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Okay, I'm ready to build... Which kit?

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STinSC

32 Cal.
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After months of lurking here and a decision to put away my bow and focus on muzzleloading, which kit would be best to choose for my first project gun? I like the Lyman GPR, but are there others I should also consider? Is a higher end kit, ie. Jim Chambers, etc. too much for a first project?
I am leaning toward a .54, since I have a .50 T/C GreyHawk (Stainless/Composite stock - not very PC or pretty). I will probably go caplock, since I want to be able to hit the ground running and be able to hunt with it without spending a tremendous amount of time at the range working on ignitions and flinching.
Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
I like the lines of the GPR but,The TC hawken kit I recently finished (older kit gun) my first, was a dream! precision inletting with great fit, nice hardware, a fine lock and trigger group. The wood has real nice figure and for a first build, pretty straight forward. Mine was missing all the screws and a few other parts from the former owner, but a callto TC cured that issue, theywere outstanding to work with. anotherplus is the GM barrels available for it.

worked for me!

Brett
 
It all depends on what you call a kit.

Production "kits" are nothing more than an uassembled, unfinished gun, with all of the inletting done.

Chamber's and many other of the quality "kits" are little more than parts needed to build a complete gun. These "parts kits" require some knowledge and ability with tools, as well as some small knowledge of what makes a good longrifle.

The problem with building the more involved "kits" is that if you don't take your time, or don't know what you are doing, especially if you don't take your time, your $900 "kit" might only be worth $500 in a finished gun.

That said, there is a good DVD on building the Chambers kit. I would highly recommend this DVD for anyone wanting to build their first major parts kit, no matter who they buy it from.

The DVD can be rented from Techincal Video Rentals, if you want to review what it takes to build a Chamber's, or other, similar parts kit.[url] http://technicalvideorental.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=113_75[/url]

Renting is less expensive than buying, especailly if you decide you don't want to get that involved in gun building.

The questions you need to answer are, to what do you plan to do with this gun? Plinking? Hunting?
Reenacting, or serious competition? And how important is historic accuracy, either now, or a few years down the road?

The second question is, what is your level of competence with hand tools?

The third question should be, how much time do you want to spend working on this gun?

IMHO, the Lyman GPR is as close as a production kit will come to a, somewhat, historically accurate rifle. Notice I said somewhat. The GPR is kinda, sorta close to what a generic plains type rifle would have looked like. The TC, and other production "Hawken" named rifles aren't even close.

THE GPR kit is the least expensive of the good, reasonably authentic kits. It is also easily finished and assembled by someone with only the most basic tools and skills.
J.D.
 
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I would definently go with the LYMAN GPR kit for my first...I did, and learned a lot. I have finished my third build now and plan on purchasing the Jim Chambers kit now...I still plan on ordering his DVD too...might learn something...

Good luck!
 
JD is telling you straight. "Kit" is a four letter word to me, but if I wasn't the person I am, the GPL would be the way I'd go. Cheers, Bookie
 
There, there Bookie. Everyone knows all of the guns you make are from kits. Even though your kits are little more than a log and a bar of iron. :v
J.D.
 
I would love to Bookie, but going to school is interrupting my play time. Right now it looks like I will have to wait until some sorta break.

I gotta read and study 5 long chapters for next Monday. Thats a lot of reading, and a whole lot of study for someone who barely graduated high school nearly 40 years ago. I gotta be :youcrazy:

I know you often forge the barrels used on your guns, but do you make your locks too?
J.D.
 
Bookie
Seriously, do you teach barrel welding?
I'm due to retire in May and I will have time to get more into gun work. I haven't welded a barrel in over 20 years but would like to do it again.
I still have a couple of wrought iron skelps from my apprenticeship days that I would like to get welded up and made into rifles for my sons before they put me under the ground.
If this is out of context please feel free to PM me.

Regards, Dave
 
I was thinking the same thing, dvlmstr . My first grandson will arrive in a few months, and I would like to build a completely hand made rifle for my son to pass down through the generations.

Though I have done some forging and forge welding, I still have a LOT to learn to acquire the skills to make every part on a rifle.

J.D.
 
Well fellers, yes, I do weld barrels and teach how to build them once or twice a year. The arthritus is really slowing this fatboy down, though. I have also built a few locks over the past 30 some years. Ol' Angus and I are working on dies to hammer out replicas of my GGGGGGGPa's last known flintlock later this fall. I'll be drilling and reaming again, as well as rifling 2 or 3 pretty soon now. At the moment, I'm working on my masterpiece barrel in my spare time. It's 100% genuine wrought. Got Moon Pies? :haha: Cheers, Bookie
 
Bookie said:
Well fellers, yes, I do weld barrels and teach how to build them once or twice a year. The arthritus is really slowing this fatboy down, though. I have also built a few locks over the past 30 some years. Ol' Angus and I are working on dies to hammer out replicas of my GGGGGGGPa's last known flintlock later this fall. I'll be drilling and reaming again, as well as rifling 2 or 3 pretty soon now. At the moment, I'm working on my masterpiece barrel in my spare time. It's 100% genuine wrought. Got Moon Pies? :haha: Cheers, Bookie

Iffin ya dont believe it check out his website! ....
[url] http://www.midiowa.com/toadhallrifleshop/[/url]

Although I think he has an iron ore mine stashed out back someplace for his barrle iron! :hmm:

I am still tryin to get over him not being closer to Ft. Worth Texas ... dangit .. so's I can visit too! :cursing:

Davy
 
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STinSC,

Where are you located? If the SC in your name is South Carolina -- particularly the NorthEast corner, I might be able to help you out. I have a small collection of guns that you could try and I cobble some together at times and might be able to help you there as well.

