• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Anyone put a patchbox on their GPR?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Ravenx

36 Cal.
Joined
Sep 21, 2001
Messages
87
Reaction score
2
I've thought about putting a patchbox on my GPR for some time now. I'm kind of torn on it. I like the looks and utility of a patchbox. But at the same time, I like the looks of the wood of my GPR, too. Anyone got one of their GPR? Are you glad you put it in or not? Sure would be nice to have easy access to a greased patch. Maybe I ought to just carry greased patches in the external pocket of my shooting bag I got from The Leatherman. Probably what it's there for and, you know me, can't even figger it out, LOL! What say you folks? And if you did put a patchbox on, which one did you use? Hard to install? Which one is authentic for the time period? Is the "pineapple" shaped one the right period? Modena's Hawken has a square one with some inlay around it. I need help! Well, y'all knew that, but I mean help with this patchbox dilemma, LOL! :haha:
 
Hunting and sporting guns of that genre did feature patchboxes. A modest size round with a round patch box lid (covering a round hole and not a rectangular box) would be appropriate.

BTW, I'm thinking of dressing mine up to look like a sharpshooter rifle and will probably be putting one on mine.
 
Halfstocks also used the standard hinged lid patchbox as in the 1803 & 1817 rifles.

Oddly, there is not a single origionl rifle that shows any trace of grease or tallow residue inside the patchbox. Apparently they were always used for carryig something besides greased patches.

Lord knows why they were labeled "patchboxes"???

:what:
 
I read somewhere that the smaller, round boxes were used to carry caps. But, for me, I'd be carrying patches.
 
I have seen tools and tow in "patchboxes"--in one original rifle--a fine "Kentucky"--I found two paper cartridges: I guess that the owner wanted a couple of quick follow-up shots either for hunting or warfare....all the boxes I have seen (not that many) were "dry" like you say....originally they were not called "patchboxes", just "boxes" according to Wallace Gusler....


Halfstocks also used the standard hinged lid patchbox as in the 1803 & 1817 rifles.

Oddly, there is not a single origionl rifle that shows any trace of grease or tallow residue inside the patchbox. Apparently they were always used for carryig something besides greased patches.

Lord knows why they were labeled "patchboxes"???

:what:
 
Raven,
personally my hawken has my cleaning jag,worm and
ball puller. but that's me out hunting and want to make sure i know i have them :m2c:you will put everything but a patch in it

snake-eyes :peace: :) :thumbsup: :m2c:
 
Yes I did put a patch box on my Great Plains Rifle. I built my GPR from kit form and added a patch box, inlays, and other features to it. I truely love this gun!

The patch box kit I used, I bought from www.Trackofthewolf.com the kit name is H.E. Leman Capbox Kit, made of wax cast steel.

It took me about a week's worth of work including a full weekend to install the patch box. I first had to clean up the patch box starting with a file, and then continued with sand paper to 220 grit. I then put the patch box together, first making the spring and tapping/screwed it to the patch box frame...this took a little work to get it to work right. Then I used a flat bottomed bit to hog out most of the wood after I drew an outline around the patch box outline. Then using a mototool and chisels I finished fitting the patch box frame to the stock (working slow as if I was inletting an inlay) I left about 1/64" of the patch box above the stock and draw filed it flush with the stock, then sanded it to 200 grit. I then painted release agent on the patch box frame; let it dry; and basically glass bedded (using colored epoxy) the patch box into the stock. After the epoxy was set up I removed the patch box frame from the stock and cleaned up the extra epoxy (this will make a good fit into the stock and hide any mistakes you made inletting the stock). I then browned the patch box frame and door and assembled it to the stock. :thumbsup:
 
A small steel box as the English Sporting rifle version sold by Track would be OK and in style.
 
Thanks for the info! I'd have to find someone who could install it for me, if I decide to do it.
 
Darryl got it right...I installed TOW's small round steel cap box in my GPR...I like to have a spare flint handy when at the target shooting line. I had real trouble with the spring mechanism...ended up using a magnet as my closing device. I've got the Lyman Deerstalker as well, and am thinking of adding one to it...Hank
 
I own a 54 GPR and love it.You need to think long and hard about adding a patchbox. I think there is a good reason that original rilfes found with patch boxes have no sign of carrying patches. If you are hunting-shooting a rifle with patches in the patchbox, think about reloading in a realworld situation. Lets assume your using a shooting bag, horn and measure. The shot is fired. Now the patch must be retreived from the box. You will haft to hold on to the patch while you measure your powder and fumble with your horn and measure. Grab the ball then place it on the muzzle and load. If for any reason you forget to open the box and grab the patch you will haft to pull the rifle up retreive the patch. This can pose a problem if the powder has already been loaded. The patchbox is at the butt and considering this is a muzzleloading rifle,think about all the wasted movement to load this gun. It would be much simpler to place the butt of the gun on the ground measure and load powder,grab the patch and ball out of the bag, ram,cap or prime then shoot. In a hunting situation you want to keep movement down. I think patchboxes are fine for jags, ballpullers ect..
The Hawken Shoppe, who claim to have original Hawken Brothers tooling have an iron pacthbox kit. This would be the only patchbox I would consider for a GPR. :imo: A patchbox on any muzzleloader is like chrome wheels on a tractor. It looks good but is it really useful? Is it worth the trouble? Fur trade era rifles were known for their utility and simplicity. The patchbox is really a holdover from Eastern Rifles. After spending the time and money adding this to your rifle you could build a Great Plains Pistol instead.
 
Hey, that's some great info 54ball! You made some very good points I didn't consider. You're right. I'm going to leave the box off my GPR. The side pocket on my shooting bag was probably made for the patches and I didn't even see it until I started this thread. Nice thing about that shooting bag. I've had it for a couple years now and it keeps getting more useful.
 
I use my patch box to store an extra shot with 50 grains of powder in a water tight flask...just in case I fall in the creek and get all my other powder wet. :m2c:
 
Back
Top