GPR Kits

[hanshi]

The Lyman GPR has always appealed to me with it's very "Hawken-like" traditional looks. Recently I had the opportunity to closely examine a flint GPR at the range. I was impressed with the feel of the rifle and the reliability of the flint lock on the gun.

Buying a finished rifle is a possibility some day but I would prefer a kit. The cost is less than a finished gun.

Just how difficult are the flint GPR kits to assemble and finish? I'm a tinkerer and am not any kind of builder at all. Would a tyro like me be in over my head with the kit or should I just wait/save for a finished rifle?

 

[BrownBear]

If you're a tinkerer, you probably already have all the skills and tools you need. And this is a great place for advice!

 

[Canerod]

Don't forget the option of a well-loved used one. They come along every so often.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

I put a Gpr kit together and I like the way it turned out,got a deer with it on its first hunt.
Just take your time,if i can do it most anyone can.

 

[Birddog6]

Not a problem to Assemble if you are over 12 yrs old, have any hand skills at all, have a kitchen table, 16 hrs of time, a Exacto knife, Screwdriver, sand paper, stain, Tru-Oil finish and some Cold Blue or Browning solution.

I would check for used ones tho... I bought two used ones in the past, one for $150 & the other for $200. they appeared unfired. They had a few hauling nicks from being to several gun shows, but were spotless inside & out. Removed the nicks & refinished them & they served me well for years. The vender told me he "couldn't give these damn things away, who in the H would want a Flintlock"..... So I helped him out.

Keith Lisle

PS: You want to predrill the escutcheon plate screw holes again & put some patch lube or soap on the screws..... they twist of VERY easily.

 

[mr.flintlock]

You can do this. I have not put together a GPR but have put together many CVA and TCR kits during the 70s and 80s. They were made for people with average do-it-yoursefe skills. I always got a lot of enjoyment out of putting them together.

 

[VEARL]

You will enjoy putting one together. Take your time and don't hurry.
I have the percussion model at it is a tack driver and a good hunting rifle.

 

[ebiggs1]

... the reliability of the flint lock on the gun.

This must have been “worked” on by the owner/builder. The ones I have had contact with leave a lot to be desired in the flintlock area. The worst part is the touch hole liner and the second is the Lyman cock.
Otherwise they are the real bargain out there for either a cap or flint gun and I highly recommend one. I have three. Get it. :thumbsup:

 

[BadHorse]

... the reliability of the flint lock on the gun.

This must have been “worked” on by the owner/builder. The ones I have had contact with leave a lot to be desired in the flintlock area. The worst part is the touch hole liner and the second is the Lyman cock.
Otherwise they are the real bargain out there for either a cap or flint gun and I highly recommend one. I have three. Get it. :thumbsup:

mine were fine,,,,,,it took two years for me to justify upgrading the lock and triggers

 

[hanshi]

I do have the sandpaper, Tru-Oil & browning solution and am at about the 11 or 12 year old in skill. I'm looking at sometime in 2012 for acquiring one and would be even more interested in finding a good, cared for used one. It will have to be .54 and flint regardless what's available. Thanks all for the advice.

 

[BrownBear]

Here's another way to see what's involved in building one. Lyman doesn't make a lefthanded flinter in kit form, but there are features I change when I make a kit in any case. So my current plans are to buy a finished lefty flinter 54, and treat it like a "kit."

I'll be doing basically the same amount of work in slimming, reshaping and refinishing the stock and changing the metal finish. The amount of work saved in making it all fit together, as would be the case in assembling a kit, is so minimal that I don't really see much difference between reworking a "finished" rifle and building a kit.

Bottom line, whether a kit or a rebuild, is that you get to make the details match your tastes.

The only part I'll change is the trigger. I shoot a lot without setting the trigger, though I want a good set trigger when I have time for it. The unset Lyman trigger stinks on all I've owned and tried, even with mods. The R.E. Davis Deerslayer trigger is terrific unset or set, and I particularly like the different shape of the two triggers so there's no confusion in the heat of a quick shot. It's the best money you can spend on a Lyman in my book and lots of other users. Davis sezz it's made for the TC Hawken, but it's virtually a direct drop-in on the Lyman GPR.

 

[wattlebuster]

You can do it hanshi. just take your time an if you run into something your not sure about then you know what to do (ASK) beside you will get greater satisfaction shooting one that you had a hand in finishing :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

There have been dozens of our members who have never assembled a muzzle loader or did any other wood and metal project who have made some excellent Great Plains Rifles using the kits.

Often they have questions about little things that don't fit quite right and how to finish their wood and metal parts.

Answering these questions is what the Gun Builder's Bench area of the Forum is for.
Like the other areas of the Forum, there are no dumb questions and not only will you have some excellent builders giving advice but you will have others who have built the exact gun you will be working on to help too.

An advantage of building the GPR from a kit is you will be able to modify things you don't like and add things you do like.
For instance, some folks don't like the "perch belly" the GPR stock has on the bottom of the butt.
Some folks want to install an aftermarket trigger (recommended) or lock (not needed).
They want small decorations like a thumbpiece or a star or a crescent moon on the cheek piece (or maybe both), or even a full fancy patchbox.

Some want the iron furniture blued, browned or aged so it looks 160 years old.

The sky is the limit although it might need to be modified a bit depending on your ability to use simple hand tools.

This is not to say these are "drop together" kits.
Most are but some of them do require some trimming of little bits of wood with a Hobby Knife.

Things like threading your drilled holes are already done for you so building these guns is mainly a matter of doing the final fitting, sanding and finishing the metal and wood.

I won't say a Cave Man can do it but if you take your time and ask questions you will end up with a gun that is superior to any factory made GPR.

 

[ebiggs1]

... but some of them do require some trimming of little bits of wood with a Hobby Knife.

You are so polite. :bow: There is plenty of extra wood but that may be a personal thing. I guess. :hmm:

 

[hanshi]

I've decided when I get a GPR it will be either a kit or a good used one. Either way I can finish/refinish to my satisfaction. I feel more confident after all the replies.

 

[jtmattison]

I built one a few years ago. It only took about 30 hours to do it. It was pretty easy. Lots of sanding/shaping of the stock. A little metal grinding/sanding. Depends on the metal finish you want. I browned all of mine so it was pretty easy. Watch out for the tiny escutcheon screws in the kit. they break VERY easily. Use bar soap of wax to lube the screw before installing it. That's about all I can think of.

HD

 

[bangfxr]

I've built several kit guns and enjoy the alone time tinkering. The ones Ive built are Investarms Hawken pattern(given to a close friend, both)Patrisoli flinter .54 Hawkens patern rifle and .54 plains pistol and they've come out good except 1 which was a CVA Kentucky cap lock that didn't work worth anything so I converted it to flint and she touches off every time and that is my sons rifle.
So the kit guns are good and you can take your time working on them and its good relaxing time as I've found out. So happy tinkering.

 

[rancher]

I put together a Lyman Great Plains Rifle kit flint .54 and it was not too bad. A lot of sanding and filing mostly. Turned out great though. Its definitely a shooter.

 

[Swede50]

I put together a Lyman GPR 54 in precussion a couple of years ago.
I bought the kit from Wal-Mart and had a lot of fun.
I learned some browning, finishing and shaping from a couple of DVD's I bought from Pioneer Video.

Good luck.
Take a lot of pictures so we can enjoy your build and others can learn along the way.