The GPR kit arrived today!!!

[Spot Shooter]

Everyone,

Got my GPR kit today, nice!!! I like the feel of the wood, and the balance of the barrel / stock.

I'll put up a pict of the bare kit on my bench in the photo's section.

Spot

 

[Zonie]

"...I like the feel of the wood, and the balance of the barrel / stock..."

Iffen Ah didn't know better Ah would thin he's about to propose ta the thin.

Congrats ta ye! Ah kno ye's gunna have fun wit it. Jus remember, Slow an easy. Don't go gettin in a hurry. 'Sides it are too cold ta hurry outside so ye might as well sit inside an work on it as long as possible.

 

[Spot Shooter]

Red the hole instructin' manuel,

Say's to draw file the barrel. I'd like to keep some of the markin's tothers I'd rather not see. Looks to be some work if'n I want not to see them warnin' labels they scratched in there.

Wood seems to fit pretty good, but I'm a bit dry on why they want ya to inlet everythin'. Seem's like they fit together pretty good already.

I'm wonderin' how much work kevin did on Inletting his?

Spot

 

[Zonie]

Spot Shooter: As I mentioned before these kits are about 95% done when they leave the factory but they sometimes require a little "fine tuning".

Things like how well the lock is seated against the bottom of the pocket for instance. It may be floating above the surface because the morticed hole in the stock could be hanging up slightly on the edges of the lock.
How to check this? Use the same method the master gunmakers used in 1750 (and before).
Form a layer of carbon on the backside of the lockplate by holding the back surface IN (not over) a candle flame. You only need this carbon in the area that is going to sit on the wood and you don't have to build up a thick layer so don't leave it in the flame too long.
Now without touching the back side install the lock in the stock and lightly finger press(don't hammer) it in as far as it will go.
When you pull it out if it was touching wood, it will leave a nice black smudge of carbon. If it doesn't do this then it is actually floating above the bottom of the pocket. In that case, the stocks mortice needs enlarging JUST A LITTLE. Work a little, check a lot. It will get there if it isn't already. Don't worry about carbon on the wood where the sides of the lock slide into the mortice. That is normal.
This same kind of check should be made to the trigger plate and any other wood/metal interface to make sure things are seating like they should.

Keep playing with it. We'll turn you into a gunsmith yet!

 

[hardykev]

Spot Shooter,

First off, congratulations on getting the kit. It is an exciting day when it arrives.

Lyman states in their manual and instructions that it is 95% inletted and most, if not all, parts will fit with no additional inletting. However, they have chosen to be "meticulous" and provide information in greater detail than would be required.

The only inletting I was required to do was minor inletting for the barrel to lay down correctly. Zonie described how to do that well.

I would submit that in order for you to remove sufficient material to remove all of the warning labels, you would change the look and measurement of the flats. If you draw it down well and polish it, they are greatly reduced. Add to it a really good browning job and they will be heavily obscured.

Good luck. As everyone said, slow and easy. You'll love it when it is done.

Here is a decent site I found that discussed in general terms the building of a kit. I found some of the information useful when I was building my rifle.

http://hunting.about.com/library/weekly/aamuzzlekit_1.htm

 

[Spot Shooter]

Kevin,

Cool, Pictures sure do help.

I'll be taking this real slow, both because I don't have many after work hours, and I've got plenty of time. I'll probably start the filing process on the barrel this weekend, Then do the tang, and barrel inletting. Did you have to cut any wood on you tang?

Spot

 

[hardykev]

I had no inletting except some very minor barrel inletting on the bottom.

Looking at the way your barrel lays without pins, I doubt that you need any inletting there (unless your tang wasn't set in that picture).

For me, the barrel went very quickly. It was removing the casting lines on the rest of the furniture that took work. I am sure you knew this, but if you intend to polish the furniture a bit, you can sand and shape the wood with the furniture like the butt and escutcheons installed so that the wood will fit flush with the part. A sanding block sure helps there.