Llyman great plains rifle

Kabulrocks said:

Nice! I have two, a .50 and .54, both percussion.
Check out this video for some finishing tips to make it look like something that might have been made in the Hawken shop in the day.

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Thanks for posting that! I did lots of stock work on mine, but not the highly educated kind Mr. Woodfill knows! I have his book, he's a real old-time expert!

I love my GPR. It's a 50 and has put hundreds of lbs of meat in the freezer and done it in style.

Can you pm me or something tell me how you got that Valor. The stock on mine is very dark. Gotta get close to see the grain.

Kabulrocks said:

Nice! I have two, a .50 and .54, both percussion.
Check out this video for some finishing tips to make it look like something that might have been made in the Hawken shop in the day.

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I actually ended up doing a lot of stuff in the video during the build. I found a picture of a period piece and used that as a model. Good video

CTShooter said:

I actually ended up doing a lot of stuff in the video during the build. I found a picture of a period piece and used that as a model. Good video

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You have a nice looking rifle too!
After seeing lots of genuine Hawkens at the classic, watching this video and reading the companion Muzzle Blasts article, I’m ready to re-do mine. My .50 I built from a kit in 1984, the .54 I bought already finished and appears unfired. It has some type of finish on the barrel that looks like flat black spray paint. Haven’t investigated that bit yet to figure out what it is for sure.

CTShooter said:

This is the one I put together from an old kit last winter. .50 cal
Still deciding on a finish. View attachment 191201

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I once had a TC .54 Renegade that someone built from a kit. The stock was pretty darn dark and the barrel was plain, like yours. Wound up bluing the barrel but I wished I had browned it instead.

the old guy that made the video does nice work but who really cares if a Hawken is exactly like the originals? I know there are some guys that do but at what cost? $1000-9000 so the grip angle on the stock is the same and other things that dont matter. and how could in those days make every Hawken exactly the same? it was all done by hand. with todays CNC machining produsts can be made the same

I care. That’s why I did it myself.

if you got the time and the money be my guest. most people dont

springfield art said:

They're solid as can be! If they were available in the 1840's, that's what they would have used.

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Probably so. The GPR is simple, tough, and from what I've heard, very accurate RB shooters. They don't have all the fancy brass do-dads, and to me, that's what makes them that much more appealing. I don't understand all the dang brass on ML anyway. I mean, the last thing one would want back then is something shiny as hell in the woods that makes them stand out like a turd in a punch bowl. But I'm sure the Indians liked them.

ETipp said:

Probably so. The GPR is simple, tough, and from what I've heard, very accurate RB shooters. They don't have all the fancy brass do-dads, and to me, that's what makes them that much more appealing. I don't understand all the dang brass on ML anyway. I mean, the last thing one would want back then is something shiny as hell in the woods that makes them stand out like a turd in a punch bowl. But I'm sure the Indians liked them.

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brass would discolor rapidly and not be noticeable at all. indians would put a lot of tacks and other stuff on their rifles

SPQR70AD said:

brass would discolor rapidly and not be noticeable at all. indians would put a lot of tacks and other stuff on their rifles

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Then why put brass furniture if one does not keep it shiny? Makes no sense, other than sales leverage.

ETipp said:

Then why put brass furniture if one does not keep it shiny? Makes no sense, other than sales leverage.

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because I like to have a patch box and gun makers then were artists. also brass dont rust like the brass cap at the muzzle. brass thimbles dont rust

SPQR70AD said:

because I like to have a patch box and gun makers then were artists. also brass dont rust like the brass cap at the muzzle. brass thimbles dont rust

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I understand what you mean. However, I'm not talking about you, or anyone else in this century. I am referring to the frontiersman back when the original rifles were made.

SPQR70AD said:

brass would discolor rapidly and not be noticeable at all. indians would put a lot of tacks and other stuff on their rifles

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Appears that maybe some brass has/does/will tarnish rapidly. The brass on my Woodsman Hawken n my Pedersoli Scout are just as shiny as the day i opened the box. I hear you on the Brass art, but 98% are show style ML's . Seldom did working class people back during the time ever have brass buffed or rubbed shiny. Most were dulled from the get go

ETipp said:

Probably so. The GPR is simple, tough, and from what I've heard, very accurate RB shooters. They don't have all the fancy brass do-dads, and to me, that's what makes them that much more appealing. I don't understand all the dang brass on ML anyway. I mean, the last thing one would want back then is something shiny as hell in the woods that makes them stand out like a turd in a punch bowl. But I'm sure the Indians liked them.

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Yeah, real Hawkin's don't have brass bling.

springfield art said:

Yeah, real Hawkin's don't have brass bling.

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Well, I honestly do not know about what rifles had brass back then. I do know the KY old long rifles had brass furniture and the TN rifles usually did not. And really, it makes no difference. However, it is interesting that rifle builders back in the 1800's would put brass on a mountain rifle for fur trappers.

All I am interested in is finding a way to get rid of the brass finish on one of two ML in the house that has brass. I have two others that do not have brass furniture.

With that said, today I picked up some Brasso and went to work on my wifes Hawken. That stuff really works well. If anyone likes shiny brass furniture on their ML, that's the stuff to get to spiff it up.

Some of our old military rifles has brass; wonder if it had to do with ease of mfg., malleability, or what? They do look nice, the Mississippi rifles, esp., with the large brass patch box, etc.

ETipp said:

I understand what you mean. However, I'm not talking about you, or anyone else in this century. I am referring to the frontiersman back when the original rifles were made

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ETipp said:

Probably so. The GPR is simple, tough, and from what I've heard, very accurate RB shooters. They don't have all the fancy brass do-dads, and to me, that's what makes them that much more appealing. I don't understand all the dang brass on ML anyway. I mean, the last thing one would want back then is something shiny as hell in the woods that makes them stand out like a turd in a punch bowl. But I'm sure the Indians liked them.

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remember that most indians and frontiersmen wore buckskin, dark animal hides. what about when there was snow in the woods like 4-5 months out of the year? their coats stand out against the snow a lot more then some brass do dads on a rifle

springfield art said:

Some of our old military rifles has brass; wonder if it had to do with ease of mfg., malleability, or what? They do look nice, the Mississippi rifles, esp., with the large brass patch box, etc.

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Ya know, I was wondering the same thing, but one would think that brass would be somewhat of a specialty item. That is unless steel was in higher demand back then?

And yes, brass looks mighty good on some of the older rifles. No doubt about that. Not against brass at all on some rifles, just on my hunting rifles.