Lyman plains pistol

[traceywalker]

Just recently saw a Lymans plains pistol in .54 cal at our local range. After seeing this thing put four very large holes in about a 2" circle at 20 yards, I'm pretty much sold. I've built a Lyman GPR in .54 and after 5 years I still love it! Any info on the plains pistol would be appreciated. I understand there may be an issue with the stock cracking under heavy loads.
Thanks before hand.
Trace--

 

[Matt85]

i just picked up a Lyman 50 cal pistol myself but havent shot it yet so i can onley tell you the things ive read about it.

the pistols have a reputation for being super accurate but many people choose to overload these pistols which leads to the stock cracking. dont exceed the factory max load and the pistol wont fail on you.

ive been searching for a 50 cal pistol for weeks and as far as shooters go the Lyman has the best reputation.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I have read of stocks cracking for both the Lyman Pistol and the TC Patriot. Some say from over loads. Some say from repeatedly banging the heck out of them to load tight patch ball combinations. Or perhaps from placing the butt of the pistol grip on the bench to start the ball. I saw a guy break the stock of a Spanish made pistol doing exactly that. While the grain running through a rifle transfers the force of ramming a tight patch and ball to the butt stock, the "L" shaped grip of a pistol causes stress at about where the stock is mortised for the lock, tang and trigger.

So unless you hold the pistol through the loading process, get, trade for, or make a loading stand that conforms to the curve of the grip to take the stress or don't load such a tight patch ball combination.

 

[F.G. Ford]

The Lyman .54 GPR is an awesome rifle, the pistol is the same, but many who get the pistol try to make it a super magnum pistol, just because it is .54 cal. At 20-25 yds. they will shoot well, but there is no way to deny the actal bullet drop over any given long distance.
So 30 grs. of 2f or 3f will give you all the velocity needed to punch holes in paper, at 25 yds.
As the previous thread mentions breaking the stock while loading with a tight ball/ patch will contribute to breaking the stock.
I do not believe you can purchase a better muzzleloading pistol.
Old Ford

 

[ihuntsnook]

Agreed Old Ford. 25 yards should be a long shot for a muzzleloading pistol. A good group there is all you should ask.

 

[buttonbuck]

Son and I built from a kit, our first I enjoy shooting the plains and other muzzleloaders so much more than center fires. with 45 grains of GOEX 3f and a PRB I can hunt deer with it in Illinois. It is most accurate with 20-30gr of 3f goex and a pillow ticking patch. I still have a goal of harvesting a deer with the gun. I did shoot a maxi ball out of the gun once with a light powder charge. It is recoil enough to make you stupid. more than large centerfire pistol.

 

[BFJ]

I have shot mine for about 15 years. No problems so far, the load I used in my .50 is 30 grains of FFG with a patched .490 ball. These guns will shoot great groups. One thing I have notice is the barrel and wegde are a very tight fit. Good luck with yours.

BFJ

 

[CaptainKirk]

Recently fired my .50 for the first time with 30gr Pyro P behind a .490 PRB. Very well-mannered and pretty accurate as well. I'll keep it!

 

[mazo kid]

I took the barrel out of the stock and drilled a hole under the tang down into the buttstock. Glued a dowel in place and I don't think I will ever have to worry about a cracked buttstock! This is what I am talking about:

 

[bob308]

your fix is very good. i have fixed a few mauser rifles the same way. have never had a come back.

 

[traceywalker]

Many thanks to all of you for your responses. Looking forward to starting this one. The cracking issue seems to be one I can beat by using moderate loads and building a range loading brace. Maybe even the dowel idea.
Again thanks.
Trace---

 

[pab1]

Agreed Old Ford. 25 yards should be a long shot for a muzzleloading pistol. A good group there is all you should ask.

They are pretty accurate well beyond that and you don't need a "magnum" load. I can break clays with mine at 100 yards with a light load of 20gr 3F on a regular basis. I don't hit the clay on every shot but misses are not off by much. I chronied this load at 655 fps so there is about a half second delay between the shot and the impact. I do a lot of long range shooting with big bore centerfire handguns using the Elmer Keith method of long range handgun shooting. You do this by holding the front sight on target and lowering the rear sight down to a mark on the front blade to lob the ball in. Put in some practice time and you'll be surprised how accurate this method can be.

