Broke Off Barrel Lugg On GPR Rifle

[Cowboy]

Today I screwed up Big Time! I was bending in the rear barrel lug to make the wedge key fit and bent it in to much.I took a screw driver and tried to bend the lug back out a little and ended up completely breaking off the lug from the barrel!A costly mistake! Can I somehow re install the lug back on to the barrel or am I (S.O.L.) Need help,please reply! Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[Len Graves]

Most barrel lugs are dovetailed into the barrel. A dove tail is a slot with the bottom wider than the top, in case you didn't already know. You should be able to drive the old lug out . Across the barrel. Measure the slot and order a new one. The new one might not have a slot in it, so you might have to do that too. Talk to the folks a track they will know what you need. Drive it out with a flat punch so you don't mark up the barrel. It might come out hard. Don't panic good luck.

 

[bubba.50]

GPR(great plains rifle) underlugs are soldered to the barrel.

 

[longcruise]

I think they are in fact welded. I broke one off and tried to clean up all surfaces and solder it back on by it did not hold. I ended up drilling for and installing a loop made from a nail. Three years and going strong.

 

[Cowboy]

The barrel lug was indeed either welded or soldered onto the barrel. I was thinking about trying some J.B.Weld to see if that would work? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stringbean]

JB weld will not hold. Silver solder might. Otherwise dovetail an under lug in there. In the future you might be able to arc the wedge key and then prick it with a center punch to designate which way is up instead of bending the lug itself. I just responded to another active topic regarding: "another barrel lug question" if you are interested in this.
Hope this helps,
String
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/956/2/UL-NW-3

 

[bpd303]

I agree JB Weld will not hold. I don't see any reason the underlug could not be re-soldered.

 

[tenngun]

If you didntwant to solder (I find it tedious to do) or cut a dove tial in to your barrel (somthing I find fun to do) you can get a staple from track or pecotonic and set astaple in, very easy, hc and many, including myself, have had good luck with them. Many have not.

 

[nwtradegun]

to tighten the lug you bend the wedge not the lug.

 

[bpd303]

to tighten the lug you bend the wedge not the lug.

If that be true, why does Lyman recommend bending the lug on page 21 of their manual? http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/muzzle-loaders/pdfs/lyc-ml-general.pdf

 

[Stringbean]

I appreciate your reference and yes this does work. Not a big surprise that they recommend it because it works quite well. We can see what happens if it is bent in too far and then attempted to be returned to near original position. I like the idea of bending the wedge myself. I would rather alter a wedge pin and then reference mark the "up" side. For me it is easier and a little more forgiving to do it this way. As a side note, I have seen some of those GPR stocks come from the factory with a crack running length wise down the forend from the wedge keys and barrel fit being too tight.
String

 

[Zonie]

For what it's worth, the lugs on my GPR appear to be spot welded to the barrel.

This would explain why Lyman doesn't list the underlug as a purchasable item in their parts list.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/store/page155.html

The size of the existing underlug on my rifle is .313" wide X .200" high X 1.330" long.

There is a slot passing thru one side of this which is .590 wide which is .135 deep leaving about a .065 wall. This essentially makes a open sided upside down "U" shape with the barrel flat forming the closing side of the U.

Track of the Wolf doesn't seem to have a replacement underlug for this rifle and the ones they do offer don't look like they would do the job.

A piece of 5/16" X 1/4" X 1 5/16" stock could be used to make a new lug but I don't recommend trying to spot weld it in place.

I suppose both legs of the U could have a .050 high X 1/4 wide dovetails milled on them with corresponding dovetails machined in the bottom flat of the barrel to attach it.
The other method would be to take the existing underlug and file the two interfacing surfaces flat.
Then, lightly filing the bottom barrel flat to remove any projecting material and the bluing a good low temperature silver bearing solder could be used to attach it.

On the positive side of this problem, the rear barrel wedge isn't absolutely necessary for the rifle to operate.
The forward underlug should be enough to hold things together. After all, there are thousands of half stock muzzleloaders that only have one forward barrel wedge in them.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Any competent gunsmith can remove the old lug and install a new one, and it would never be seen.
Probably no more than $30, and it would be done right.
Fred

 

[Cowboy]

I had broke off the rear barrel lug on my GPR trying to fit the wedge keys.I posted earlier for help from you guys and got a lot of great responses that was very helpful.Anyway, I had a thought! Why not just giving Lyman customer service a call and I did. After trying to explain what a barrel lug was to the lady on the phone, she finally put me on to one of their techs. He told me to send the barrel in to them. Im thinking that at best,I will get a new barrel out of the deal, and at worst it will get repaired proffesionally. I will have to pay for shipping but is better than trying to repair it myself or having to buy a new barrel! My other question is, does any one know or have dealt with Lyman customer service before? Respectfully, cowboys1062

 

[Len Graves]

I guess I spoke out of turn. I did not know GP rifles had welded lugs. I am sorry for any misinformation I may have given. The information I gave was for lugs dovetailed in.

 

[AZbpBurner]

If you have the skill and resources, remove the excess bend in the lug, clamp it into position, drill, tap and screw to reattach it.

 

[Terry Fairchild]

Sounds to me like one side of the lug snapped off. A quick touch with a tig welder would fix this as new.
Minimal filler rod would be needed resulting in minimal heat input.
A super strong weld joint would not be required here.

 

[Valkyriemc]

Yup, I bet a quick tig by somebody that knew what they were doing would do it.
Then again a new barrel would be sweet!

 

[Cowboy]

Yup, I bet a quick tig by somebody that knew what they were doing would do it.
Then again a new barrel would be sweet!

I see that someone had brought this old post back from the dead. LOL

Anyway, to follow up on what ended up happening?

I did talk with a Lyman Tech. I was told that the lugs were electro welded to the barrel rib. They couldn’t or wouldn’t repair. They sent me a brand new barrel.

I was more than pleased with the outcome. Especially since the original barrel was already 8 years old and way out of warranty at the time.

That story had a happy ending. Lyman was extremely generous!

Of course this happened 5 years ago. Since then I’ve read other postings that weren’t so favorable at best.

This old post brings back memories. Still have that GPR. Have put quite a few balls through that barrel since.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[Tinhorn]

I MIG'd mine on my .56 Leman copy I made. Tinhorn