GPR 2nd time

[ebiggs1]

The 2nd outing with the GPR 54 cal was only slightly better than the first. The first time out it flashed three times in ten shots. Determining that the flash hole liner was less than ideal at under a 1/16th inch I drilled it out with a #50 drill and coned the face.

I still got one flash in twenty shots but I had to use two flints to get the 20 shots. One Rich Pierce and a Tom Fuller. I am using the exact same procedures that I use with my TC Hawken. It gets 50-60 shots per flint and I can’t remember the last time it just flashed. It seems that the flint on the GPR strikes the frizzen lower that the TC does.

The locks look similar so I am assuming they would respond similarly. I cleaned the gun and put another flint in with the bevel down this time (I usually have the bevel up.) I flashed it 20 times with just 4f in the pan (unloaded) and it flashed every time. Plus bevel up has the flint striking higher up on the frizzen.

The twenty strikes have the flint pretty dull but it can be knapped since it is only a 1/16th from the frizzen. Any GPR guys here with suggestions?
Man I feel like I am learning all over again.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

I'm no expert and perhaps the camara angle distorts but is the touch hole a bit high? Just an untrained observation... :hmm:

John

 

[rafterob]

Looks like that flint is backwards, but that has no bearing on "flash in the pan". From what you have said in previous posts, this is what I would suggest to help insure firing. 1) use fffg for main charge. 2) After pouring in powder, tap butt on ground a few times. 3) Pick the vent hole each time. Some have better luck by leaving the vent pick in while loading the rifle and then removing it just prior to priming the pan. 4) Avoid excessive swabbing. Only swab the bore with a damp patch, followed by a dry patch, when loading gets sticky. Follow these steps and there should be no reason your rifle does not fire when the pan goes off. You could also try a duplex load by first adding 5-10 grains of ffff in the barrel and then adding the remainder of ffg or fffg. That should really not be necessary though. There are numerous posts about avoiding clogging the patent breech that results from excessive swabbing, if you feel that is a potential issue. Even in the best firing flintlocks, an occcaisional flash in the pan is not uncommon but is rare.

 

[ebiggs1]

You may have a point. But it doesn't seem to be much different than my TC Hawken. I know the camera angle can be deceiving.

I am wondering if the GPR has the same problem that TC had with the old style cock? It sure looks like an old TC cock.

 

[ebiggs1]

Do you think there is that much difference between the GPR and my TC Hawken?
I am using 70 grs of 3f GOEX and 4f in the pan with both guns. I never pick the vent and I don’t swab the bore in the TC between shots, so I didn’t in the GPR either. The TC has got around 1000 shots on it this winter and I can’t remember the last time it didn’t fire.
After my initial start up with flintlocks, that is. I didn’t think it would ever work. I guess it shows how much you DON’T know when you think you do.

 

[Canuck Bob]

I'm a greenhorn but is there any chance your breech is dirty or bridged with fouling. I realize your experienced and am not being insulting but sometimes my biggest oversights are the obvious ones.

 

[mr.flintlock]

This is a shot in the dark but is it possible that you have a bad can of powder? A couple of months ago I participated in a match. I was using a custom 45 cal rifle that I built for use in our monthly shooting matches. Now this rifle has been shot a couple of thousand times and has never failed me.

At the January match I fired my first shot with no problem. The second shot flashed in the pan. I picked out the touch hole and it fired ok. To make a long story short This went on through out the first half of the match. After pulling the vent liner I noticed a lot of white ash at the breach that had built up preventing the main powder charge from reaching the vent. I also noticed that there was a heavy buildup of this white ash in the pan.

I never finished the match and went home and cleaned my rifle. I took a new can of powder to the Feburary match.( and a spare rifle) The rifle performed as iit should have with no misfires.

In the January match I was using a can of powder that I used all of hunting season and the only thing I can figure is that it became contaminated some how.

If I were you I would start with a new can of powder.Also, I would shoot some of your old powder in your Thompson Hawkin and see if it mis-fires.

