Replacement barrel for a Lyman Great Plains

[Chill Wills]

I am not much of a ML shooter. I have shot them plenty since the 1970's and I'm mostly inspired to shoot them to get ready to hunt. But, I have never been a head-over-heels ML nor mentored by those that had better skills. So for as many years as I have been around them, I am sure I have poor habits.

I have two Lyman GP rifles. A 50 flinter I got used about 25 years ago and a 54 Kit rifle I build about 1975. The 54 just stopped shooting accurately. I put untold rounds through since the 1970's and I am sure the careless rod use in the early days did nothing to help. Despite that, it was a reliable shooting rifle all these years -until it wasn't. I cut an inch off the muzzle and crowned it. I have a lathe. It still shot no better so I retired the old barrel and bought replacement barrel.

It took some fitting for a drop-in, but in the end it is a great fit. I have not shot it yet. I cleaned out the barrel and wow, the red rust never ends. Also got a small amount of machining scarf out of it. I think it will be Okay, but I am a little surprised. It came with a nipple installed which, when I pulled it and looked through it, had machine chips stuck in it too. A numbered drill cleaned it out.

This barrel replaces a slow twist round ball barrel with the Hunter twist barrel. It is a forty some odd twist to better stabilize my 400gr bullets I like for elk.

Not sure where this is going other than I thought the mention of really cleaning out the barrel on any new firearm might be a good idea.

[rfd]

i find that all these offshore guns, with their patent breeches, could use some help by pulling the breech plug and touch hole or bolster, cleaning out any remaining proofing residue, cleaning up threads and the like. then put it all back with anti-seize grease. investarms plugs are relatively easy to take off using the right tools, but not so with most other offshore brands.

.54 barrel proofing residue ...

http://i.imgur.com/mwR0dUr.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m5qALOF.jpg

[Good Cheer]

Chill Wills,
Once upon a time I bought a trap door in a Louisiana pool hall. Not like a shuffle board joint down by Bayou Gauche but towards Boutte and maybe Luling. The inspector stamp was 1889 and it appeared to have never seen service. The blue and burs weren't worn off and it still had machine shop shavings in the lock.
Point being this, human nature doesn't change and they'll always have days when they just slaps them together. Just means that yours is what it is.

[Chill Wills]

rfd - that is some bad looking c&@p in there.
I may pull mine apart based on your photo, but I cleaned mine well. I have the tools and so just for my peace of mind, I may pull it and inspect how clean I really got it. The remaining oxides, if any don't bother me as much as maybe still some chips hiding in out of the way places.

[rfd]

chill - it ain't as bad as it looks, all that residue just brushes or washes right off and leaves gleaming bright clean metal. it is weird kr@p though. ya don't need to pull the plug to clean that stuff out, just setting the ignition end of the barrel in a bucket of plain water and pumping with a patched jag does the trick purty quick - along with a patched .32 brush to get into the ante-chamber. i pull plugs so i can Nikal anti-seize grease 'em for future removal, as the grease acts as a high temp barrier to the bp residue that will eventually get into the threads of everything.

[Chill Wills]

ya don't need to pull the plug to clean that stuff out, just setting the ignition end of the barrel in a bucket of plain water and pumping with a patched jag does the trick purty quick - along with a patched .32 brush to get into the ante-chamber.

Yes, yesterday after a large number of patches through the barrel while on the bench and still getting a bunch of yuk, I cleaned it in a plastic bucket so I could really flush it out good. That is how clean my Gibbs long range rifle and so I did the same with this new barrel too. I may still take it apart to look, just because I can.


It will be interesting to see how it shoots bullets. Maybe later today if I get a chance.

[Fly]

Keep us up dated my friend.

Fly

[charlie b]

I cleaned my GPH barrel with a .32 or so bore brush on a cleaning rod and spun it slowly with an electric drill (with a bore saver to keep it from harming rifling). I also used a small amount of steel wool on the end of the bore brush a second time.

Pulled the clean out plug and used small picks and pipe cleaners to get the flash channel cleaned out. I didn't get a lot of machining crud, but, did get a lot of old fouling and rusty crud.

[Chill Wills]

Despite the light rain that came in waves late yesterday, I shot the LGP rifle with the new faster twist barrel installed. I shot 25 test rounds cast from the old TC maxi-ball mold. 415 gr. in soft lead.
I took five rounds each of per-thrown powder charges ranging from about 63grs to 87.5grs. I used FF Olde Eynsford powder. I have no idea of the velocity because I did not want to deal with a chronograph in the rain.

Due to the sloppy wet day and not having a starting point for the sights, I only shot at 50yds. My target paper and target frame backer was big enough to catch all the shots at 50y. Even though most of the groups were not on the paper I could see the holes/groups well in the backer. Tho this was not a ladder test, it kinda took that form watching the shots group/develop on the paper and backer.

As I expected, the formally cruddy, rusty barrel shot fine. The lighter charge weights did not group as well as the heaver ones. I think that until the charges were into the high seventies the bullet may not have upset enough to produce a seal and all that goes with it.

The two charges, 82.5gr and 87.5gr were making all shots toughing groups at 50ys. ...Happy!

Anyone need an old used barrel?:kidding:

[rodwha]

Have you tried a felt wad under the projectile? My Lyman Deerstalker with deeper grooves would keyhole at 50 yds and flung it about a foot left and low until I used them. This was with a REAL.