GM recall ref incorrect caplock nipple & threads

[roundball]

Received this Email today from Rick Sanborn, Product Manager at Green Mountain Barrel Co:
===========================================
Hey Bill, just an FYI, after getting a bit of down time over Christmas I decided to revisit this issue when I got back on Monday.
I had Kerry start to issue a recall on these barrels.
We were able to establish when the box of nipples came in and find out what serial numbers they went on.
She'll put a note up on the web site and contact our dealers to inform them.
Like I noted before, on the barrels we pulled from stock with the wrong nipple, we pulled the nipple and inspected the threads with go-no go pins & go-no go gages.
Many showed no visible damage and passed all gage checks. The ones with the 1/4-28 threads that were made on the tight side showed some damage and those will have to have the breach plugs yanked off and replaced.
We're waiting on a new shipment of nipples now.
I like this barrel line, especially my pet project "Sharpshooter" but based on where the company is and our current focus, I'll probably cut most if not all of these from production. Time will tell.
We'll get through this latest gaff and make a decision from there.
Thanks for all your support and bringing this to my attention (again).

Hope you have a good New year.
Cheers,
Rick

 

[roundball]

MY REPLY TO RICK:
=================================================
Good morning Rick...many thanks for considering me with this update...as tough of a financial pill as it is to correct any little escape after the fact, I agree with you that its the right thing to do and I applaud the tough decision. And as in the past, I'll post your Email about the caplock nipple decision on the Internet forums where the related discussions have been taking place...the news will be well received and this will help start spreading it around for you.

I understand from a P&L point of view that businesses have to do what they have to do of course...and while the traditional muzzleloading segment is not what keeps GM in business by any stretch of the imagination, GM IBS barrels are very favorably viewed by many of us in that marget segment and I / we sure hope you can decide in favor of keeping the IBS line alive.
In particular, some more .54cal & .62cal smoothbores...and .54cal rifled barrels...plus additional emphasis on Flint versions for at least the most common IBS offerings, or expanded accommodations to convert exsisting caplock stock in inventory to Flint on an occasional individual request basis.

One other thought...it seems to me that the number of large active Internet traditional muzzleloading forums now in operation, with their world wide participation, and their total focus on traditional muzzleloading would offer GM a very unique, specifically targetted outlet for IBS planning and manufacturing.
It seems like forum owners would be willing to accommodate some sort of an announcement and/or data collection poll for you to gauge the level of interest in various IBS barrels so you could better plan some special runs and minimize on hand inventory...you could require prepayment when you decide to commit the build process, or at least a sizeable down payment, to eliminate risk of ending up with significant on hand inventory.

If you'll let me know what you think about that, I'll be glad to get you in touch with the forum owner of the MLF (The Muzzleloading Forum) as one starting point...the largest most active Traditional Muzzleloading Forum on the Internet.

Look forward to hearing from you...thanks a lot, Bill

 

[nw_hunter]

"THANKS" for posting that information Bill!
And :hatsoff: for doing what you can to keep traditional muzzle loading alive and well.

 

[wtilenw]

Sounds like a nice way of saying that the IBS is not worth the hassle to them. It looks like we may be looking to another source to put together the IBS type barrels from parts. I'm sure that will put them over the 200.00 mark. That is really too bad.

 

[jtmattison]

Thanks for the info roundball.

I'd like to see them produce a line of IBS barrels for Lyman rifles. If nothing else, just the GPR.

I know there were some made for TOTW but a full line of barrels in different calibers smooth and rifled would sell like hotcakes.

HD

 

[oldarmy]

I think the problem is that.
People think they are a "drop in replacement"
Thomson has been making their Hawken and other models for many years and they have made changes to the stocks... add manufacturing tolerances.
Years ago, most people didn't mind having to do some minor fitting to get them to fit right.
Now, if it doesn't fit 100% right..
It's call up GM and complain.
With their current demand and work load.
Who needs the hassle??
JM2CENTS

 

[roundball]

Plus...in the big picture of the barrel world, traditional ML interest is just not where the rest of the country is at...very little interest. Then figure within that little traditional market segment is an even smaller niche market of T/C users...then of those few T/C users, how many even know about or want different drop-in barrels that GM makes, etc.

