Lyman GPR cleanout screw

[kbeck]

I picked up a used .54 GPR percussion at a gun shop a week ago. The serial number indicates 1992 mfg date. Its in excellent condition. Should I even try to remove the cleanout screw or just let it be?? I thought about soaking it in PB Blaster or something for a week before trying.
Opinions or suggestions?

 

[paulvallandigham]

I recommend removing the clean out screw, and giving the gun a thorough cleaning. You can't possibly know what was done, or NOT DONE with that used gun until you get in and take a look. You can use some anti-seize on the threads of that clean out screw when you put it back in the gun, so it won't be so difficult to remove it the next time you clean the gun.

I also recommend just replacing whatever nipple is on the gun. You can't know how many shots were fired or what kind of loads were fired with it. It may have 5 years of life left in it, or only a month. Start with a new nipple YOU BUY, and then you will know what you have, and what kind of treatment it has received over its lifetime.

 

[kbeck]

I put a new Lyman nipple on it already and have a primitive sight on order. I just don't want to twist the screw head off. would you recommend soaking it with a penetrating oil for a few days before trying to remove it?
The bore looks and feels excellent

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes. Use penetrating oil to soak the thread. You may also have to apply heat to the screw head to heat up the screw to make it expand and break some of the rust before it will come out. And old fashioned soldering iron works very well for this application- much better than using an open flame from a propane, acetylene, or Map gas torch. You heat the screw up, while holding the barrel and breechplug with a wet rag to keep that part cooler than the screw, then remove the heat and let the screw cool down. Then try to remove the screw.

Sometimes, no matter what you try, the screw is not coming out. It has to be drilled out, and sometimes you may have to drill and tap the hole for a larger screw size. Don't worry. There is plenty of metal available to go to a larger screw size. Its just a PITA to have to do this, and that is why we all try every trick in the book to get the existing screw OUT without damaging it, or the threads in the bolster/drum.

 

[BrownBear]

I'm not sure about PB as a freeing agent around blued steel, but however you get it out, it's worth the effort. Even if that includes drill/tap and replace. It certainly is useful to me anyway, for clearing the flame channel as a part of routine maintenance on long shoots at the range.

Once you get this one removed or install a new one, always hit the threads with a good grease after each removal and cleaning. It's really easy to remove after doing that. If you install the nipple first, then the cleanout screw, the cleanout screw butts up against the base of most nipples. I don't know if it's intentional or not, but it sure locks the nipple in.

BTW- RCBS makes a couple of sizes of little allen wrenches with green plastic handles. One of them is the perfect fit (sorry, don't remember which). It's small and handy, yet due to that green handle harder to lose in the field than a standard allen wrench. There's one in the bottom of each of my GPR possible bags.

 

[paulvallandigham]

For most guns, removing the nipple will give you close access to the clean out screw's other end. That is where you use Liquid Wrench, or Break Free to soak the threads to see if you can get that screw out. Leave the nipple out of the gun, and simply put s cleaning patch in the threaded hole for the nipple to keep excess oil from spilling out that hole and dripping on your stock or metal parts. Then go ahead and liberally soak that screw with the product.

I have no personal experience with PB, and can't even find it here, locally. Trust me, after hearing about it from several other posts, I have looked for it.

 

[kbeck]

Thank you all for suggestions. I will soak it for a few days at both ends and try the soldering iron trick. It is a slotted screw (not allen head) Thank you all.
KB

 

[BrownBear]

It is a slotted screw (not allen head) Thank you all.
KB

Interesting. Mine are all allen screws, but none are as old as yours. I have no way to know if yours is orginal or replacement, but if a replacement, it opens the question of cross-threading rather than (or in addition to) fouling.

Don't know if you've tried it, but the gunsmith I worked for many years ago shared his trick for stuck screws. Use a well-fitting screwdriver to put tension on the screw. Not excessive, but firm. Keeping tension on the screw, tap on the butt of the screwdriver with a plastic or rubber mallet. For best effect and to prevent slips, the gun should be in a vise. Very often that will free the screw- without slipping or stripping the slot. Something to try before and after your soak.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree about that trick, BrownBear. It helps break down any rust that may be in the threads, whether you have used penetrating oil with oxidizers, or not. Heating the screw all performs this same function.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have a bolt in a Swedish Mauser that simply will not come out, and I can't get to the underside of the action to put penetrating oil on the bolt. So, the head is doing to have to be twisted off, and then the stock removed from the shaft of the bolt, and THEN, I can try tapping again, or penetrating oil, or just just cut the darn thing flush with the base of the action and drill the rest of it out!