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany!

I'm a bit irritated about the lock plate. The GPR lock plate hasn't these engravings and is more plain. To me the complete rifle looks more like a normal Investarm Hawken.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[fyrfyter43]

When I first got my GPR I had some trouble getting it to light off reliably. I got an RMC vent liner and that was the end of the problems.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I've been shooting my .54 GPR flinter for over three years now. I also turned my flint over and use it bevel down. I drilled my vent liner to 5/64th" and coned it. I pick the vent everytime. My favorite load is .530 ball, pillow ticking patch lubed with Ballistol oil and 80 grains of FFg Goex. I normally use FFFFg for prime, but on humid days or while hunting I'll use FFFg. It works just as good. Mine will shoot first time, every time. Hang in there :thumbsup:

 

[ebiggs1]

I must bow to your knowledge, as this is my first Lyman. Here is what is on the barrel. What do you think?

 

[ebiggs1]

Actually it is funny you would bring that up. That is what I suspect was my biggest problem when I started shooting flintlocks. But the can I had was years old as I had used it in my cap lock. I stopped shooting it for several years. But this current can, which is recently purchased, has been shot in my TC Hawken with good results. This is what the gun looked like when I was through shooting today, about 15 shots, no cleaning.

 

[ebiggs1]

Great minds must think alike! I drilled the Lyman touchhole liner out to 5/64th today. I didn’t cone it however. I need to get an RMC liner. I also, accidentally found out it likes the pan more full than my TC Hawken does. It shot well with the bigger touchhole and a full pan.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have the GPR shooting pretty good although it still seems to be hard on flints. Anyway I started to work on a load for it. Here is what the patches looked like. The gun seems to shoot right where you point it.
I tried 70 grs of 3f with .018 pillow patch and Bore Butter. I also tried 90 grs thinking it might be a better hunting load.

This gun likes a full pan and it wants to be clean.

 

[Trench]

I have no idea if this has anything to do with it, but your lock looks really dirty after those 20 shots. Do you wipe your pan, frizzen, and flint after every shot? A moist thumb in those areas followed up by a rag tucked in your belt keeps that area clean and better sparking.

 

[Darkgael]

FWIW - GPR both a .50 and a .54 barrel. As you noted about your Hawken, I don't remember the last time the gun didn't fire. I pretty much always use the same load in the .50 - 90 grs. FFg and about 1/3 to 1/2 a pan of FFFFg. I always pick the vent - always. I swab with an alcohol patch after every shot.
I've been using Tom Fuller flints. From what I can see looking at the marks on your frizzen, mine hits at the same place.
Pete

 

[cmdrted]

I agree with the suggestions so far, the rmc vent liner stopped one out 25 misfires. Also have a look inside the barrel where the vent hole gets screwed in. Sometimes a burr can block the flash charge from going in and igniting the load. That's something no vent liner can fix.

 

[excess650]

I think the touch hole liner to be in about the right location. The difference between the one in the TC and the Lyman is the TC is coned on the outside as well as the inside.

My .58 with Chambers lock and White Lightnin' liner was a bit slow until I opened it up from .050" to .062". It fires every time, and doesn't need picked between shots. I'm using Tom Fuller flints and ffg Goex.

You may have found a solution in increasing the amount of priming powder. Coning the outside may help.

You might try setting your flint further from the frizzen to see if it lessens the flint wear. Does the Lyman seem to need more pressure to open the frizzen vs the TC?

As for your patches, some of them are obviously blown. I found that changing to a stiffer patch lube helped considerably in this regard provided the patch material was thick enough already.

 

[ebiggs1]

I agree with you. This gun likes to be clean. I don't usually do anything to my TC Hawken and that was the same practice I was following with the GPR.

 

[ebiggs1]

Now you have a point I did not think about. The 'outside' of the gun was pretty unfinished. I mean there were lots of sharp and sloppy maching areas. It is concievable there is some inside the breech also.