If you are in another sector of the state, I might be able to put you onto ML shooters near you.

CS in SC
 
J.D. said:
IMHO, the Lyman GPR is as close as a production kit will come to a, somewhat, historically accurate rifle. Notice I said somewhat. The GPR is kinda, sorta close to what a generic plains type rifle would have looked like. The TC, and other production "Hawken" named rifles aren't even close.

THE GPR kit is the least expensive of the good, reasonably authentic kits. It is also easily finished and assembled by someone with only the most basic tools and skills.
J.D.

I'm bias to say the least when it comes to the GPR. Bookie, have to ask, what is a GPL??? :confused: Anyways, a kit gun is more than the sum of its parts. If you go with the GPR or like kit, then you want to take a gander at a book titled the Plains Rifle by Charles Hanson. I spent three months reading the text and studying the photos, before I started my GPR kit. Here are the results:

lucifer1.jpg

lucifer2.jpg

LUCIF_3B.jpg


Here's my Lyman Great Plains that I built over 22 years ago. In the early 1980's, I decided I wanted to know more about the fur period and in the Belle Chase library, I came across a book entitled "The Plains Rifle", and those guns looked nothing like the "Hawken" that Redford toted across the silver screen. I found that the gun that Redford carried was based in design on the Leman trade guns of the period. I kept that book out for six months straight.

When I decided to put a kit together, I forewent the multitudes of Italian made kits, as well as, the Thompsons and opted for the Lyman Great Plains in .54 percussion. I sometimes regret that I didn't choose flint. But, whenever I start to feel that way, I have but to take a look at Lucifer and all regrets disappear.

I ordered my kit from an ad in the Shotgun News, and sent off a money order for the sum of $134.95, $125 for the kit and another $9.95 for shipping. When the box arrived, I wondered what I would find inside. Opening the box, I found the nicest piece of European Black Walnut and a 95% inletted kit. The wood alone was worth twice the price I paid for the kit all together.

Looking over the stock, it just didn't sit right. So I recontoured the comb and added a grease hole, which were more the rule. The stock received no staining other than what occurs with age. I applied four coats of hand rubbed Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil. Each coat was allowed to throughly dry, gone over with 0000 steel wool and buffed out with a woolen rag.

The ramrod, was the only piece of wood that I stained. Which was dyed with Ox Blood leather dye and finished off with three coats Tru-Oil. Again, each coat was handrubbed and allowed to throughly dry, gone over with 0000 steel wool and buffed out with a woolen rag.

Deciding that I would brown the all steel furniture and the barrel, I left the nose cap in the white, a sort of faux pewter. Using Dixie's browning solution, I corked the muzzle and plugged the nipple seat. I let the humid Louisiana summer do the rest. Or should I say rust? After degreasing the exterior of the barrel and wearing rubber gloves, I would apply the browning solution in the morning before heading off to work and let the parts hang in my bathroom window. After a good coat of surface rust accumulated, I would card it down with a stiff degreased brass bristle brush. The browning took six weeks, before I was satisfied with the finish. Sort of looks like a parkerized flat brown finish. I stopped the rust with boiling water and follow that with water souble machine oil.

The whole affair went on for two months, before I decided I was done. I looked at my handicraft and thought to myself, "You're too pretty to shoot straight."

Taking some .535 round balls and greased pillow ticking I headed for the range. Setting a 30 inch section of 2"x4" out at 50 yards, I looked down the barrel, set the trigger and breathed. Foom, when the great cloud of smoke cleared, the section of 2"x4" was now two sections of 2"x2". Beautiful and shoots like the devil, what else could I name him but "Lucifer"?
 
My DEAREST CP, I must confess that I have fat fingers and failed typing class in the 8th grade. Besides, ain't you ever heard of a Great Plains Lyman? :winking: Bookie
 
dvlmstr said:
Bookie
Seriously, do you teach barrel welding?
I'm due to retire in May and I will have time to get more into gun work. I haven't welded a barrel in over 20 years but would like to do it again.
I still have a couple of wrought iron skelps from my apprenticeship days that I would like to get welded up and made into rifles for my sons before they put me under the ground.
If this is out of context please feel free to PM me.

Regards, Dave

Well, when you head over to Bookie's stop by and pick me up, I'm 5 minutes off of I80. I can't swing a hammer anymore, but I'd enjoy a day of watching you fellas sweat! :thumbsup:
 
subknave said:
How period correct is the GPR?
The best thing to do is get a book about plains rifles and compare the GPR to the old ones and make your own descision. The time spent educating yourself on the old guns is time well spent. :thumbsup:
 
Mike
There is nothing I'd enjoy more than spend a little time talking to you. I am sure I could learn a lot.
I stopped by your booth at Friendship last Spring the day before the shoot started but, you weren't there.
Hopefully I'll make it next Spring.

Regards, Dave
 
CrackStock,

I live in Greenville, SC, but mostly hunt in the northern central part of the state, where I grew up. Where do you live? I would really appreciate your advice on how and where to start.
 
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