grenadier1758 said:

Use #11 not #10 caps.

Click to expand...

Don’t fit… 10s go right on, seat fully. 11s are too little. Unless the tins were mismarked? CCI and Remington.

ETipp said:

SeaBee, IMO , there's nothing wrong with having to tap barrel wedges in or out. In fact, Id rather do so than to have them a little on the loose side. Also, it is recommended by some manufactures to open or close the notches in the barrel slots to accommodate/facilitate wedge install/removal if need be. In addition, as Crusier stated, there's two different sizes of wedges for the GPR. One is shorter than the other.

In terms of which side to insert the wedges through is recommended by some manufactures. However, I have had to install them from the other side on two different ML with no affects on anything.

There may or may not have been more out there, but yours is the first factory GPR that I've heard of with all the issues like yours has/had. Not that it matters, but are you certain that its not a kit rifle because it has the traits of being so. I have a 1990 model .54 GPR kit rifle and it does not, or did not, have all of those issues. Some but not all. It is picky on wedge alignment during install and I have had to work on that a little.

Mine is very accurate with a maximum load (90 grains) of 3F GOEX, .530 RB and .018 ticking lubed with TOTW Mink Oil. Holes touching from 75 yards if I do my part correctly.

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Rifle was an absolute tack driver the last time I shot it. 100gr of 2F, .530, commercial prelubed patches. It than sat in my friend’s gun cabinet for 10 years, untouched.
He always said that both it and the .50 TC were factory guns. He wasn’t a hunter or fisherman, rarely shot his modern CF EDCs. He’d gotten the rifles from a fellow deputy and corrections officer in the mid-90s.

SeaBee133 said:

Rifle was an absolute tack driver the last time I shot it. 100gr of 2F, .530, commercial prelubed patches. It than sat in my friend’s gun cabinet for 10 years, untouched.
He always said that both it and the .50 TC were factory guns. He wasn’t a hunter or fisherman, rarely shot his modern CF EDCs. He’d gotten the rifles from a fellow deputy and corrections officer in the mid-90s.

Click to expand...

I'd still bet a cup of coffee that it is a kit rifle. I have yet to hear of any Lyman GPR that went out the door in that condition. It has the traits of being a kit rifle.

The reason I posted what I did about the loads for the GPR was because every one that I have heard of will shoot very accurately with standard RB, max loads and and good patch material. I would, and do, avoid any subs or any prelubed patches. No need in anything special. GPR did have some issues with sharp edges on the riflings but that is easily rectified.

Also, if number 11's will not fit like they should, that means the nipple is bad or is the wrong size for the ML. Again, this might be indicative of a kit rifle. New replacement nipples only cost about $6.00 to $7.00 from Track of The Wolf. Its always a good idea to have at least one spare.

Good luck.

Pretty much as @ETipp states, the rifle almost certainly came with a #11 nipple. The #10 Remington caps have an opening almost the same diameter as the CCI #11 caps. The CCI caps have a shorter, thinner skirt than Remington caps, thus you are seeing more fragmentation with them. It is also quite possible that the nipple on @SeaBee133's rifle has been turned down to be more compatible with the #10 caps.

Remington caps have been difficult to find for the last couple of years and CCI #10 caps haven't been seen on many gun store shelves for a while.

I’ll try to get some photos Monday, have to work Sunday (corrections officer).
Barrel has all of the “word salad” and proofmarks of a factory assembled. My horse pistol kit just had caliber, but actual production date was unknown.
Thanks for the assists so far. Have had the rifle since 3/23, just now making time to get it hunting ready. Gave away my .30 moderns, except for an SKS I use for hog clearing. Have always preferred to use a BPCR or front stuffer.

Okay, pics time…

More…

Still more…