Lyman's Great Plains Flintlock Rifle....Good & Bad??

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I put together a Great Plains kit in .54 percussion and it was the best shooting rifle I owned. Slow twist shot consistently and very forgiving when changing patch material, lube, or minor load changes.

Yes, I agree. I bought one of the few Investarms GPR rifles left.
I love the forgiveness this gun offers a shooter that puts it through some tough days.
I've made several videos using this gun. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[user 28522]

I was told by the Log Cabin Shop that Lyman is giving up on Pedersoli and going back to Investarms for their black powder guns. Don’t know if fact of fiction so we’ll have to wait and see. Could make the Pedersoli versions worth a bit more because of the limited numbers out there. ?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I was told by the Log Cabin Shop that Lyman is giving up on Pedersoli and going back to Investarms for their black powder guns. Don’t know if fact of fiction so we’ll have to wait and see. Could make the Pedersoli versions worth a bit more because of the limited numbers out there. ?

Hope that is true.
The Investarms models are VERY difficult to beat and the price is very reasonable compared to the Pedersoli models.
I thoroughly LOVE shooting my Investarms!
I hope Lymans & Investarms gets back in bed together.
After all, that love fest has been going on for decades.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Mine is very accurate but not the most reliable sparker .

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Love those old Great Plains Rifles. They have such an historical feel to them, with an accuracy that makes them a keeper.

Only draw back: occasionally you’ll find a run of locks, where the frizzens on the flintlocks were…unreliable. I learned how to harden a frizzen, because of this…nice skill to have

 

[Maven]

Years ago one of our members, Ernie Biggs, described how to improve the functioning of the flintlock Investarms/Lyman GPR. Basically, you polished all the lock internals with a Dremel and a Cratex bob, then used a piece of leather or wood under the flint to raise the point of impact of the cock on the frizzed. All told, the work took ~1 hour and was quite enjoyable. Btw, polishing the triggers also helps greatly.

Obviously Spell Check has a problem with where the cock/flint strikes to create a spark and ignition.

 

[stewart.leach]

When I came back to BP shooting and hunting after a long layoff I didn't have much in the way of shop space or tools, so bought a lefty GP of the flint persuasion in 54 caliber. Glad I did! Rifle has been very reliable and accurate. This was purchased in 2005, so is of Investarms manufacture.

I can't resist tinkering with things, so did make a few changes, mostly of a cosmetic nature. Coned the outside of the vent insert to give the flash slightly better access. Lightly sanded the stock, then applied several coats of True Oil to finish filling the grain, then dulled it down with four ought steel wool. Refinished all the metal brown with Birchwood Casey Plum Brown, heating the metal with a Harbor Freight heat gun- looks very nice, changes the character of the gun.

Found the lock works best with 5/8ths inch flints. Gunk can build up in the recess in the breech plug, so I clean that with a 38/357 pistol bore brush. Velocity is more consistent with a pan nearly full of powder.

 

[LSB]

I just completed a 50 caliber Pedersoli made flintlock Lyman Great Plains Rifle kit. It had some quality control issues but overall I am quite pleased with the final outcome (see post entitled "Thoughts on Pedersoli Lyman Great Plains Rifle Kit"). Personally, I prefer the appearance of the Pedersoli version over the Investarms version but then some guys prefer brunettes to blondes so there is no accounting for taste. I own two of the Investarms percussion versions of this rifle and have always liked them but I do prefer the Pedersoli overall. Since black powder is now scarcer than an honest politician, I don't know when I will be able to test fire it. Hopefully, black powder will again be available in time to test loads and get it sighted in before deer season. I have attached a picture of the completed build.