Honkey's Lyman G P R Build

[Honkey]

Degreased and browned the parts again (and again and again)

Browned parts drying on stove

NOTE, I did not heat the parts on the stove to brown them, I dried them there tonight after washing them thoroughly with soap and water before oiling them.

The stock is done with a total of 6 coats of Birchwood Casey's oil

Stock finished

I have to say I am very happy with the looks of this rifle. I think I may have to put one or 2 more coats of brown on the barrel but other than that I am done. I love the look of how the finish came out on the patchbox.

Trigger guard

View 1

Barrel

View 2

PATCHBOX 1

Patchbox 2

Patchbox 3

With any luck I will kill a bear in the fall with it, maybe a deer and have a ton of fun shooting it at the range and at muzzleloader events (like primitive biathlons and gong shoots) very soon!!

:grin: :wink:

 

[Honkey]

Well I took the barrel back out to my barn and gave it 2 more treatments of browning. I was not sure if I needed to at first but I am glad I did.

I know some people will hate the inconsistent finish I got but I love the copper like tones that came out on parts of the finish.

Copper tone detail

Copper tone 2

I was also very happy with the unintended near case colored look my steel patchbox took on. I don't know why this happened but I am happy with the look.

Patch box

I think the look of the patchbox compliments the real case coloring on the lock.

Lock and trigger guard detail

I am also pleased with the finish the stock took. The grand total of coats of true Oil was 7 with 0000 steel wool sanding in between the last 4.

I think I am just about done.

Finished view 1

Finished 2

Finished 3

Finished 4

Finished 5

I still have to mount the rear peep sight (I am waiting for the elevation spring to get shipped- it arrived from midway with the spring broken)

I am not entirely happy with the closed fit of the large compartment on the patch box and I will be dicking around with that in the future trying to get the gap tighter when it is latched closed.

Patch box fit

Box with patches

BUT right now I am going to put the tools down and take it to the range ASAP :grin:

Too bad my range is snowed in and I will have to trudge in on snow shoes with all my junk :shake: But I will make it happen. I casted up about 150 .530 balls a few days ago!!

 

[Zonie]

Yup.
Looks like your about ready to take it out and make some smoke.

 

[ryzman]

ok the gun is nice... but the house its resting on is amazing... One of these days me and the wife will own a place like that...

im not famillar with the browning process but it looks to me that you could get the brown to "take" a bit more. might consider browning the lock as well... i like the overall look of the rifle and am impressed with your results...

good job mang...
ryz

 

[Honkey]

Thanks for all the kind words and advice as he build progressed. It did not come out "perfect" but I am more than happy with the results and had a blast doing it.

I spent every spare minute I had in the last few weeks building it and could not put it down. BEST THINGS...

....the fact that I have a rifle that is made the way I want it

... this was a great learning experience that has inspired me to shoot for more technical projects in the future (other guns, knives, clothing a canoe gear ect ect)

 

[Zonie]

Honkey: As you are happy and that is the most important thing please don't take offense if I use your coppered barrel to help others avoid it.
After all, not everyone would like the copper on their guns.

To Those Interested:

The barrel was browned using Birchwood Casey Plum Brown.

Plum Brown is a heat activated solution that requires the metal to be heated to 270 +/- 15 degrees F in order to work properly.

If the metal temperature is below 255 degrees the solution will boil and deposit a layer of pure copper without browning the metal.
Once this has happened the copper will prevent any browing so reheating and applying more Plum Brown will do nothing.

If this happens and you don't want a copper plating on the barrel the only answer is to use some fine sandpaper and sand the copper off.

Once the copper is removed and the area is back to pure steel, then you can reheat the area and apply the PB. If the temperature of the metal is correct, it will brown the metal.

While I'm writing, if you overheat the area and apply PB the solution will rapidly boil off browning some areas and leaving a splotched or mottled appearance.
If this happens, reapplying the solution as the barrel cools will cause much of the area to brown but some of it will always looked mottled.
If you don't like this the only fix is to sand the area and then try again.

 

[Honkey]

Zonie,

No offense taken at all. :grin:

In fact now I have a better understanding as to what happened with my barrel and patchbox.

Also I know what do do if I want to get rid of the copper look and brown it for real.

For right now I am gona bear the northern Maine elements and try and shoot her tomorrow in the AM!!

:thumbsup:

 

[ebiggs1]

....the fact that I have a rifle that is made the way I want it

This is the only thing that matters. And the fact you are pleased with it, makes me very pleased for you, too. One great job! :thumbsup:
Now when is number 2 going to start? :hmm:

 

[Honkey]

I had a ton of fun doing this one and I am already looking and scheming the next one.

I may have to limit myself to building only one each winter!!! Otherwise I would run out of room in my gun safe pretty quick.

 

Buy another safe, or two, problem solved.

Bill