Green River Rifle Works GRRW Plains .58 36″ Percussion Rifle 1972-1980
SOLD FOR: $2,375.00
LSB#: LSB260726JY001
Make: Green River Rifle Works (GRRW)
Model: Plains Rifle
Serial Number: 76
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1972-1980 / Antique
Caliber: .58 Caliber
Action Type: Single Shot, Percussion Muzzleloader with Double Set Triggers
Markings: The bottom of the barrel is marked “W.M. LARGE”, “GRRW”, “ROOSEVELT UTAH”, and “76”.
Barrel Length: 36″, Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a silver-colored blade dovetailed into the barrel. The rear sight is a fixed notch sight dovetailed into the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The tiger maple half stock has a straight wrist, a raised cheekpiece on the left, a curved metal buttplate, and a metal toe plate. The forend has two barrel wedges with oval escutcheons, a metal nose cap, and an entry pipe for the wooden ramrod installed beneath the barrel. There are a few small scratches and handling impressions. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 14 1/8″ from the front trigger and 13″ from the rear trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The stock is in Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Browned
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish. There are scattered light handling marks and minor edge wear, most noticeably on the buttplate. The lock has gray mottling, and the hammer has light decorative engraving. The screw heads show light tool marks with usable slots. The rifle is in Excellent overall condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly.
We did not fire this rifle.
As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: Green River Rifle Works belongs to the twentieth-century revival of traditional American gunmaking. Founded by Gary “Doc” White in March 1972, the company began in his garage before moving into larger quarters in Roosevelt, Utah. White developed rifles around the Leman and Hawken traditions, but turning those designs into regular production presented a very modern problem: obtaining enough barrels. GRRW initially used Douglas barrels, then established its own barrel-making operation with equipment purchased from William “Bill” Large. Large also trained Tanyu Howard, one of the men responsible for the company’s barrel work, passing specialist knowledge into the growing Utah shop.
The “W.M. LARGE” and “GRRW” markings on this rifle connect it to that circle of craftsmen. Large’s name identifies the specialist barrel-making tradition behind the piece, while the Roosevelt address places the GRRW association in the town where White’s enterprise developed. Its tiger maple half stock, two barrel wedges, and shaped cheekpiece also reflect the substantial stocking and fitting work involved in interpreting the old plains-rifle form. GRRW’s history helps explain why both a barrel maker’s name and a rifle company’s name can belong together on one example: the muzzleloading revival depended on established specialists passing their work and knowledge to a new generation of shops.