Resist the temptation?

[Jay Gardner]

I have an old .50 cal Hawken type gun made by an aquaintance and this is my only ML. This is a big gun and a joy to shoot but a bear to carry. Every time I pick up a GPR I get the urge to buy a .54. Great gun and the feel much more lively than my .50. So,... should I give in a buy a GPR or have another barrel made for my .50, say a .58?

 

[Rebel]

If you like the looks and feel of the GPR i would say go for it. I don't think you will be disappointed in it. They are an accurate shooting rifle, and a .54 cal. is capable of taking any game you are likely to hunt with it, including elk and moose.

 

[madstone]

Dear dbl,
I used to try to resist temptation and finally gave up and substituted a wife decades ago! If you really like the ML you got, and are good at shooting it, by all means check on a 54 or 58 barrel. I'd go 54. Some of these nice folks can tell you how much lighter a 54 will be than the 50 bbl. I have a table somewhere for wt. of oct bbls?
If the 50 is just heavy natured ,compare the prices of buying just a 54 barrel and you my find a GPR 54 is only a few dollars more? Goood barrels are expensive!! I have a 54 Large, unused, bbl I have always wanted to mount! Gave 150 years ago. Maybe I will, now? But I think it is 1-1/8, or 1-1/4 across!! Can't remember? :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

For a 30 inch barrel, going from a .50 cal to a .54 will save you .283 pounds. Going from a .50 to a .58 will save you .588 pounds.
These numbers assume of course you aren't changing the outside barrel dimensions.

If you don't have a 30 inch barrel, the weight savings are:
.50 to .54 = .0094 pounds per inch
.50 to .58 = .0196 pounds per inch

The real effect of changing the caliber is not the direct weight change, it's the amount of muzzle heavyness the gun feels like it has.

A little change can make a lot of difference.

 

[Keith]

Guys, he ain't talking about just a new barrel, but a new gun. The weight isn't the only thing there is a difference in how the weight is distributed, The heft if you will.
I think you hit on a good excuse to buy a new gun maybe several. :thumbsup:
If you can afford it and you like it why not? Hint: Midsouth Shooters Supply has the best prices I have seen on GPR's and a lot of other stuff.

 

[Jay Gardner]

The barrel on my rifle is 35-1/2" to the breech plug. Anybody know how much weight I can save by going .54? You are correct - it is not just weight, it is balance. My gun is not balanced well - way barrel heavy. I could also go with a shorter barrel but then I have to use a shorter ramrod and I want to keep this relatively simple. To balance the gun I would probably bore out a hole under the buttplate and load up with lead.

Keith, finally somebody gave me an excuse to buy a GPR. I'll buy from MidSouth because they are at least $75 less than every other dealer I have seen, although I really hate leaving the quality of the wood to the luck of the draw. My only beef with the GPR is the variation in the quality of the wood. I have seen some real ugly stocks and I have seen some that could be put on a gun costing twice as much. Will Mid-South hand pick a nice one if ask?

 

[Keith]

I don't know. There customer is very good so they might, only one way to know. :winking:

 

[Ravenx]

Get the GPR. You will NOT be disappointed. You will be amazed that you got so much rifle for so little money. As far as the wood goes, here's a hint, if you don't mind. When mine arrived, it had some rather scratchy feeling finish on the wood. I took a rough piece of cloth, an old birdshot bag or piece of canvas works great and rubbed the "scratchies" off. The thing is, under the finish they use, which is dark in color, is some might fine looking wood. It's still going to be dark; the wood is walnut, black walnut if I recall correctly. But, anyways, they use a dark stain for it, which is probably pretty close to what you would want if you were "back in the day" and not wanting a shiney rifle giving away your position to hostiles. But you can bring out the grain with some TLC. Use a little oil afterwards and rub it into the wood.

I have a percussion .54 GPR, 1-60 barrel for roundball. It's great. Best money I ever spent on ANY rifle.