I just saw on 'cheaper than dirts' web site that they have the lyman great plains rifle kit (.50 and .54) on sale for $311.00 for both prec. and caplock. Has anyone out there ever built one of these kits, and what did you think of the quality and difficulty of this kit? :thanks:
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
lyman great plains rifle kit: what is your opinion?
- Thread starter taylorh
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
I built the flintlock version in .50 cal as a winter project and found it quite easy. The inletting is virtually done but is a little large around the lock which I ended up replacing with an L&R later. The metal parts outside of the lock supplied have to be polished but it's not difficult. The barrel surprisingly shoots very well and is equal to several Green Mountain barrels that I have. All in all it's much easier than a Northwest Trade Gun kit that I recently completed from Track of the Wolf. I think you'll be happy with the results if you take you time building it. Good luck.
We have had several members build that kit and most, if not all of them were very happy with the results.
This includes folks who have never done any woodworking more difficult than sanding a door jam or pounding a nail into a board.
Although I don't recommend getting too carried away with a first time project, one of the nice things about building one of these kits is it can allow you to do simple custom things like putting in an inlay or changing the length or shape of the cheekpiece.
The fit and finish usually is better than a factory gun because you can take the time to do it right instead of fast (like a factory has to do to make money).
The biggest thing to keep in mind is things will take longer than you thought. If your in a hurry to have a finished gun, go ahead and buy a ready made gun.
If you are willing to spend time to really hand fit and finish the parts, buy the kit.
A word of warning though. If you buy a kit and build it, you will be bitten by the "bug". You will be thinking about your next project before this one is finished.
This includes folks who have never done any woodworking more difficult than sanding a door jam or pounding a nail into a board.
Although I don't recommend getting too carried away with a first time project, one of the nice things about building one of these kits is it can allow you to do simple custom things like putting in an inlay or changing the length or shape of the cheekpiece.
The fit and finish usually is better than a factory gun because you can take the time to do it right instead of fast (like a factory has to do to make money).
The biggest thing to keep in mind is things will take longer than you thought. If your in a hurry to have a finished gun, go ahead and buy a ready made gun.
If you are willing to spend time to really hand fit and finish the parts, buy the kit.
A word of warning though. If you buy a kit and build it, you will be bitten by the "bug". You will be thinking about your next project before this one is finished.
Ditto... the GPR is a good one to start with. Just enough work to get you a bit of a feel and learn a few skills without the risk of ruining $600 worth of parts.
Also you end up with a solid good looking rifle.
Quality - very good for the price. My stock is a thing of beauty, IMHO. The walnut is a bit dark to begin with, so you have to spend some time thinking about finish choices. If you don't want to think, check the forum for various oil finishes (no stain).
The lock and trigger are adequate, not L&R stuff, but decent enough.
The only significant wood work my .50 GPR kit took was on the butt, getting the buttplate to fit with a smooth transition. It was not daunting... using hand tools I would say I spent about 5 hours on it, but I took my time. All the other inletting was 99%, only a bit of touch up on the tang and lock. Very very minor.
My barrel exterior, nose cap and butt plate needed filing and sanding to remove machining marks. That was probably the most tedious part. Again, I used hand tools only, files and sandpaper. I didn't keep track of the hours but I did it over a few weekends.
I used LMF to brown, it was rather fun, I think, learning the process. Again, there are numerous forum posts telling you how to do it. Small parts are a bit tougher to get right. Once you get a feel for it, its relatively smooth going.
Also you end up with a solid good looking rifle.
Quality - very good for the price. My stock is a thing of beauty, IMHO. The walnut is a bit dark to begin with, so you have to spend some time thinking about finish choices. If you don't want to think, check the forum for various oil finishes (no stain).
The lock and trigger are adequate, not L&R stuff, but decent enough.
The only significant wood work my .50 GPR kit took was on the butt, getting the buttplate to fit with a smooth transition. It was not daunting... using hand tools I would say I spent about 5 hours on it, but I took my time. All the other inletting was 99%, only a bit of touch up on the tang and lock. Very very minor.
My barrel exterior, nose cap and butt plate needed filing and sanding to remove machining marks. That was probably the most tedious part. Again, I used hand tools only, files and sandpaper. I didn't keep track of the hours but I did it over a few weekends.
I used LMF to brown, it was rather fun, I think, learning the process. Again, there are numerous forum posts telling you how to do it. Small parts are a bit tougher to get right. Once you get a feel for it, its relatively smooth going.
