Lyman GPR Flintlock

[olkev]

Ive been lurking the board for sometime now. I did the buckskinning thing 20+ years ago and am thinking of getting back into it. My question has a few elements to it.

1. I have a Lyman GPR .54cal in flint. Can I purchase a Lyman replacement barrel in .50cal and drop it in? I dont know if the measurements across the flats are the same and-or if there are other considerations. Why? more economical to shoot at targets, rendezvous, etc. and would have the versatility of switching to the .54 if hunting opportunities arose.

2. What kind of customization or upgrades, if any, are common on the GPR? Im not speaking of decoration as much as I am of lock tuning, trigger work, iron patch box, change hardware, making it more historically correct, etc?

3. What is the most historically correct finish on the metalwork? Everything on this gun has been browned.

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSES. IM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE ON THIS BOARD.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

[Bob Riegl]

:bow: That .54 is a great gun and unless you stick your clam hooks into places you don't need to be, it will never let you down. It is a venerable sow's ear and I personally don't see any need to change it around to look more PC (Humbug). Yes, you can fool around with it brown it and try to replace all kinds of brass with dull iron---but why---it will still be a sow's ear never a silk purse. The PC nazis wouldn't let you get away with squat. You can drop in a .50 barrel from Lyman---why you would want to do so is beyond me--as for cheaper shooting with that minor difference I dare you to catalog how it will be cheaper by any amount to buy a .50 barrel ( at whatever the price) and have it pay back the cost of the barrel switch. Like the gun for what it is, damned fine rifle, plain as my aunt Tilly but worth it's weight in gold on the hunt. You may wish to re-finish the gun---that's a more sensible project----brown the barrel---that;s an OK job. But it still will be a Lyman GPR and not Jacob Dickert. Some guys by the GPR in kit form and do their "upgrades" while assembling the gun and finishing the wood and metal---that makes good sense---but it still will be a GPR unless you file off all the literature on the barrel. Enjoy your GPR for what it is and make simple upgrades as I mentioned. All of this diatribe is IMHO. Good luck and good shooting--- :thumbsup:

 

[lonewolf5347]

I think MIDSOUTH SHOOTING SUPPLY sell replacement barrels for the GPR I think it runs around $117.00 for the barrel

 

[PreglerD]

Midsouth offers them for $ 113,06. Have also looked for one as replacement for my .45 barrel.

 

[Don B]

Squeezebox,

Regarding correct GPR metal finishes, go here

Don

 

[peeweet]

I have a GPR flintlock with both .50 and.54 barrels,they interchange quite nicely.As to why would you get a .50 barrel if already have one in.54? I say why not?

 

Sow's ear -- ya' that about says it. And, I agree with you - it will never be much to look at, but stoot? You bet!

 

[halfstock]

Yup and the same can be said for the original Hawkens " looks like hell but, shoot you bet,.

Halfstock

 

[tmdreb]

For those of us who don't yet own a GPR, is it even worth it? I was thinking that possibly one day, when I convinced the wife that it was reasonable, I could purchase a kit to build. I'd heard from a very knowledgeable and capable gunsmith that the GPR wasn't too bad for the price.

PC is a concern for me, so it's not encouraging for me to read that the GPR can't really be improved much. Would the TVM poor boy kit be a better choice?

 

[cowpoke1955]

I bought my .54 cal. GPR flint kit for $291.57, from DNR Sports back in December. I agree that the GPR is not PC, but it gives you a chance to work with wood and metal. You can finish the metal the way you want and stain the wood to your liking. You end up with a good looking, straight shooting rifle. Sharpen your skills before going to a more advance and expensive kit. In the mean time, your GPR can be used as your main rifle, a back up rifle, a loaner rifle or give it to one of your kids. You can't go wrong with these kits at these prices. :thumbsup:

 

[Will Bison]

I think your money would be spent better in getting a good lock tune up, get it bedded and have the crown checked. The .54 is an ideal caliber.

The GPR does what it's supposed to do, put metal on target. I consider it the best "off the shelf" rifle available.

 

[tg]

" I agree that the GPR is not PC,"

to what extent is this gun incorrect for the mid 1830's and on, let's keep the small "issues" we find in most of the semi custom guns offered as well, straight barrels on pre 1800 guns, Lg. Siler locks on Tennesse rifles and every other kind as well, fancy maple on French fusils etc...I think the LGP is as PC or more so than quite a few of the guns in the 800 dollar range that are offered for the F&I, Rev WAr, and other time periods.I do not have one so this is not in defense of my own personal choice in guns.I would think that for a mid-late 1830 and on persona in the Mts. or plains it is really not bad.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I'm in total agreement. I have two GPRs now and I think they are great. The Lyman looks more like a "Hawken", than these other "Hawkens". Namely, Cabela's, Dixie and T/C. The Lyman is not all dressed up in flashy brass and does not have an ungainly adjustable rear sight. The Lyman looks more like a tool, as the original, than a piece of shiny art. The shape of the trigger guard and nose cap is more original than the others. You will have others who will say the parts are cast and not forged, the parts are steel and not iron, they use a coil spring and not a V spring. I'm not that advanced, so I'm not that picky. All I'm saying is that the Lyman GPR is a good looking, rugged, straight shooting, traditional style muzzleloader. With prices going up all over, you can still find a GPR at an affordable price :thumbsup: .

 

[PreglerD]

I also agree in all points. The GPR is the best rifle with a adequate price for both newbys and skilled shooters.

 

[olkev]

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR RESPONSES!

Basically, I have what amounts to a 15 year old +/- out of the box GPR with a few brass tacks on it, that has not been shot much at all and I simply don't want it to look like one. One of the things I am going to do is replace the sights. Front with a heavy silver blade on a copper base and the rear with more of a buckhorn shape. I am also considering the "Pineapple" patch box from TOTW. Eventually, I would like to do some color case hardening and refinish the barrel in a rust blue, as described in the other post. I think it will make it a rather unique gun that won't be just another GPR.

Then I'm going to make time to go shoot it . . .

Lately, I have read of lock tuning and working with the vent liner.
1) How is the ventliner best drilled and coned? By hand, drill, Dremel tool, any particular bits or burrs, best way to remove, etc?
2) Any particulars on tuning a Lyman lock?
3) Who does case hardening of parts (breech and tang, butt plate, trigger guard, trigger bar, entry thimble and nose cap) at a reasonable price?

THANKS AGAIN

 

[Dickert54cal]

All your mechanical issues and questions could best be answered by placing a simple phone call to Chuck Dixon at Dixon Muzzleloading Shop in Kempton PA------He is The Lyman expert! Tuned and modified mine here and there to perfection....