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Lyman Hawkin green river rifle

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Andrew B.

32 Cal.
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For sale in a gun shop near me is a Lyman/Lehman Hawkin Green river M/L rifle in 54 cal looking for some info on this gun would it be made from a kit ?
It's in nice condition with a 7 groove barrel.
Andy :idunno:
 
Andy - if it is actually a Green River Rifle Works Lehman and it is in decent shape it is a very desireable rifle, should be stamped GRRW on the barrel. When I get home tonight I can PM you some additional info, I think GRRW offered kits but am not sure without checking some old ads.

If it is a Lyman with a replacement Green Mountain barrel it could be a kit or factory, and again if in decent shape a good rifle, but not as nearly desirable, at least in my opinion, as a GRRW Lehman.
 
Andy
There was also a Green River Barrel Co. which was one of the successors to Green River Rifle Works. They weren't cheap. In a 1982 add they list a Hawken Kit for $437.00. As a comparison my Lyman GPR was built from a kit and in 1986 cost $170.00. There was quite a discussion over on the Campfire forum about the Green River Rifle.
Stan
 
A GRRW Leman rifle would be a great find depending on the condition and whether it was a kit or factory rifle. In the later years at GRRW they did not stamp their name on the barrel of their kits because they could not control the outcome of the kit and they did not want junk out there with their name on it. If it is a Factory rifle there would be the makers initials on the left side of the barrel across from the drum as well as a serial number. It would also be stamped with "Green River Rifle Works". I have owned at least 4 GRRW Lemans and all were great rifles. The rifle should be worth from $600 to $1000 US depending on condition and if it is a factory rifle or not. Good luck with it, I hope that if it's good you get it.
TW
 
There is also a " Green River Rifle Works" in Australia that makes custom muzzleloaders, including the Leman.

Duane
 
Hi she's mine still at the shop i have got to sort the paper work out but a big thank you all the guys that help with info .
What a great forum this still reading the back post
regards to you all Andy :) :bow:
 
I'm posting some pictures of Andy's rifle for him. As anyone familiar with them can tell, it is a Green River Rifle Works Leman Indian Rifle. These full stock versions are a lot less common than the half stock GRRW Leman Trade Rifle.

This model was developed by Phil "Blue Jacket" Sanders in 1974. He copied an original Leman rifle from Doc White's collection. The prototype or concept rifle that Blue Jacket built recently re-surfaced in Vernal, Utah.

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This picture is a little blurry, but those are British proof marks on either side of what appears to be the caliber stamp.
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The rifle has quiet a bit of wear in spots, but I think it gives it character. It certainly wasn't a safe queen. At least, Andy won't have to worry about babying it.
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There are several aspects of the stock that indicate to me that this is a kit rifle rather than one made in the factory. The most obvious one is the cheek rest treatment.
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We don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that this sticker was placed on the butt stock by the proof house. The 230 gr., 0.535" round lead ball, 0.015" patching would likely be the proof load. The "65-120 gr. FFg Black Powder" notation would be the recommended range for shooting loads. These numbers don't agree with GRRW's published proof load or their recommendations for .54 caliber "Light Load of 100 gr.", "Moderate Load of 140 gr.", and "Maximum Load of 175 gr.", so I don't think it would be from a dealer.
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I believe that "230 grain" means the weight of the round lead .535 ball.
Might have been just a sticker a previous owner put on there to remind himself, or let others know, what to load the rifle with.
 
My guess is it is a well traveled rifle. At least as far as Great Britain.

All guns that are going to be shot there must be proofed by the Government so that might explain the proof marks and the references to a proof charge and a recommended charge.
 
Jethro, your guess is as good as mine. I didn't recognize that 230 gr. is the weight of a 0.535" ball.

Seems unusual to me that an owner/shooter would put such a sticker on his/her rifle, but that doesn't mean they didn't. I could see a clerk or bureaucrat doing it, and an owenr/shooter having difficulty taking it off as it appears someone tried.
 
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