Advice on what gun to buy

[jirusse]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Your comments really helped me focus on what I wanted, which turned out to be "having some fun". I ordered a Lyman GPR flintlock in .50 caliber. The price was right and it has a great look to it.

I can go to the range and pretend to be an old timer and feel the connection to history that I think we all seek.

I don't think I am the kind of guy who will ever re-inact and try to get everything I carry or wear to be period-perfect. If it turns out that I want to try something like that, I will buy (or build) a custom gun.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Your comments really helped me focus on what I wanted, which turned out to be "having some fun". I ordered a Lyman GPR flintlock in .50 caliber. The price was right and it has a great look to it.

I can go to the range and pretend to be an old timer and feel the connection to history that I think we all seek.

I don't think I am the kind of guy who will ever re-inact and try to get everything I carry or wear to be period-perfect. If it turns out that I want to try something like that, I will buy (or build) a custom gun.

Thanks again for all the advice.

You made a sound choice with the .50 cal GPR. Mine is a lefthanded flint and is easy to handle.

First order of business is to disassemble it upon delivery and clean up the lock and trigger. RE-lube with 3 in 1 oil or any light oil. Only oil the friction points.

Next, scrub out the barrel. The factory grease needs a good solvent to completely remove it, and carburetor cleaner works great. Be sure to remove the touch hole liner, too, and to use a .22 rod tip with a large patch on it to get into the reduced diameter patent breech area.

You can use ball lube or any grease to lightly coat the threads of the touch hole liner for reinstallation. For now, shoot it as-is; you can enlarge the hole later. Using a #52 drill bit at .064", mine is just right. It varies from rifle to rifle, so start out smaller and gradually increase, just to be safe.

Lyman loks work fine if you keep them clean and lightly oiled, and once they are broken in they're plenty smooth. I've never seen any merit in replacing any of mine yet.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I think you made a good choice. Have fun on the range, use black powder and keep the gun clean. You should do just fine.

 

[Cowboy2]

Like was stated above, Lyman uses some sort of bombproof preservative on the barrel, and it won't shoot well until that manure is all gone. Break cleaner, a osso nylon bristle brush, and a lot of patches did it for me. If I were to do it again (I'm thinking about adding a GPR caplock to the stable), I'd get a one caliber down jag and scrub it really well with a patch size section of green scotch cleaning pad. That would also smooth out any roughness in the barrel and cut down on its break in period.
Personally, I'd go ahead and order a RCM liner just to have on hand. Some people have made the factory liner work, but mine never performed well, even after drilling it out and using a countersink to open things up a bit.
If you decide you don't like the trigger, the RE Davis Deerslayer is a great drop-in option. My factory trigger was okay, but the Deerslayer was certainly a step up. Sort of the difference between a nice pickup and a luxury car- both work fine, but there is a difference in how they handle.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I'm going to take a different slant to this and ask some questions;

What do you want the gun FOR? Hunting, (what game then which will dictate caliber?) target shooting, trecking, re-enacting, etc.
Make a list of what features you like best. Short and handy, robust looking, very long, slim, and graceful. Hooked butt or more shotgun shaped? Within those, then list what attributes you want.
Then finally what kind of decorations you like. Wooden patch boxes, 2-piece brass, 4 piece, pierced etc. Side opening, or back opening? Do you like carving? Raised or incised? Baroque or roccoco?

Once you have that all narrowed down then start investigating the various schools. Books are a really great resource, as is the web and places like Sitting Fox, Allen Martin, Track, Pecatonica River, The Rifle Shoppe (for much older styles), Tip Curtis, etc. etc.

But the very best is to go Dixons, Friendship or to a Rondy and shoulder a whole bunch of guns to see what you like best. Pictures are great, but they only go so far.

Of course, intrinsic in all of this is how SOON do you want it, and what is your budget. Just remember, you only pay for quality once. You pay for cheap stuff every time you use it.

 

[jirusse]

:grin: Guys, I appreciate all the wonderful advice. I just received a brand-new Lyman GPR flintlock in the mail! It's a beautiful rifle and the lock seems to throw sparks pretty well.

I cleaned all the grease out of the barrel and action and re-lubed it. I see what everyone was talking about. That Lyman grease is more like varnish than grease, but I think I got it all.

I'm all set for my first day on the range tomorrow.

Thanks to you all. You were very helpful in making a choice.

 

[MSW]

bwa ha ha ha ha mad scientist laugh) ...

another one turned to the dark side!

congratulations on your new rifle ... after you figure it out, you will have a boatload of fun and you'll be surprised how accurate these things really are.

this site has a wealth of information and helpful folks - don't hesitate to post if you have a problem. what might now appear insurmountable and inscrutable will later be forehead- slapper simple.

make good smoke!

(psst ... should we tell him about the little gadgets and doo- hickeys he can't live without, and how he'll be getting all excited about little bits of sharp rock, and how his co- workers will start to talk about him in hushed tones around the water cooler? ... nah, that's for later)

:rotf:

 

[William O.]

How did your trip to the range go?

 

[Col. Batguano]

If the grease is like dried cosmoline you might have to go after it with carburator cleaner, or acetone. Just make sure to do it outdoors.