To do this, find an accurate load for your gun at 20-25 yards. Then shoot it from a good rest off a bench (to reduce as much human error as possible when sighting in)at 100 yards slowly working your way down the front sight with a small piece of masking tape. A backstop/berm with loose dirt works best when doing this since your impact will be easily seen. Once you hit the proper spot on your front sight confirm that it impacts at the same point for you offhand and make a permanent mark there. Now your ready to have a lot of fun! With the 20gr 3F load my mark is about 3/4 of the way down the front sight.

 

[pab1]

I understand there may be an issue with the stock cracking under heavy loads.
Thanks before hand.
Trace--

I might be wrong but I believe the "Worlds Most Powerful Pistol" put out by Restoration Firearms is based on a Lyman Plains Pistol. I have never heard from anyone who owns one so I can't say how well they hold up under heavy loads.

http://restorationfirearms.com/OnlineCatalog.html

The heaviest load I shoot in mine is 45gr of 3F with a .530 ball which averaged 890fps over my chrony. Its accurate out to 50 yards but impacts about 3" to the right of my favorite 20gr load at that distance. I have not shot this load much beyond that distance because I don't want to constantly adjust the sights for both loads. One thing to consider is the diminished returns you get from shooting heavier loads, especially in a short barrel. I noticed the velocity gains were very small as I got closer to the 45gr charge.

 

[pab1]

The Plains Pistol is an excellent small game gun. Here are two grouse taken last year with a 20gr 3F charge, .018 pillow ticking patch and a .530 ball.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

As for most powerful, Geesh. I have a few of those unmentionable easy button pistols and per the manufacturer, when loaded with 80 grains it beats many factory 44 Mag statistics. And that isn't even max load.

I have never owned a Lyman pistol, but handled them. Seem very well built. Not available in flint, which is required for the PA three week flintlock season.

As for distance, all things are relative. When you can load up to rifle round ball stats, there is absolutely no reason why you are limited to 25 or even 50 yards. Though the eyes aren't what they once were, I can still hit a paper plate at 50 yds with a deer killing round ball that exceeds what some get from their rifles. With my scoped Hawkeye, I can hit the paper at 100 yds. I am getting better. there is no reason why that pistol is insufficient for 100 yd whitetail.

The lyman is limited by the configuration of the breech plug. It burns less in it's barrel length than a direct ignition system like an underhammer or in-line.

A 54 is capable of better burning because of the larger diameter. There is no reason why a 50 or 60 grain charge can't be utilized in a Lyman, except for possible stock weakness.

Incidentally, there used to be some stuff called "wood petrifier" Looked like water. Soaked into the wood and then hardened like epoxy resin. Soaking a kit gun stock in wood petrifier before final finishing might help strengthen the stock.

 

[rodwha]

I'm curious as to why the dowel helps strengthen it.
What is the max load for this pistol (.50/.54 cal)?

 

[pab1]

What is the max load for this pistol (.50/.54 cal)?

Here is what the Lyman manual lists as max loads.
.50 - .495" RB 40 grs. 3Fg
.54 - .535" RB 50 grs. 3 Fg

 

[traceywalker]

Just received my .54 LPP kit. The outside packing box (twice the size of the orange Lyman pistol box) was almost totally smashed and torn. The inside orange box was 100% fine. As with our (my son's and mine) GPR kits, the metal parts, stock and basically everything else was great. I'm always impressed with Lyman kits. We had one of the most memorable times ever building our GPRs. I'm not a particularly good shot but at rest or offhand, these things will group well enough for any application target or game. The only modification we made was the addition of the Deer-slayer double set (virtually drop in) triggers. Best triggers I've ever shot with. Any last suggestions before I start the pistol kit?
Again many thanks...Trace

 

[rodwha]

ranger: I'm curious about the trigger you mentioned. I looked on Lyman's site and didn't see anything listed.
It would be great if there was one available for their Deerstalker.

 

[traceywalker]

Actually the trigger set is made by R.E. Davis not Lyman. It's called the Davis Deerslayer. Just Google (or whatever) R.E. Davis and look in their trigger page under item # 1007. Nice photo. Works with Thompson Center as well. This was the single most useful modification we made to our GPR kits. Completely adjustable, very smooth, zero creep and with the exception of a few seconds of sanding, completely drop in. Hope that helps. Not sure if it fits other Lyman rifles.