Lyman 54 cal GPR arrived

[Stephen_D]

Saturday, I ordered a Lyman 54 cal GPR from MidwayUSA and it arrived Friday morning. While waiting for the rifle to arrive I bought a pound of GOEX 3F, Speer 0.530 RB's, some lubed 0.015" patches, a short starter, a bullet-puller worm, a patch-puller worm, a 54 cal brush, and a pack of quick loaders.

I can't wait to shoot it.

Back in the 80's I had a T/C .50 Hawken and really enjoyed it. But the GPR feels and looks better.

I have a couple hundred pounds of wheelweights that a garage gave me for free. I intended to cast for my 1911. Can I also use it in a BP rifle as is, or will I have to adjust the alloy?

 

[Zonie]

I bet you just forgot to include some #11 percussion caps?

Some folks have used wheel weights for the material to cast their roundballs from and they go downrange just as fast as the pure lead balls do.

Because they are a harder alloy they are usually a bit harder to start in the muzzle.

A study was made by the Bevel Brothers in Muzzle Blasts and they found that wheel weights can shoot very accurately but they also found that they had to adjust their patch thickness to get them to do so.

If it were me, I would save the wheel weights for my 1911 and start looking around for a supply of pure lead.

 

[ravenousfishing]

Good choice of guns. You'll love it. As you may or may not know, clean the factory applied grease out of the barrel with brake cleaner before you shoot it the first time.Good luck and enjoy.

 

[MSW]

congrats on your new rifle! i've always preferred 'pure' (i.e. soft enough so that you can dent it with your thumbnail) lead to wheelweight, but ww will do in a pinch. so i'd stick to ww for the 1911 and pure lead for the rifle. (by the way, Rotometals has linotype, which if you mix with ww or cast straight make really great centerfire bullets)

make good smoke!

 

[tg]

Nice choice of guns the LGP is one of the best out there without having to wait to have it built, there should be lots of info on peoples loads for this gun around the forum archives somewhere, have fun and enjoy the journey.

 

[BrownBear]

Only thing I'd do before shooting is get yourself a can of brake cleaner or brake pad cleaner, depending on who put the label on the can. hatever Lyman puts in the bore for protection is tough to get out with anything else, but comes out nice and easy with the brake cleaner- just half a dozen patches. It's worth doing that because the gun loads easier and shoots better without the gunk.

 

[jbtusa]

You will love that GPR! I just got my new one too. I've already placed in a local BP shoot with mine. They are a very accurate rifle for the money and they look the closest to an original as possible from a factory gun. Be sure to squirt WD 40 into the hairline crack between the barrel and underlug (ramrod rail) because it is not soldered and will draw water. Otherwise, it is one fine rifle. Also, rub in a few coats of boiled linseed oil to spiff up the finish. Mine likes 80 gr. FF Goex, .530 ball and .18-.20 patch. I am really impressed!

 

[Moloch]

You'll love it right after the first range session with it! :grin: Extremely accurate rifle with both round ball and conicals, easy to clean; a very sturdy and beautiful rifle.
Shoots .54 300 grain maxi ball with 75 grains of swiss 3FG powder very well. :wink:

 

[cowpoke1955]

Congradulations on your rifle. That is a great rifle and a great caliber. The very same rifle I bought almost 30 years ago and still shoot. I use the same load that jbtusa mentioned. I'd like to suggest a couple more things. First, a replacement nipple. Look for a Hot Shot or Spitfire nipple in 6X.75mm. The Lyman factory nipples easily deforms after a while and won't pop caps. I put a Hot Shot nipple on mine 28 years ago and it's still going. Second, I'd recommend a range rod. This is the one I got from Dixie about 25 years ago: https://www.dixiegunworks.com/prod...=1302&osCsid=a6b8b5844cfc792ec6a52af07562c54e . Save that factory wooden rod for looks and limited field use. You take care of that rifle and it will last you a lifetime :thumbsup:

 

[Stephen_D]

I already have #11 caps for my Uberti 1860 Army. It's one heck of a pistol.

Thanks for the brake cleaner idea. The manure in the barrel just doesn't end.

As for the replacement nipple, where can I get it and what's the part number?

 

[crispy]

I put together great plains flinter 5 years ago in 50 cal it's a great shooter and now with over 3000 rounds thru it it's just as accurate as new, maybe better. I did tune up the set trigger a bit to my tastes and put a weaker sear spring in it too. frizzen has had a steel shoe applied to it's face since second year, and last week I installed a Chambers vent liner for quicker ignition . If I could do it over I'd get it in 54 , other than that no probs at all

 

[BrownBear]

As for the replacement nipple, where can I get it and what's the part number?

There are several varieties of "hot" nipples out there. Here is one. And I agree. Lyman nipples can be problematic, especially with CCI caps. No probs at all after the switch.

 

[Moloch]

I also have the original nipple on my .54 GPR, 1 from 10 caps from CCI wont iginite, the magnum caps from CCI do not ignite at all! The nipple on mine looks very flat and clumys, I really need a replacement too.

 

[PreglerD]

There are problems with the nipples of all Investarm rifles, also with the nipple of the Investarm Hawken. They are to thick in the upper part, so the #11 caps which are a bit conical can't lay down on top of the nipple with their bottom, so you have no counterpart whcih is necessary for ignition of the cap. The only caps I find working are the ones of Sellier and Bellot, S&B. They are a bit wider and not so conical, more cylindric.

In my Woodsman from Traditions thereare no problems at all.

Regards

Kirrmeister