Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders thinking about a Lyman Great Plains rifle but...

I've been hankering to get back into black powder and have always liked the Lyman Great plains Rifle. If I were to fill out my wants in muzzle loading rifles I think I would go with a Kentucky/Pennsylvania/Tennessee long rifle in flint, a full stock Plains Rifle in flint, and a half stock Plains Rifle in percussion. In looking over the web I see that there certainly are a number of high end kits that can make you drool, but for starters the Lyman is probably the route I’ll go. So, my question is this. Have any of you guys who own these rifles ever gave them custom touches to personalize or make them a bit more historically appealing? If so, it would be great hearing about and seeing some of your work. Many thanks in advance.

I shot a percussion GPR in 54 cal. for a few years, good rifle I thought. I didn't do anything to the one I had but when my son built his he browned the barrel which I like better and believe it more correct. Other than that he put it together as is.

Yeah, though we are used to looking at blue tinted finishes I too think that the brown tint is more what firearms looked like back then. Once you get that into your head the modern blue finish begins too look wrong.

Do a search for Lyman Great Plains Rifle Build Series. Should take you to The Muzzleloading Forum site where a kit is semi-customized. You may have to join the site (free) to watch the videos. The search may also find the videos elsewhere.

The .54 I had in the 80s was sooty blackish brown, but the one my brother bought a year or so after was definitely bluish by comparison.

If you're patient, you may find the Pedersoli Hawkens on sale for $900 or so. They're pretty authentic and of good quality. Some of them are, however, twisted for conicals and sabots, not RBs, so make sure you're getting what you want. Go to the NAML website if you're interested.

The GPRs are decent guns, probably the best of the sorta-replicas. Saw a guy at a public range years ago with two, percussion and flint, and the 100 yard groups he was shooting with sabots and sized-down Lyman .457 cast bullets were pretty impressive.

GPR's are good rifles. Back in the early 80's i sold scores of them. You can do a lot with one if you use your inagination. Wished i had a nickel for everyone i put a traditional fixed rear sight on for customers. They shoot good!!! They are a good value for the money. Be nice if you could find a nice clean used one! Save some $$$.

Good luck in your endeavor!

Thanks much to all. In my google searches I found one site where the wrist on a GPR was slightly reshaped to more resemble an original. In viewing pictures of originals and some of the more authentic reproductions the wrists tend to look more circular in cross section. That's what this one looked like.

Some commercial rifles are left too "angular and blocky" in my opinion. Im sure its a cost cutting measure.

On ALR there are threads discussing the removal of the "perch belly" on the toe line of the buttstock. It's not a simple job, but really is a change to the appearance, and not a bad one.

If you've a hankering for a traditional long rifle, you will likely want to spend some time on ALR and the Muzzleloading Forum. Loads of good info on how to get into such rifles for whatever price point you're thinking of.

I had a custom flintlock long rifle made. It was my "one and done" gun. Now I have two and a precarved stock and barrel for my third.

ALR? Do you mean American Long Rifle?

I think I found the discussion you mentioned here:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=3417.msg31887#msg31887

Unfortunately it looks the pictures didn't survive the recent Phtobucket massacre!

Found it and joined the forum. Thanks again.

I built a GPR flintlock kit. I browned the steel instead of bluing. I did not stain the wood, but just put a clear satin finish on it. I like the look. Mine is a .,50 cal with 1-66" rifling, so it's a round ball shooter. Because Pennsylvania has a flintlock season, and it formerly require shooting a patched round ball, I'm OK still using the round ball. I've taken a number of deer with the round ball, so I know it works.

Since I posted this thread I've bee looking around the web on this subject. Track of the Wolfe, who makes high quality kits and rifles, sells a number of parts that can be used to upgrade the GPR. For instance, they have flint and cap locks that are made by L&R which are supposed to be improvements. but what's most interesting is that they have a fully inletted full length plains rifle stock that is made for installing GPR parts. That piqued my interest. See below:

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/906/1/STK-IAF-15-M1
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/759/1/LOCK-LR-05-F
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/794/1/LOCK-LR-05-C

There was a member on here several years ago who had a 54 cal flinter with a re-worked buttplate and browned vs blued. It was a nice rifle and I almost bought it until I found some NIB on closeout from a supplier in Oklahoma. I bought a "hunter" version which is twisted for conicals. I shoot the hornady great plains out of mine and it is very accurate.

I have a gp rifle and a deer stalker. both real nice guns

It sound to me like the GPR is probably the best value in a factory muzzle loader you are going to find and I haven't heard of anyone complaining about their barrels, I was just looking at how to make one look a little more authentic, which Track of the Wolf does. Thanks again to all who posted. Here's a link to a thread you all might find interesting:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=3417.0

What does one do about the ca lead ammo ban when hunting with a front stuffer?

I believe Barnes makes sabot's as well as others that are all copper.