That amounts to a lot of time that would be avoided if someone simply oiled those threads as part of routine maintenance.

 

[silverfox]

Another trick after all the soaking is done. Put the barrel in a drillpress vise get the proper size bit and hold it in the slot with the press. Turn the press by hand. This way you can get more pressure on the screw head and there is no chance of slipping off and scaring the barrel.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[J.D.]

Soak it in Kroil for a few days or a week. Apply the Kroil to the screw only under the nipple so you will know when it soaks through to the outside.

The screw should come out fairly easily once the Kroil seeps to the outside of the screw.

 

[tg]

In all the years of shooting many different caplocks with cleanout holes I never used one.

 

[Zonie]

I'm wondering why everyone seems to think removing that screw is a good idea.

Many guns, the newer Thompson Center among them don't even have that little screw because they drill their flame channel from the nipple to the bore at a angle that doesn't require plugging a hole.

On every one of my percussion guns (and that includes a GPR) I can get to that flame channel with a pipe cleaner once the nipple is removed so why risk breaking the screw head or marring the surface of the barrel by trying to remove a stuck screw?

 

[tg]

I think it is a guy thing, if there is a screw or a nut on something we gotta take it out/off.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I'm with tg and Zonie. I bought my .54 GPR percussion 29 years ago, which also has a factory slotted clean out screw. I have never removed it. Just remove the nipple and use a pipe cleaner for the flash channel. Normally, just pumping water through it when you clean your barrel will do. Congradulations on your choice :thumbsup: .

 

[J.D.]

In all the years of shooting many different caplocks with cleanout holes I never used one.

Me either, however, in the case of a 15 year old used gun, IMHO, removing that screw and giving the whole breech a good cleaning would be a good idea.
After the screw is replaced, leave it alone.

Just kinda thinkn'...typn' out loud, so to speak...type.

J.D.

 

[BrownBear]

I tried cleaning the flame channel on my first one without removing the screw, then again after removing it. Always seemed to get a little more crud out once I removed the screw. I can't see any reason not to remove it. I don't really feel like a criminal for removing it either, and there's no dings in it yet. I guess if I dinged it, I'd just buy another. Is this one of those litmus tests I'm supposed to pass to be a "real" muzzleloader?

 

[Zonie]

OK. Just for you folks who really feel a need to remove your "clean out screw" I've thought of a reason that makes some since.

Having a cleanout screw that is easily removable does come in handy if you ever dry-ball.

I have several guns that are kind of a pain to remove the nipple on while the lock is still installed in the stock. The hammer is in the way for my nipple wrench even at full cock.

If I dry-ball and want to dump a little powder into the flame channel to shoot the ball out of the barrel it is handy to just unscrew the little "clean out" screw, dump in a bit of powder, replace it, cap the gun and "pop" the ball goes hopping down the shooting range.

Maybe I should start calling that little screw a dry ball screw?? :grin:

 

[mykeal]

What is this, IF you ever dryball???

 

[Rikeman]

OK. Just for you folks who really feel a need to remove your "clean out screw" I've thought of a reason that makes some since.

Having a cleanout screw that is easily removable does come in handy if you ever dry-ball.

I have several guns that are kind of a pain to remove the nipple on while the lock is still installed in the stock. The hammer is in the way for my nipple wrench even at full cock.

If I dry-ball and want to dump a little powder into the flame channel to shoot the ball out of the barrel it is handy to just unscrew the little "clean out" screw, dump in a bit of powder, replace it, cap the gun and "pop" the ball goes hopping down the shooting range.

Maybe I should start calling that little screw a dry ball screw?? :grin:

This was my thought too.....I have used my clean out screw twice in the field. Once was because my powder got wet out in the field and I needed to add dry powder to get my rifle to fire and the other was due to dry ball at the range :redface: . In both cases it was a very fast and easy fix.

I have always just added a small drop of oil to the treads before putting it together and have never had an issue with it. But I do this every time I clean the rifle.