Lyman Great Plains

Amok said:

I dislike my GPR signature series sights. The pictures on the website were either old or misrepresenting on purpose. I can’t use this thing. Not with my eyesight. I’d like to trade it for a .54 invest arms. I’ll use my old renegade flintlock more than this.

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You do know for little money the sights can be swapped?

BP Addict said:

I couldn't find one any larger.

Walt

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Dave Markowitz said:

The part on the bottom of the stock is called the toeplate. It's there to protect the wood on that part of the stock. Without it the thin toe would be more vulnerable to damage.

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Its where the toe plate and the other piece that meet at the bottom is sharp. As in almost cut you sharp. Not sure what I will do to correct mine, if anything other than attempt to take a file and put somewhat of a radius on it. Then I could recolor the area that was filed.

I have yet to put mine through its paces. I am very curious as to how well I can shoot it offhand. Its the heaviest rifle I have ever owned yet it holds more steady due to the crescent stock being locked in place when its put in the proper position. I'm finding that I am not a fan of the crescent stock design, in terms of shooting off a bench. However, I don't hunt from a bench so shooting it from a sitting position (such as from a treestand or up next to a tree) will tell the story.

When considering how narrow the buttstock is at the toe plate, it gives me pause as to cutting it down and trying to fit some other type of design in that area.

I have one made in 1987. Pretty gun and a good shooter. Pic below is a button that Mark, the @B P Maniac Shooter gave me. I, of course, had to shoot it with my .50 cal Lyman GPR. Not sure if it is a “tack driver” but it is a button boomer…

TC Tommy said:

Just checked mine. At first I thought it was stamped but with a magnifier it shows the dot matrix. It's marked on the barrel 2016.
I'm thinking real late in 2016 because the inspection card says, Inspected By Jesus A. 1/9/2017, along with his employee number.
The only thing I really don't like about it is the metal to wood fit. Everything metal is deep down in the wood. Like 1/16th-1/8th".

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Rather than taking the wood down, I'm thinking of filling in behind the metal to raise it to flush with the wood.
That and getting rid of the perch belly on the bottom of the butt stock.

That one definitely wasn’t someone’s best effort!

TC Tommy said:

Rather than taking the wood down, I'm thinking of filling in behind the metal to raise it to flush with the wood.
That and getting rid of the perch belly on the bottom of the butt stock.

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Wowser!

frankie said:

How did you determine what year it was made? I have 3 I would like to find out. Thanks for your help

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If yours is an older one (like mine) it will not have a numerical date on it. It will have a date code (see chart below). For reference, my 1967 Kentuckian is XXIII, and my 1987 GPR is AS. They will be in a squarish box (kind of like the Investarms “I”).

‘Poet

Pierre009 said:

Was on a forum this morning with numerous people trying to figure out the twist of a Lyman Plains rifle. Someone posted the Lyman site. I email them to find out what my Lyman from the early 70s was. According to Lyman the 50 cal plains rifle has a 1:60 twist.
If anyone has seen that forum please let me know.

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I think I have seen it mentioned that the very early GPRs may have had a 1:48” twist, but I believe they all have a 1:60” or 1:66” now and for quite a while back.

I have one built from a kit and performs well! Low maintenance for a muzzleloader

Stykbow said:

@BP Addict @sturmkatze where is that two digit date code supposed to be stamped? Unless it’s on the bottom of the barrel mine doesn’t have it. I see “Made in Italy 2021”, but no code.

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Then, I would say yours is from 2021. My newer Pedersoli is from 2019 and has both “19” on the barrel and CU in a box.

ETipp said:

Its where the toe plate and the other piece that meet at the bottom is sharp. As in almost cut you sharp. Not sure what I will do to correct mine, if anything other than attempt to take a file and put somewhat of a radius on it. Then I could recolor the area that was filed.

I have yet to put mine through its paces. I am very curious as to how well I can shoot it offhand. Its the heaviest rifle I have ever owned yet it holds more steady due to the crescent stock being locked in place when its put in the proper position. I'm finding that I am not a fan of the crescent stock design, in terms of shooting off a bench. However, I don't hunt from a bench so shooting it from a sitting position (such as from a treestand or up next to a tree) will tell the story.

When considering how narrow the buttstock is at the toe plate, it gives me pause as to cutting it down and trying to fit some other type of design in that area.

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With the crescent butt plate, do you shoot yours “cross-body” with the butt in between your bicep and deltoid, “Southern rifle” style? That may make a difference if it is stabbing you in the shoulder.

TC Tommy said:

Rather than taking the wood down, I'm thinking of filling in behind the metal to raise it to flush with the wood.
That and getting rid of the perch belly on the bottom of the butt stock.

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Just some random thoughts and observations.

Does the gun function well as is? Raise the lock and it may not be flush with barrel. Move the trigger and trigger guard with filler under them and there could issues with sear engagement.

The butt plate needs to be inlet further forward. I would remove the wood on the forearm to get wedge plates flush, typically too much wood on the forearms, plus you may need longer wedges if you raise the plates with filler. Oh, and the Lyman guns typical use relatively short wood screws (trigger/trigger guard and wedge plates for example) so you will likely need to plug the holes and re-drill them or get slightly longer screws.

Keep us posted on your project.

UndeadPoet said:

With the crescent butt plate, do you shoot yours “cross-body” with the butt in between your bicep and deltoid, “Southern rifle” style? That may make a difference if it is stabbing you in the shoulder.

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Yes, this.

if you are keen to have better wood-to-metal fit, i would remove the wood... once you start to tinker with the depth of inletting (as in, trying to raise the metal part up), you may change the geometry of the lock/barrel relationship, as well as how the trigger interacts with the lock ... this could go sideways in a hurry. If you do decide to trim down some wood, go slow ...

once you take out the file, of course, all is lost ... you will become a flintlock addict ... there is no detox or rehab for this ... you will soon regale your co- workers with exciting news about sharp little rocks, and the arcane methods of concocting the latest and bestest patch lube ... and you'll be the eccentric old guy at the dry goods store with the micrometer wandering around the pillow ticking and pocket drill ... all your clothes will smell faintly of black powder smoke ...
your gun case will be filled with centerfire stuff you no longer shoot

I have a Lyman GPR with a 1991 date of mfg. and the importer. It was made in Italy but it doesn't say who manufactured it. Anybody know which company or companies were making these guns in 91?

mushka said:

I have a Lyman GPR with a 1991 date of mfg. and the importer. It was made in Italy but it doesn't say who manufactured it. Anybody know which company or companies were making these guns in 91?

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Investarms.

Thanks. I was just curious about who made it. It is an excellent shooter and looks ok for it's age.

Mine's got the pretty writing. It's a shooter too! Love it!

NorthFork said:

Investarms.

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Lyman GPRs started in 1980. I believe Investarms made them from the beginning until sometime in 2020, when Pedersoli started making them (a little different and a lot more expensive) as the GPR Signature Series. Investarms still makes the same model, but now they market it under the Investarms brand, and it is called the Gemmer Hawken. I also believe the Investarms-made ones had deeper rifling and the Pedersolis are 1:48” and button rifled. I think I also heard Ethan Yazel @ILoveMuzzleloading say recently that Lyman is getting out of the GPR sidelock business.

UndeadPoet said:

With the crescent butt plate, do you shoot yours “cross-body” with the butt in between your bicep and deltoid, “Southern rifle” style? That may make a difference if it is stabbing you in the shoulder.

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Well, lets just say that I've established how not to hold the rifle when shooting it from a bench. Have yet to shoot from any other position.

The sharp edges I mentioned has not dug into my body anywhere while shooting but it is there and it is sharp.