GRRW.CA Possible New Rifle Build

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Buck Conner1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Messages
4,592
Reaction score
557
.
Possible New Rifle Build

Talking to a customer about an interesting new rifle. GRRW referred to this model as the "Baby Leman Rifle", the original gun was called by H.E. Leman's firm as "The Leman Squirrel Rifle". Same spec's just what it was referred to had some confused.

GRRW built only a few of these rifles as the full sized rifles were the hot sellers at that time. After a little research we found the original Leman "Squirrel Rifle" had much better success than the later gun by GRRW.

Grrw Spec's.;
There were two other versions of the Leman Trade Rifle that were offered:
  1. a Squirrel Rifle was listed in the 1973 and 1974 catalog with a ⅞” x 30” barrel in .36 or .45 caliber and a 14” LOP, and
  2. the Little Leman, which was listed in the 1974 and all the later catalogs, was a scaled down version of the Trade Rifle. It was similar to the Squirrel Rifle, but with shorter LOP.
Picture and description of the Squirrel Rifle from a 1973 catalog. Below is an example of a Leman Squirrel Rifle. The barrel is a ⅞” x 30” Douglas barrel in .45 caliber. The length of pull is 14 inches.

IMG_1772_Squirrel-Rifle_adj.jpg
Little Leman Rifle
76-GRRW-Catalog-Little-Leman002.jpg
The H.E. Leman's Squirrel Rifle was listed in a 1910 catalog with a ⅞” x 28” barrel in .36 caliber with a 14” LOP. I found another listing of the same guns (used) in 1936 and 1937 by different dealers. My father couldn't pass up on one of these guns seen 1936 and brought it home.

Like GRRW we have two versions of the Leman Squirrel Rifle that they offered: Ours is just a little different in stock lengths and calibers.

GRRW.CA Model One Squirrel Rifle is shown with a ⅞” x 28” barrel in .36, .40 or .45 caliber and a 14” LOP - full stock - flintlock and
leman-trade-rifle-flint-parts-list_1.jpg
"Squirrel" H.E. Leman Indian Trade Rifle
GRRW.CA Model Two Squirrel Rifle is shown with a ⅞” x 28” barrel in .36, .40 or .45 caliber and a 14” LOP - 1/2 stock - percussion ignition.
IMG_1435_crop.jpg
"Squirrel" H.E. Leman Trade Rifle
Our customer thinks Model One in .40 caliber with a 14” LOP - full stock/flintlock will fill his needs.

I talked to Carl Walker at noon today for his thougths on this build, we both have seen such a gun years ago at a gun show in Denver. We both think it was like our Model One in .36 caliber with a 14.25” LOP - full stock - flintlock. We are not sure on the measurement of the width of the barrel but will go with the 7/8's across the flats like GRRW used.

I'll keep you informed on the progress of this project.

org.leman.trade.rifle (1).jpg
Original H.E. Leman Indian Trade Rifle

.
 
Last edited:
I like those! Are they only 28" barrels, or can one get it longer (32")? The number 2 in flintlock with .45, 32" barrel would sure be nice in my estimation!
 
.
We can build you whatever you want, just like done at H.E. Leman in the day and at GRRW, your the customer.
.
 
I own a GRRW Little Leman. It’s a 1/2 stock in 45 caliber. Saw it on a Muzzleloader page on FB contacted the owner and we did a deal. Fun little rifle.
Mike T
 
.
Thanks Mike, these pictures will help in scaling the size between a full size and the smaller rifle.
.
 
.
Measurements would help Carl (instead of guessing). I start messing with this I start feeling better Mike. Just finished an article about Medina (posted here) - old memories).
.
 
Hey Buck, glad to see your recovery is coming along and you're feeling up to posting more.

Here's an origianl "little" Leman I bought a few years back. It has a ⅞” x 31⅞” barrel is is about .36 caliber. The LOP is 13". The whole rifle is scaled down proportionally to match the ⅞” barrel.

IMG_4075_crop.jpg
IMG_4096_crop.jpg

This rifle was originally a full stock and was cut back to half stock sometime during its working life. The barrel was probably shortened about four inches during the conversion. The nose cap is the original muzzle cap from when it was a full stock. The underrib is made of two pieces that were probable scrap that the gunsmith that converted it had laying around.
 
.
Yes, finally starting to heal-up and move, have Physical Therapy three times a week for 36 appointments. Lost 42lb. and 50% of my musle mass, now trying to rebuild. Wife laughts at my clothes was a 40 in waist, now a 36 in waist - wearing suspenders to keep pants up. With heart attach, triple by-pass surgery one month, then following month gallblatter dies and is removed really kick my butt.

This is what I was hoping for Phil, figured you or Bob Allen or another collector had one. This will save a lot of guessing on measurements. I really like the down sized version, cool little gun.


littleman.jpg
Thank you, if Carl has questions he'll contact you if that's OK. Talking to Dave R. at TOTW about some special items needed for new build now.

Buck


.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top