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marcseatac
December 29, 2006, 02:02 PM
I ordered 3 guns this December, the Rodgers & Spencer, the Richards Mason Colt and a Lymans GPR.

I got the GPR at an unbelievable price. $350 to be exact, but I feel like I was bushwacked. When I unpacked the rifle to put it together, I noticed a label taped into the lid flap of the box:

WARNING
Do not force barrel into stock. This
will result in cracking the stock and voiding
the warranty.

proir to shipping, both stock and barrel were
inspected for defects.

Hook the barrel breech plug into the tang. Gently
lower the barrel into the stock. DO NOT FORCE
the barrel.

The barrel should fit into the stock with a minimal
amount of tension in order to hold the wedges in.

Insert the wedges RIGHT TO LEFT.

Well the barrel fit nice in the stock so I put the wedges in and one popped right in. The other one was tight but a couple soft blows from a small rubber mallet and it went in. Turn the rifle over and the stock is cracked. Right up front underneath by where the loading rod guide insert cutout is. What a delicate POS. Warrantee void. I'm glad the other two guns are nice. It's going to take me a while to get over this one.:( :)

Steve499
December 29, 2006, 02:14 PM
Epoxy glue and brass pins. It will be stronger afterward than before and will have a frontier look........ When life gives you lemons...........

Steve

mec
December 29, 2006, 02:57 PM
Epoxy or birchwood casey bedding gell. the whole world is heald together by these. I buildt mine from a kit 20 odd years ago and mindful of the potential delicateness of inletted wood, I have tried to be careful with it. Even though I am fully capable of cracking an anvil by just looking at it, the rifle is still in one piece and functioning perfectly.

I'd echo Steve. fix the thing as above and the bad luck will probably go away.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=21946&stc=1&d=1167422232

marcseatac
December 29, 2006, 03:16 PM
That's very good advice. Somebody in the last century probably wouldn't give this a second thought. Wrap some rawhide around it and hit the plains! LOL

It's really just cosmetic and didn't give me much to work with. At first I thought it was a scratch but a flashlight showed that it was indeed a crack. It doesn't appear to be a strength or function problem. I plan on doing some shooting this weekend so I will see how it looks after 50 roundballs go through! I wish it was bigger then I could fill it. Maybe get some small brads, (that was a great idea).

I just get the idea that this isn't the first time this has happened with these rifles. That's why the big warning on the box. Looking back on it I wish I had checked the stock better before I started. I don't know if I could have done anything different or not!

mec, for a do it youself kit your GPR is beautiful. You really can compose a shot. Nice picture!

marcseatac
December 29, 2006, 04:18 PM
It's kind of interesting that there is such a great disparity in the prices of these GPR's. I see them finished on Cabelas website for $499.00, then I was in Sportsmans Warehouse and looked at one priced at $389.00, while it had a nice stock the barrel was very rough and had heavy cutter marks on it. It looked like the barrels in the kits only it had been blued over.

I found another thread somewhere THR I think, don't remember with a link for a $356.00 finished price. That's the one I got.

The interesting thing is that the Sportsman Warehouse rifle came packed in a very nice box with fancy glossy graphics. Mine came in a plain orange box looked like refurb packaging. I was extremely pleased with the finish of the barrel on mine. It looked 5 times better than the one Sportsman was displaying. It's smooth on the flats, polished and not even grind marks are visable, but it has a cracked stock!

I look at it like, I saved $150 dollars on the Cabelas price and have to live with a crack.

I can't help but wonder if they grade these rifles and I would like to see what the Cabelas guns look like.

Gbro
December 29, 2006, 04:53 PM
I have 2 very nice guns that i wouldn't have except for seriously annal original purchacers. And a lot cheaper also.
What do you want for it? .54 cal only though.

Keep your powder dry
Gbro

marcseatac
December 29, 2006, 07:45 PM
Yeah it's .54, 1 in 60 twist, I'm anal but only for the first 24 hours, and that time has passed. Thanks anyway.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/marcseatac/PDRM0175.jpg

arcticap
December 30, 2006, 11:15 PM
Beautiful finish on that wood!
If you had a choice between an imperfect barrel and an imperfect stock, I think that you would choose an imperfect stock. I know that "I wood" ...(and "Investarms would" choose it for you too!) :D
The "I"talians have a saying, "To spill a little wine is good luck!" ;)

4V50 Gary
December 30, 2006, 11:44 PM
I'd drop some superglue down the crack. Just a little, let it settle and then a little more. You don't want it showing on the surface of the wood (if possible).

marcseatac
December 31, 2006, 05:02 PM
I took it apart to give it a baptismal cleaning. I was afraid the crack was up higher through the stock. It isn't, the bedding area is strong, no cracks. Whew!!! It's just that very thin area between the ramrod hole and the bottom of the stock. Looks like it might be all of 3/16 in thick in that area.

I can drop some superglue in from the back I think and use steel wool if it overruns. Thanks everyone, great ideas all! It's no big deal at all. I'm actually glad it has that crack gives it a little character. When I die I'm going to have them bury me with this rifle!:D

montanawolfer
January 5, 2007, 06:34 PM
I just found this site and normally wouldn't post anything so quickly, but I just got a Great Plains Rifle for Christmas, and had a bit of a problem with the wedges myself. I don't know if this applies to your problem, but I thought I'd mention it.

When I put my wedges in, I had to use a rubber mallet to insert one of them; the other went in with just a push, but wouldn't stay put. So I read the instructions (which I should have done first, but didn't), and learned that one wedge was longer than the other. I switched the two and that took care of my problem. Is that a possibility with yours?

Best,
Mike

marcseatac
January 6, 2007, 12:03 AM
Yes that is tricky, there was so much more to it than that.

First thing that happened is when I cleaned it first time a little square wooden shim fell out of the stock, it was located up front sitting on the bottom flat. It appears to be 1/2 in square and about .030 thick. Me, being a dumbass threw it away thinking it was a planer shaving.

Then when I put it together the barrel was loose, wedges fell out. I had to use the roll bar hammer method to adjust the barrel tabs. Now the thing is perfect if I turn the wedges a certain way, I also used a punch and marked the muzzle wedge with a large dot meaning top, the rear with 2 dots meaning top and as you mentioned have the proper lengths in place. I also beveled the front of one of the wedges as it had not been done by Lyman Now the rifle is perfect. What a PITA!

So just to recap, Lyman lightly glues in a small shim to make the barrel tight, they give me a front wedge that has no edgebreak on it, then they sell me a rifle with a cracked stock in a plain box. Then they put a sticker on the lid almost claiming that the rifle was sold as is! Yes that just about says it all.

But how I do love this smokepole!

sundance44s
January 6, 2007, 08:31 AM
I know its a little late now ..... but when you take the wedges out of a Lyman GP rifle always but then back in the slot they came out of ... they are just a little different from being seated ...They`ll go back in a whole lot easyer that way ..I almost forced one in the wrong slot one time myself , thinking they would be the same .