Lyman GPR changes over the years

[ghiapilot]

Last weekend while out of town I stumbled onto a built GPR 54 cal new in the box for $445.00 After a quick internet price search I took it home. Right off the bat Inoticed it had a "new for 2005" lyman catalog in the box. Tonight I just noticed it had a label taped in the box "Quality inspected on 11-20-2001"

So it looks like my new purchase was built 13 years ago. I have shot and love this gun, but am curious. . Has anything changed over the years with this rifle? Is there anything in particular I should be aware of?

Thanks!
Mike

 

[54ball]

Price up up up
overall quality control :td: :td: :td:

Be thankful you got NOS

 

[ghiapilot]

Thanks 54ball. I guess that applies to almost anything anymore doesn't it! :cursing:

 

[Black Jack]

Just FYI, there are dozens of Lymans on the rack at Dixon's Muzzleloading. No quality issues with the ones I looked at recently. I have not doubt that somewhere along the line, someone will get one that has a problem, but it doesn't take much to get this much exaggerated internet chatter going alleging that everything is going to hades in a hand basket. If you believed every complaint you read on the forum, there would be no acceptable brand, be it a production gun or custom made.

 

[BrownBear]

If you believed every complaint you read on the forum, there would be no acceptable brand, be it a production gun or custom made.

And that's the truth. It feels more like a junior high school popularity contest or a sewing circle gossip session. Or maybe more like political ads.

But it sure isn't anywhere close to common sense.

 

[PA16th]

:thumbsup: I can second that observation.

 

[William O.]

They are pretty much identical to every other GPR that's been produced over the years, with the exception of the grain of the wood since each tree is unique. Parts are interchangeable, exactly the same.
I'm still shooting a Lyman barrel that I had put on a custom made stock and it's still as accurate as the day is long.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Price up up up
overall quality control :td: :td: :td:

Be thankful you got NOS

yeap that's about correct good old/new find

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

I bought mine a LH 54 caliber new in box in 2004 so I am not sure what year it was made...I bought it from Dixon along with another barrel that is fast twist also. Love mine! No issues whatsoever nice accurate easy to load rifle and beautiful to look at too.

 

[Jumpshot]

Has anything changed over the years with this rifle?

It seems the early ones didn't have a ramrod retaining spring, but one was added to the underrib later (not that it matters as far as shooting goes). See the other thread about that.

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

Mine has the ramrod spring...bought in 2004 New from Dixon.

 

[JackAubrey]

I bought my GPR in 1995. I saw some recently that had an allen style clean out screw on the bolster. Mine was the slotted screw. It may have just been that particular GPR I saw though. JA

 

[lapierre1]

Bought mine new in 1990 and it's got an Allen screw cleanout.

 

[bob308]

bought mine used at a yard sale in 85. it is .50 cal. won a lot of matches with it. got a deer a few groundhogs even a buffalo.

 

[Jim C]

That's a real decent price. The cheapest I've been able to locate lately is $528. I bought mine new in 2002 for $335. Fit and finish is excellent. I have owned a lot of guns in my time and I'm here to tell ya that I don't think I've ever shot anything that's any more accurate than my 50 cal GPR. I can get head shots on squirrels with it a lot more times than not.

 

[Leatherbark]

I had one made in the early 80's and the lock was plain with no engraving.

Bob

 

[AZbpBurner]

Someone posted here a while back about a GPR they bought that not only had a multitude of stupid problems with it & should have never left the factory, and also had a miserable time with customer service and trying to get it made right. They were understandably soured on Lyman stuff.

Had I read all that while looking for my GPR, I would have also passed and found something else. I did, however, already have my GPR and fit finish and function are fine, as is the accuracy, which tightened up considerably after break-in with a couple hundred rounds. No scrubbing or scraping the bore with copper chore boys, abrasives or other shenanigans were needed - it all just came together in its' own time.

I did tear it all down beforehand, and polish and finish the lock parts, and refitted the trigger, as I've done on other Lyman rifles I've owned. I also refinished the stock. Maybe someday I'll strip it down and scrape and slim down the stock, but for now, I'm having too much fun shooting it.

 

[Enfield1]

I agree 100 percent. I own a lot of black powder arms, both percussion and flnt, but my Lyman .50 gpr is hands down the most accurate bp rifle that I own. At my clubs annual turkey shoot fundraiser a few years back, I broke a moving clay skeet at 70 yards on the first try and that was with a ball cast from a bag mould while melting lead in my garage.

 

[Jim C]

Now that's some darn fine shootin' right there. Have you ever seen the movie "Wild Times" with Sam Elliot? That'd be you shootin' those glass balls out of the air with that Hawkens plains rifle! If you haven't seen it, you ought to try to. It's a really good one.

 

[eaglesnester]

I have two new ones, a Great plains hunter in cap lock and a great plains in flint lock. Both are great shooters.