There are 4 bp shooters in our house and all shoot Lymans, so we have 6 GPRs and 2 trade rifles along with 2 GPRs that are about to be completed for friends & scouts. In fact, one other flinter is in the process of being switched over to a mule ear. Needless to say, we really like them and have been shooting them since the mid-80's. We've bought new ones as well as used ones that we've worked over.
Birdman is right in that Midsouth has about the best prices on them. There was a mailorder firm in PA that was the down right lowest (about $10 less than Midsouth), but I can't recall their name and a web search turned up nothing.
If you want a used GPR that's already assembled for about $210, a web search brought up this one: williams gun sight co.
Birdman is right in that Midsouth has about the best prices on them. There was a mailorder firm in PA that was the down right lowest (about $10 less than Midsouth), but I can't recall their name and a web search turned up nothing.
If you want a used GPR that's already assembled for about $210, a web search brought up this one: williams gun sight co.
Shooey
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2005
- Messages
- 799
- Reaction score
- 11
Howdy Texan! I just finished a GPR that I got for Christmas last year. That's how long it took me, working just on occasional evenings as I get time.
It is not a difficult kit for the "average Joe" to put together. Everything fits together when you get the gun, all you have to do is some filing and sanding to neaten things up. The metal parts will be rough, and might have casting marks that need to be filed down. The wood is roughly finished, you can expect to spend some time with a wood rasp and sand paper.
You don't really need any expensive tools. You'll need some flat and round files, sandpaper, emory paper, a rasp etc.
I browned mine with LMF and it was easy as pie. I got a nice smooth, even chocolate color. I used LMF "Nut Brown" stain for the stock as I wanted a dark stock. I finished it with Tru-Oil.
I will post pictures soon, I even took some pics during the build so you can see the progress.
Hope this helps you out! :thumbsup:
-Shooey
It is not a difficult kit for the "average Joe" to put together. Everything fits together when you get the gun, all you have to do is some filing and sanding to neaten things up. The metal parts will be rough, and might have casting marks that need to be filed down. The wood is roughly finished, you can expect to spend some time with a wood rasp and sand paper.
You don't really need any expensive tools. You'll need some flat and round files, sandpaper, emory paper, a rasp etc.
I browned mine with LMF and it was easy as pie. I got a nice smooth, even chocolate color. I used LMF "Nut Brown" stain for the stock as I wanted a dark stock. I finished it with Tru-Oil.
I will post pictures soon, I even took some pics during the build so you can see the progress.
Hope this helps you out! :thumbsup:
-Shooey
Guest
This kit can be as difficult or as easy as you want to make it. I built a cap lock version back in 1982. Spent several months with my nose buried in Hanson's "Plains Rifle" before I started. Reading and re-reading the entire book. I wanted my Hawkens to look like it came from the original Hawkens shoppe. You tell me, what do you think?
Just :m2c: :results:
Guest
Here you can see where I notched the comb at the wrist and added the grease hole.
Here you can see the figure in the wood. NO STAIN, four coats hand rub Tru-Oil.
Hand notched rear sight.
Side view.
Side view, better look at grease hole.
All metal, except entry thimble and nose cap, browned. Looks like a brown parkerized finish.
A kit is just a bunch of parts, a great kit gun is a gun that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Just :m2c: :results:
Guest
Holly smoke pole Claypipe.... That is exactly the look I was looking for. I have a Lyman trade gun that I had built around 1982 or 3 .The stock has been broke three times and now is retired. I'am looking for a replacement stock. Unfiinshed. I really want to put my Gal back on the line... or Deer snuffing. As to the question about the Lyman KIT... Go for it they are GREAT guns...
Best to yeas
loyalist Dawg :applause: :applause: :applause:
Dawg says :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:
Best to yeas
loyalist Dawg :applause: :applause: :applause:
Dawg says :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:
i have been looking at the same kits. they seem different on different websites. some have blued barrels others have barrels not finished. some have the locks finished while others don't.. my question is can you remove what finish there is on them and finish it the way you want to. on dgw the kit is $30 cheaper than on TOTW, but it has a finished lock. thanks for any info.
Cheaper yet...
Here's the GPR perc kit for $267.59. If you by 3 or more, they're priced at $247.77!
D&R Sports Center
Here's the GPR perc kit for $267.59. If you by 3 or more, they're priced at $247.77!
D&R Sports Center
Similar threads
