For some reason the more I read on this forum the more I want a Lyman GPR. I've like the looks of this rifle for awhile except for the sharp toe in the stock its about perfect. I was thinking if I got the kit I could change it to something less severe. I would probably have to swap buttplates but thats not an issue.
To find out how big of an issue this is, I measured my GPR butt plate and then got out my Track of the Wolf catalog.
For those unfamiliar with that catalog, one of the good things it offers is Full Size photos of their products.
My idea was to find a butt plate that could fit the existing cutout in the top of the stock but had a flatter shape to it.
Of the many plates they offer, none of the flat plate styles except one came close to fitting.
This one, is much wider and longer than the GPR stock, and I have found there is a limit to how much you can reduce the width and length. This is because the plates usually have a hollow area inside and if you thin or shorten it too much, you will end up cutting into this hollow.
Needless to say, getting a good "fit" with the wood is difficult at best when mating with a hollow area. Yes, you can refile a new flat surface to mate with the wood, but this is more work than most of us would like to do.
I did find a butt plate which was just about right in all directions. This is their #BP-Hawk_SL-1 which the catalog lists at about $17. This is a steel plate.
Unfortunatly, its shape is almost exactly the same as the butt plate on my GPR. :shocking:
Of course, you can also get another butt plate directly from Lyman for about $34 if you follow this link.
Lyman GPR PARTS
The reason I mention buying another butt plate is you may mess up the one you have if you try my idea.
It looks to me like the plan is to remove the existing plate and carefully hammer the deeply curved face to a flatter shape.
Do this shaping slowly and compare the shape against your minds eye to see if it is becoming more like what you want.
Also check for twists that may develop as you bend it and correct these as they occure.
If you succeed in straightening it out and it looks like what you want then lightly scribe the new shape on the stock and start the job of removing the wood to match your new plate.
If you break the plate with your "straightening", refer to the sources above. Just remember: Don't remove any wood until you get the plate shaped like you want.
As long as you haven't removed any wood, you can always replace the broken plate with a new one and chalk it up to a good idea gone bad. ::
eace:
