Speaking of sidelocks-

3seasons · 02-21-2011, 06:45 AM

I had posted this @ the time of the site crash/glitch, got lost in the shuffle:

Late last fall I began thinking about a long rifle purchase but have since reconsidered & reconfigured to a Lyman GPR .50, percussion.

That .54 MD bought crossed my radar & made me think about older vs newer Lymans.

The appeal of a newer one is that I have enough Cabela's points to cover it & would therefore be able to hang on to my TC Cougar.

But I wonder, how do new models compare to older in build quality ?

bronko22000 · 02-21-2011, 06:53 AM

3seasons, I wouldn't know how the newer ones compare to the older ones, but Lyman, as far as I know has always made a well built ML. I would not hesitate to buy one.
PS: If you ever want to get rid of that Cougar, let me know.

lemoyne · 02-21-2011, 09:18 AM

They are just newer. The quality is very close to TC the design is a bit more toward the original. The main differences are you will need to break the new one in after you clean the cosmoline out of the barrel and no one has had a chance to screw it up or wear anything out before you get it.With rare exceptions buying new is best on reproductions.

mountaineer magic · 02-21-2011, 04:17 PM

I bought my first Lyman GPR in 54 cal 31 years ago. Bought one just like it 4 years ago . I can't tell the difference. looks the same and shoots the same> One of the best rifles there is. i would go with .54 cal though rather than 50 cal.If you want to shoot conicals go with the 1:32 twist rather than the 1:60 round ball twist

3seasons · 02-22-2011, 03:53 AM

Good info, thank you. One reason I sold my .54 renegade was that there was no longer a local, w/in 50 mi, source for ammo/supplies.
Truth be told, it's not easy finding any traditional supplies here as the focus is on in-lines.

Also, whereas pellets are readily available, loose powder requires a specific license here since 9-11; is this the case elsewhere?- just curious.

Compounding the issue, Mass is a few miles away for me. Now, I can and have purchased firearms there, but cannot legally purchase ammo or powder.

SuperKirby · 02-22-2011, 06:14 AM

As for the rifle, I can't help much with new vs. old. I agree though about new not being messed up yet, especially when it comes to black powder. I don't have a problem buy used centerfire, but I never know how well someone cleaned the black powder residue out of a muzzleloader. When I was looking around before buying my pro hunter, I looked at a couple used ones that had been cleaned up pretty well. Upon much closer inspection I started finding crud still caked in the small nooks. To me, if I'm going to spend that kind of money on something I want it to be pretty pristine.

As for powder, most stores that sell black powder/subs keep them on the shelf. Some keep it behind the counter and you have to ask. I think all the smokeless I've seen you have to ask for.