Percussion to Flintlock conversion for GPR Pistol

[caionneach]

I just purchased a Lyman Great Plains Pistol in .54 caliber, and I want it to match my Lyman GPR rifle which is flintlock.

So, I am trying to find out if anyone has done this conversion. A muzzleloading friend and gunsmith in Canada said he had done the conversion, and that it's fairly straight forward for someone with metal working skills.

Basically you hacksaw or machine off the snail, file it smooth with the barrel revealing the breech hole, then tap the hole for a touch hole liner. He implied in his instructions that the lock can be replaced with very little modification to the lock area with a L & R Model 03 T/C-Lyman replacement lock. I'd rather have a Model 1100 Durs Egg.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Kenneth Smith
Monroe, Louisiana

 

I'm sure it can be done!!!! :thumbsup:

YMHS
rollingb

 

I wanted a GPR pistol in flint to match my GPR flint rifle too... but didn't consider buying one and converting it. So, I just bought a flintlock Kentucky Pistol kit and am going to build that instead.

If you decide to do this, please keep us posted on how it works out! May be a consideration for a future project.

 

[madstone]

If your Canadian friend did it, it can be done, obviously. But will the wood still fit where you removed the snail? Will the flash-tube, from nipple seat to bore come out where you can fit the liner and pan?
Some ML's are designed such that this can be done if they only change the touch hole liner for a drum and replace the lock. This way they only need one set of barrel specs for flintlock and perc. Most companies would offer conversions if possible, I think.

I'm sitting here staring at 3 bare "patent breeches". What you suggest would work on 2 of the 3. One has a flash-tube that looks like my brother-in-law dug it with post-hole diggers! It would leave an ugly oversized hole difficult to line. Course these are imported junk!

First, don't listen to me! Let these other fellows guide you. Someone, in here, will know if this can be done easily on this gun. :m2c:

PS: This sounds like the kind of thing I could REALLY mess up!! Course I have no metal working skills beyond saw, drill and file. Or contact the company. Some of their engineers will know what the "innards" of your breech looks like.

 

Even tho the Lyman has a "patent breech", the flash-channel is 90 degrees to the powder-chamber.

YMHS
rollingb

 

[caionneach]

PS: This sounds like the kind of thing I could REALLY mess up!! Course I have no metal working skills beyond saw, drill and file. Or contact the company. Some of their engineers will know what the "innards" of your breech looks like.

:agree: That is a very good idea. Thus far I have only spoken with L & R Lock Co. in South Carolina. Very nice folks, and they wanted me to fax them an outline of the lock installed in the pistol to make sure they had a lock that would fit without much modification to the stock.

Kenneth