Bending GPR Buttplate

[William Joy]

Just got my Lyman GPR percussion rifle. I am planning to staighten the buttplate quite a bit. Any advice in bending it? Never worked on a Lyman before..... Thanks!!

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

You will most likely ruin the finish by straightning the butt plate.

I would anneal the butt plate to a dull red and cool slowly, chuck up the butt plate in a vise between a couple blocks of hardwood and work it slowly to the desired shape.

 

[William Joy]

sorry.... it's a kit...

 

[Birddog6]

Why not contact Lyman and ask them to replace it ? If it was received bent, it was received defective. :hmm:

 

[BadHorse]

why do you want to straighten your but plate?

karwelis

 

[Oldnamvet]

I think what he wants is what some others have done. They took some of the curve out of the crescent butt profile of the stock to make it more friendly to use on their shoulder. The way it is designed, you fire more off your bicep than your shoulder. Left as is and fired from the shoulder, the sharp profile can be very uncomfortable.

 

[J.D.]

I think what he wants is what some others have done. They took some of the curve out of the crescent butt profile of the stock to make it more friendly to use on their shoulder. The way it is designed, you fire more off your bicep than your shoulder. Left as is and fired from the shoulder, the sharp profile can be very uncomfortable.

Then don't fire it off the shoulder. It is made to fire off of the bicep and that is where is should go. It won't hurt you unless you try to fire heavy charges of powder behind a heavy conical bullet, but so will the rifles shot off of the shoulder.

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

The metal is quite soft and bends easily in a good vice. The trick is to do it in stages so you don't end up with a wrinkle on the convex side. I doesn't take much to improve the shootability of it and less than the bottom 1/2 will need to be bent to accomplish that. Plan ahead as far as were to cut off the excess ( the back of the buttplate will be hollowed out a bit there ) and remember, when you bend it, you will need to move the toeplate forward to adjust for the new curve. You can then shape the end of the toeplate to match the curved base of the buttplate.

 

[Goldhunter]

I think what he wants is what some others have done. They took some of the curve out of the crescent butt profile of the stock to make it more friendly to use on their shoulder. The way it is designed, you fire more off your bicep than your shoulder. Left as is and fired from the shoulder, the sharp profile can be very uncomfortable.

I bent and shortened mine not to make it more shootable or change where it is placed. I bent and shortened mine because I didn't like it. I like the looks of it bent and shorter better.

The bottom 2" bend easily. Just clamped it in the vise and slowly bent it to where I wanted it. Took probably about a half inch off the point on the stock. It's not quite as pronounced now.

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

Yup - that's how it's done :thumbsup:

 

[William Joy]

THanks guy's! Got it bent - like it way more now!!