Leman .32

[Hatcon]

Does anyone own or have shot a TVM Leman rifle in .32 or .36 . I am looking for personal experience as I am getting ready to order another rifle and would like some input.

 

[Bugflipper]

A friend of mine has one in 32. It is a very good rifle. Great fit and finish. Very, very accurate. His was a kit that he finished. I've heard mixed results from their finished rifles. Some folks say they are bad, some say excellent. Folks online claim it's luck of the draw, some of their builders are craftsmen and some amateurs. I don't know myself of their finished rifles, but helped him a little on some of the harder things with his kit and will say it had top notch materials and workmanship on their part.

 

[galamb]

You are asking a tough question there.

TVM's are semi-custom, it's not like asking about a GPR from Lyman with a specific barrel.

With TVM you have a couple/few barrel choices. How YOU have your rifle configured/built will have quite a bit to do with how it may shoot compared to another of exactly the same style from the same builder.

If you ask for a Rice barrel it will not shoot the same as if it has a Colerain, Rayl or Green Mountain, so anyone having one built that way will not be able to give you an apples to apples comparison.

It comes standard with a Siler Mountain lock from Chambers and double set triggers, both are superior to anything you will find "off the shelf".

Unless something really goes wrong with the build, a custom/semi-custom rifle will "always" outperform the shooter and "every" rifle is unique unto itself - it didn't come off a production line that was trying to clone one after the other...

 

[Hatcon]

I understand what you are saying as I currently own a early virginia from Matt. I was only looking for input to help me decide what options I might consider. Thanks

 

[galamb]

Well the lock is perfect and the triggers are fine, so you only need to select a barrel option - everything else is just "decoration" and will not affect the shoot-ability.

Since you are looking at a Leman, I would opt for the brass furniture and at the very least I would go the expense of adding a "capbox", it just looks better with one.

Leman's were often stocked with fairly plain maple, so if you are going for the historical look you can stick with that.

However, if you think you may sell this somewhere down the line, "tiger maple sells" so may be worth the premium.

 

[Billnpatti]

If a Rice barrel is on option, that is the barrel I would suggest. Secondly, if you have the option of getting a swamped barrel, I would suggest that as well. The gun balances better and looks better, too. As for wood, I would suggest the nicest you can afford. If you are going to put the work into it, you want to end up with a nice looking gun. Other than the choice of barrel and grade of wood, the rest of the parts are top drawer and will make you a very nice gun. A .32 is a nice squirrel and rabbit caliber. The .36 is similar but will buck the wind just a bit better. If you want a target rifle, I would suggest a .40 cal. I don't know why they are more accurate than some of the other calibers but they seem to be. Many of the target shooters prefer them.

 

[George T.]

If it were me I would go with the 36. A friend of mine has a 32 and it is much more tricky to load and clean. I owned a 36 for years and I never had any problems doing these things. A 40 will work on Texas deer just fine.

Geo. T.

 

[Hatcon]

Budflipper , what size barrel did your friends come with? I am concerned that the rifle will be very heavy for packing squirrel hunting. Also was there anything your friend would change if he could do it over again? Thanks

 

[Rat Trapper]

If you are planning on eatting the squirrels then a 32 is the way to go. My hunting buddy has a rifle with a Rice barrel and it is a really good
shooter. However it is in 36 and those 36's are hard on stuff you want to eat.

 

[Hatcon]

It will only be used for squirrel. I have other rifles for deer , coyote, possum and all other game. I am just not wanting to pack a heavy rifle into the woods. It wood be nice to hear from others about their rifles so I can get a better idea of the options I want. I believe we learn more sometimes from hindsight and mistakes than from speculation and success, hence hearing from others who have already ordered and used the leman may help me to better understanding and possibly avoid a poor choice or direct me to a better decision. My reason for the .32 was for economy and so as not to ruin meat. Thanks again

 

[robinsroost]

I have a .32 cal Traditions Crockett. It is light, (feels like about 5 pounds), and it is very accurate. It shoots a ball about the size of a pea, and makes less noise tham a .22. It will slap knock a squirrel out of a tree. Hope this helps..........Robin

 

[hanshi]

I have a Crockett, too. Yes, they are murder on bushytails and spooky accurate. The actual weight is about 6 pounds but they do indeed feel much lighter somehow.

 

[Hatcon]

I have never seen a Traditions product up close. Can you offer any insight on its fit and finish? This purchase will be my first small bore ever . I have never owned anything smaller than a .45 and mostly .54 or larger. Thanks

 

[azmntman]

I have the Crocket. I believe its over priced but well built. Shoots good and very accurate (and I have yet to "play with it" to get the best load etc. Even with 10 rains it whacks tree rats right outta the tree. Inlet etc is very well done.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Not the same rifle as you're asking about, but rather a Sitting Fox kit "Late Lancaster" built by TVM. So this may or may not help you any. Mine is a 42" straight octagon 13/16" Long Hammock barreled flinter with a cherry stock. As to handling, I just weighed it on my bathroom scale, and it is somewhere between 7.5-8# according to that scale, but feels somewhere between 6.5-7#. The stock is simple, with no patchbox, no carving, and the furniture being German Silver. The rifle feels great, and shoots great, but does not shoot any better than my CVA St. Louis Hawken or my GPRs. It is muzzle-heavy though, and while it feels well balanced, it is not one that is built for a fast swing like a fowler would be, and it just hangs on target almost by itself. The quality of the work on mine is great, but like I said, it is plain without any carving or anything that would make me hesitate taking it into the woods. It has worked great on squirrel, rabbit, and coyote. I am tempted to take it after turkey one of these days, and have considered taking it after hogs after seeing how it performed on coyote. Quieter than a .22LR, recoil is almost non-existent, but with 20grs of 3F the tissue damage is like a .22Mag. I don't find it any harder to load, clean, etc than any of my larger bores, but I also don't get in a hurry when hunting, weather that is with a ML or anything else. As to things I would change, I can't really think of anything while maintaining the .32 caliber. I do however want a long rifle (not sure if I want it smooth or rifled yet, or maybe both) some day in the smallest outside diameter barrel with a .54 hole running down the center for the sake of I just like .54s, and to have one that is as light as possible. As it is, I get the benefit of a long sight radius, a rifle that feels and shoots great, in a very economical and gentle to shoot caliber, but it does get a bit heavy after walking 10 miles with it without a sling.