Perfect Example:

Four years ago GM made a special run of 48 drop-in barrels for a T/C Hawken stock...they were 1" x 33" .62cal/.20ga Flint smoothbore barrels.
I own 4 of the 48, yet in spite of numbers of posts that I personally made about them...after three years, they finally reduced the price of the last dozen barrels to $100 in a clearance sale in order to get rid of them...no demand...couldn't even sell more than 36 of them in 4 years...not a very good ROI when stuff lays on shelves for years at a time.
Same with a couple dozen left over .54cal Flint smoothbore barrels...had to price tham at $100 just to get rid of them.

I'm pretty sure if the market segment was big enough to play in, GM would stay right in it if there was profit to be made...but its apparently not and unless they're willing to start utilizing the Internet, getting creative by polling and taking orders through Forums like this one, I believe we'll all see the IBS line dropped completely in the very near future.

 

[jtmattison]

Same with a couple dozen left over .54cal Flint smoothbore barrels...had to price tham at $100 just to get rid of them.

Wish I'd known. I'd have bought one and maybe converted it to percussion with a mule ear lock.

HD

 

[Robert58]

Same with a couple dozen left over .54cal Flint smoothbore barrels...had to price tham at $100 just to get rid of them.

Wish I'd known. I'd have bought one and maybe converted it to percussion with a mule ear lock.

HD

GM still has 15/16" 54 percussion smoothbore barrels, blued, 32", on their website for $100.00
http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/productdetail.aspx?id=910155

Robert

 

[sjf]

What gauge would a .54 smooth bore be concidered?

 

[wtilenw]

What gauge would a .54 smooth bore be concidered?

I think it's 28 gauge.

 

[roundball]

That it is...and...if they do have a few of those .54cal smoothbore caplocks left for $100, which is a steal of a price...for those who wish they had a GM .54cal rifle barrel, buy one of those for $100, and have Ed Rayl in Gassaway West Va add the rifling for $65 and you're all set for less than a GM .54cal rifled barrel would have cost in the first place.

I had Ed add .012" x 1:72" rifling to one of those $100 .62cal Flint smoothbore barrels and its just outstanding...

 

[Keppy]

I just bought one of the .54 smoothbore barrel from GM. Great buy. The only down side, with the one got the bore measures .537. Pretty small for a .54cal IMO. But it fit my Cabela's (style) Hawken with a little fitting. I'm sure its going to be a great shooter.

 

[Robert58]

I just bought one of the .54 smoothbore barrel from GM. Great buy. The only down side, with the one got the bore measures .537. Pretty small for a .54cal IMO. But it fit my Cabela's (style) Hawken with a little fitting. I'm sure its going to be a great shooter.

I don't know what the machining tolerances are on a smoothbore muzzzleloader barrel, but .537 is only .003 under nominal bore size.

Robert

 

[Keppy]

I have .527 ball and its pretty hard to load. I have some .520 and they load good. The other 54cal rifled barrel I had, the .527 loaded and shot great.

 

[Keppy]

Bill
Thanks for the post. :hatsoff:

 

[oldarmy]

I was a production planner for a while.. In a different world..era...
The laws in this country are just plain stupid.
GM makes 300 of the .62 cal smooth bore barrels in 2008,,stocks them expecting to sell 100 a year..
They have to..BY LAW.. Write off the value of the barrels at fixed percentage rate. Depending on sales.
So after a few years.. the barrels have ..NO VALUE :rotf: :surrender:
The Italians,Spanish and other just aren't that stupid.
As far as an under sized barrel.
I have seen that on makers as well.
GM should include a bullet mold with their barrels :hmm:

 

[oldarmy]

AS a side note,
I want to order the parts for my next building project.
Being from NH and living close to the GM plant.
My first choice of barrels is a swamped 50 or 54 GM product.
Even though it's more expensive and doesn't come with a "fitted" breech plug.
I am having a hard time finding one.
Rick tells me they don't make allot of money on them, production runs are small, with set-up costs, etc. With his current work load.?????