New Lyman Trade Rifle

[Tetonmtns]

I ordered a Trade rifle last Jan and after several months when it didn't arrive, I canceled the order. Well, it arrived yesterday. :hmm:

The touch hole liner is not centered on the flash pan, it is slightly back toward the buttstock. I cleaned the barrel, added FF powder in the barrel under a wad of paper, primed the pan with FF and kaboom. No problems with the ignition at all.

I then removed the hard coating they put over the stain. The stock was steel wooled and restained. It's now waiting several coats of Tung oil. The brass was sanded with fine sandpaper to remove the coating.

It should look pretty good by tomorrow and I can see how it shoots some roundballs.

 

[jtmattison]

The touch hole liner is not centered on the flash pan, it is slightly back toward the buttstock.

My Lyman flinters are the same way. I don't have a problem with misfires. Just to be sure I drill the liners out to 5/64 and cone the outside. It speeds ignition.

Have fun shooting it. Mine likes 90 grains of 2F and ticking patched ball.

HD

 

[flinthead]

I recently bought a Deerstalker and a Trade rifle and both touch hole liners are as you described.

The Trade rifle had badly mangled threads on the touch hole so I drilled it out and tapped it to 5/16" dia. and made a new touch hole liner.

Both rifles shoot fine and as long as I don't put in more than half a pan full of powder there is no noticeable delay.

 

[flinthead]

I forgot to mention that the tips on the ramrod on the Trade rifle became loose after using it a few times. They are merly threaded on the wood rod and not very secure. I unscrewed them and expoxied them on with JB weld.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You will need to pin the ferrules to the rod in addition to gluing them.

 

[Zonie]

Paul is correct.

The mechanical strength of a cross drilled pin is the best way to secure the ramrod tip but only if the pin is made of a small diameter rod.

Many hardware and hobby stores sell 1/16 diameter brass rod and a 1/16 inch drill bit is a common size.

Drill completely thru the ramrod tip about 1/8 inch ahead of the rear of it.
Rotate a pocket knife in both ends of the 1/16 inch hole to form a countersink. Install a piece of the rod thru the hole and use a hammer to peen the ends of the crosspin into the countersinks. Then file the remaining protruding pin material flush with the outside of the ramrod tip.

This is not only historically correct but it will last almost forever even if the rod becomes water or oil saturated while using it.

 

[MSW]

i agree with Paul and Zonie... you should also think about getting a range rod... and more powder, and more ball, and more flint, and a bunch of targets

whooooooopie!

make good smoke!

 

[hanshi]

i agree with Paul and Zonie... you should also think about getting a range rod... and more powder, and more ball, and more flint, and a bunch of targets

I agree. Unless I'm hunting or woods walking I use a range rod for loading. They are also stronger and much easier to use for removing dry balls, swabbing, etc. I want my wooden ram rods to last as long as possible.

 

[Tetonmtns]

The rod is not wood but appears to be fiberglass.Luckily, I have a wooden rod with .50 brass furniture.

And I agree, a cross pin is necessary. It looks good with the stock refinished, Tung oiled and waxed. I need more flints and time off to enjoy the gun.

Unfortunately, I start my shift rotations tomorrow night. Those 12.5 hour shifts don't leave any time to do anything other than work and sleep.

 

[Tetonmtns]

Oops.

After checking, the rod is wood with the hard finish I removed from the rest of the wood. When it scrapes on the ram rod guides, it looks like fiberglass.

I'm gonna refinish it and pin the brass.