My GPR build

[hilbily]

I am with you on wanting to keep this stock becuase of its figure. I'll put the trigger gaurd back on and look at it from all angles and see if I can live with it or not. I like your idea of patching with walnut and then re-inletting. I think that either my father or a friend will have a chunk of walnut laying around somewhere.

 

[hilbily]

So here is where I am at. I think that I can live with the trigger gaurd mortice as is. It will not be the best looking fit but unless you are looking for it it is not that noticable with the gaurd on. My new problem is that the tang mortice is not centered with the tang screw holes and the barrel channel. The rear of the tang has to be moved to the left for a proper fit. This is going to open up the right side on the tang mortice. What I am thinking of doing is oversizing the mortice by say 1/8 inch all the way around, this will now leave me a uniform gap on all sides that I want to fill using a contrasting piece of wood. This in my opinion will make the unsightly one side gap fix turn into a custom looking inlay around the tang. Any one have any thoughts on this idea such as type of wood to use and whether or not you think it will work. I know it will require much more time and energy but I think in the end it will look great.

 

[Zonie]

What is to keep you from enlarging the tang screw hole a little?

You didn't say how much mismatch there is but I can assure you that a very small amount of interference between the wood and the screw will make it seem impossible to assemble the parts.

It may be that enlarging the hole as little as 1/64 or 1/32 of an inch will make all the difference in the world.

If it were my gun there is no way I would attempt to enlarge the tang mortice 1/8 of an inch and fill the void with another kind of wood.
To me, it would look about as pretty as filling the void with colored stock epoxy but, to some folks that might look great. I'm just not one of them.

 

[hilbily]

If I enlarge the hole for the tang to fit the mortice then I will have to file the face of the tang where the barrel matches so that the barrel will fit straight in the barrel channel. 1/8" is way to large (I was throwing a number out yesterday) and after thinking about it I think that I am going to use a grey bedding compound rather than wood. It will give a very small accent strip around the tang and will also give support to the tang. It will probably be at the max 1/16" wide. Here is a photo that shows how the rear tang screw hole is off center of the mortice.

 

[rootsy]

is the mortice out of position or is the hole?

When you put the tang / breech hook receiver in place does it fit in the barrel channel and line up with the tang mortice? Forget that hole even exists...

 

[Dan_T]

is the mortice out of position or is the hole?

If the mortise is correct and the hole is off then I would fill the hole and re-drill it.

 

[hilbily]

When I set the tang and barrel in together as a unit the tang mortice is not parallel with the barrel channel. To make both of them fit I have to have a gap on the left side (Left if standing at butt looking to muzzle) of where the tang and barrel mate together. This tells me that the rear of the tang mortice needs to move to the left so that the gap closes and the barrel tang joint is square. If you look at the photo the rear screw hole is offcenter to the left which would further support that the mortice is out of position. I am at work so getting new photos can't happen now.

 

[rootsy]

Thanks for that clarification.

 

[longcruise]

Hi Hilbily, I shoulda posted this yesterday but decided to sleep on it. :rotf:

Considering the inletting defects you have shown us, I think it's time to call upon Lyman to replace the stock. Misplaced inletting is an ongoing problem with the GPR kits and Lyman knows it. My own guess is that about one out of three is incorrect.

I know you like the wood but those are some major errors on yours. Returning the stock will require them to look carefully at the new one they send you and will pretty much assure proper inletting.

Having returned one myself for the same type of problems I received a perfect stock with nice grain. I asked for nice looking wood and they apparently felt that for my trouble it was a reasonable request.

So, I vote that your return the stock for a proper one.

 

[hilbily]

Glad you mentioned that. Last night I decided to call them today and talk with them about it. Between the missing eschuton and the mortices I think that they need to take a hard look at QC. I'll keep everyone posted. And like you I will be asking for wood that is of equal grain.

 

[GregC]

Hillbilly,

Let us know how it goes. I'm wondering if they will make you return the whole gun or just the stock.

 

[hilbily]

Just got of the phone with Lyman, this time is was a very nice, happy and pleasent woman that I talked to. She said that I should send just the stock back in with a letter stating the problem and they would take a look and possibly replace. I will pack it up either tonight or tomorrow and send it out. Hopefully they send me one that is right. I'll let you all know. Thanks again for all the advice so far from everyone.

 

[Zonie]

After seeing your photo and reading your description of the alignment of the mortice and hole I suggest that you demand a new stock from Lyman.

This amount of error is inexcusable. It never should have left the factory in Italy and, IMO, Lyman should take a hard look at any kit they send out to make sure this sort of shoddy work never reaches the buying public.

Selling kits with this sort of problem greatly damages Lymans creditability.

As much as I like the GPR if Lyman continues to send out kits like this I'll have a hard time convincing myself that I should recommend their kits to new gunbuilders.

 

[longcruise]

Hopefully they send me one that is right.

They will!

 

[hilbily]

Stock shipped today on its way to Lyman with letter of explination. We will see what happens.

 

[ffg]

The same thing just happened to me, i ordered a 54 flint from midway before xmas and recieved it last week. Opened it up and noticed the tang channel was cut to long, not enought you can fix it, to much cut and thats it, i sent it back to midway for an exchange, i will probabily wait another month cause they are on backorder

 

[StewartLeach]

Is it just me, or do others think Interarms uses the good parts for factory assembled rifles, and uses the rejects for the kits?

White Fox

 

[hilbily]

Maybe. Either that or the Christmas rush took priority over QC. Seems that there are a few of us with the same problems at the same time. All kits purchased at around the same time with very similar problems.

 

[Frank Savage]

Not just you and not only Interarms. Here in Europe, the Ardesa (Traditions) sometimes looks alike scrap even as factory and I saw one and heard about three more locks from kits, which had no obtainable fit on any two parts. Srewing bridle to lockplate with bending screws only. Tubler waggling in lockplate with about 1/32 in gap. Barell starting as 1:48 twist at breech, coming as 1:56 from muzzle.

But you in US seems to have generaly much better quality, as most of that B, C and D quality is sold here. Sadly, this probably pays even for Pedersoli, as based on other folks experiece...

 

[longcruise]

Maybe. Either that or the Christmas rush took priority over QC. Seems that there are a few of us with the same problems at the same time.

Wish that explained it! I have seen this problem with GPR kits for over five years now. I'm pretty sure that Lyman keeps a supply of parts on hand at their offices just to handle these problems. Have had to return things or request things from them at least three times for their kits. Last one was a stock that was inlet with 3/4 inch of extra space in the back of the tang!! Lyman has been super about taking care of the problems. That's why I was assuring you that they would take care of your stock problem.

Is it just me, or do others think Interarms uses the good parts for factory assembled rifles, and uses the rejects for the kits?

.

Well, I'm guessing they encounter the reject parts in their manufacturing plant too, but set them aside and use good parts. I don't think they put the bad parts into the kits, but at the same time if the parts going into the kits don't get examined carefully (as they must in order to be made into finished guns at the factory) they don't get checked over very well.

Interarms

It's actually Investarms.