Anyone know how I can tighten the barrel wedges on my Lyman Great Plaines Rifle Kit. One is a little snug and the other is loose. They seem kind of short, they are flush when pushed all the way in is this normal? I thought they should stick out a little when pushed all the way through. I don't want to send it back everything else seems to be okay. I haven�t been able to get out all of the goo that is inside the barrel. My patches are still coming out black. What is the best stuff to remove all the goo?
Swede44mag

Try first flipping the wedge over,then insert it from the other side. If that doesn't work then bend it just the tinyiest bit. Cleaning of my Hawken is always done with the nipple out and the hottest water my tap turns out and liquid dish soap. I start of with a wet patch on the jag and short stroke it for about 3 or 4 inches right at the chamber area then lenghen the strkes until cleaning the full length of the bbl. Hope this works for you. derf

What I do with the wedges is to remove them from the stock and then gently using a hammer I tap them just enough to put a slight bend into them and try them until they fit snug. You can always construct a "keeper" but that involves more work. Now for the "gunk". Have you shot the rifle. If so what you're probably removing is fouling. Either way try this. Remove the barrel from the stock. Put a pan of water on the stove to boil. Remove the nipple. Wrap a towel around the barrel near the muzzle. Set the breach end of the barrel into the hot water. Next, using a patch scrub the barrel until it's clean. I usuall flush the barrel with clean boiling water. Then start drying out the barrel using dry patches. Continue until the patches come out dry. Be extra careful that the breech end of the rifle is dry inside the barre. Next I let the barrel cool for a few minutes while I clean the nipple. I then spray wd/40 into the nipple and nipple bolster. Then soak a patch with a good rust preventing oil and swab the hell out of it. Clean up the stock and lock. Put the whole thing back together (don't forget to oil outside of barrel).

Swede,
To tighten your wedges (keys), bend them as suggested, but it is important to bend them so that they belly DOWN (that is the middle of the key should be lower than the ends when the rifle is held level and right side up. Bending the other way, may make them tight in the stock, but will make the barrel loose.

Also, for cleaning - use an ammonia free glass cleaner like Glass Plus from Walmart or HiVee or whatever.

Brent

Thanks for your help. I have not shot the rifle yet but have been trying to get the barrel clean inside. There is also a lot of goo inside where the nipple screws in. What type of a ram-rod would you recommend for cleaning/hunting? I am kind of Leary of using the wood one that comes with the gun. I had one break on a CVA rifle I had years ago. Stuck part of it in my hand "ouch".
Swede44mag

I've never used anything but wood for my "normal" rifles. I also have a habit of drilling a shallow hole in the handle of my short starter so I don't run one through my hand broken or otherwise. Years ago, I bought a number of carefully selected ram rods so that I would have one ready should one break. This, of course, ensured that the originals never have broken. Cheap insurance.

The only rod I have seen break at the range was a friends "unbreakable" plastic rod.

For my underhammer, I made one out of thin-wall brass tubing that I bought from a hardware store. Works well, but more for a target rifle than a hunting rifle. Although mine does duty for both.

Brent

What type of underhammer do you have? One of my friends had a Hopkin & Allens I think It was too many years ago.

They use some sort of incredible gunky storage grease in the new GPR barrels, I ended up getting some Auto degreaser and filling the barrel for a couple of hours, then got a nylon brush and scrubbed hell out of it - I used a normal cleaning rod with rotating head so the bristles could follow the rifling and get right into the grooves.
Spent a couple of days trying to clean my first GPR until I used the degreaser, the second cleaned right up in quick time.

Swede,
Mine sorta looks like an H&A but it is not. It's barrel is permanently screwed on rather than the takedown pin arrangment. The stocks are completely whacko - custom - to fit me, and apparently only me.

The barrel is an 18" twist .45 caliber fitted with platinum lined nipple to shoot paperpatched bullets up to 550 grs.

The sights (four sets) include standard real barrel sight, a short range (200 yds) pop up Lyman R14 tang sight, a Holbrook style custom vernier tang sight for shooting out to 1000 yds, and a 25x Lyman scope that I put on there from time to time for fun.

It's an odd ball to be sure.

Brent

"Brent" Sounds like one heck of a rifle. Did you happen to get it from Blue Grouse Blackpowder (http://muzzleloading.biz/) I have been to his site and have been thinking about a 36cal squirrel rifle. Any comments?
Swede44mag