Fun with the Great Plains Pistol This Afternoon

I took my Great Plains pistol out shooting today, to test that everything was good for the gentleman who is buying it from me. After finding the right patch thickness this handgun proved to be a real shooter, delivering a ragged hole 3-shot group next to the bullseye at 16 yards.



As the temperature dropped in the valley where I was shooting I noticed that the smoke from the black powder was forming an inversion layer that snaked and crept through the vegetation in a really beautiful and ghostly way.







One of the many reasons why I love black powder muzzleloader shooting!

Good group with that Plains Pistol! Nothing quite like being out with your gun making some smoke.

Good shooting and photos!

So cool on the smoke. And good shooting!

Very beautifull photo !!!! Can you write size of caliber, ball and patch ?? and how many gr of powder? I've a 0,45 Plain Pistol and i'm still loking for just size patch. Thanks !!

PS: if you want to improove your trigger click here http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/285476/

Really magical. I love it. Both the shooting and the smoke.

Idricus, here is the load info:

20 gr of Goex 2ff black powder
.535 Hornady ball
Heavy denim patch of approx. .014 thickness (squeezed caliper reading), wetted with Moose Juice and squeezed out and cut at the muzzle.

I swabbed between shots with a patch dampened with Moose Juice, loaded the powder, topped that with a crumpled up square denim patch to keep the ball patch from blowing out, started the wetted/squeezed out patch and the ball with my ball starter and mallet, and cut the patch at the muzzle.

I used a shooting bag as a rest and was careful to not allow the barrel of the pistol to contact the rest. Slow breath, exhale and hold, slowly squeeze the trigger, and wait for the happy blast of fire and smoke!

R U sure that it is .45 cal.? I've never heard of a Plains Pistol in .45, only .50 and .54.

".535 Hornady Ball" = .54

I explain: Plain pistol is made in italy by Investarm, Lyman buy them by investarm also in .50 and .54 for american market.
But in Italy ( maybe in other countires) you can find .45 caliber. I live in italy near Investarm so i've buy the little caliber.
if you like i can send you some photo of my 0.45 plain pistol
This gun is a little heavier than .50

I have a question:
Do you think plain pistol 0.54 wil be more accurated ( 25 or 30 yard ) with 0.530 or 0.535 Round Ball ??

I'm not as experienced as most folks here, but from what I understand every barrel is different and has individual preferences for the ball diameter, patch thickness and powder charge that it likes best.

good post and fotos. :hatsoff:

Mattole: Love that still, moist Humboldt County air -- and miss it. It was not far from you that I fired my first muzzleloader 44 years ago -- a brass-framed 1851 Navy .36 imported by Hawes -- now long gone. I was a junior in high school when my dad agreed to buy it for me from a little shop in Rio Dell, or was it Scotia.

Thanks Idricus, that's a great insight for us. The .45 version is certainly new to me, had never heard of it...thank you for sharing that. Our sources here only list the origin as "Italy", nice to know. Both written sources I have, plus my own experience, all confirm 40 grains of FFFg as the optimum load. One source lists a load of 50 grains FFg and got within 30 fps of the same velocity. I used .013" Irish linen I found in Austin for patching. Sam Fadala, one of the two sources used the same patching, according to his notes. I would imagine that something in the 30 to 40 grains of FFFg will prove accurate in your .45 version...and yes, please, post pictures of your .45 Plains Pistol...it would be very interesting for us. :thumbsup:

Yes ! i show you my investarm plain pistol 0.45 with a little custom..
Next days i will edit a new post !!









Home made small box

Very nice looking pistol, did those sights come on it are did you put them on aftermarket? :hmm:

Original sights are like yours Layman Plain Pistol, the same sight.
I've buy this sight in american ebay shop this is Lyman adgustable sight. Very good !!!

Thanks :thumbsup:

BillinOregon said:

Mattole: Love that still, moist Humboldt County air -- and miss it. It was not far from you that I fired my first muzzleloader 44 years ago -- a brass-framed 1851 Navy .36 imported by Hawes -- now long gone. I was a junior in high school when my dad agreed to buy it for me from a little shop in Rio Dell, or was it Scotia.

Click to expand...

Hi Bill,
That shop was probably Grundman's Sporting Goods, which is still there in Rio Dell, run by the same family as when you bought your 1851. The folks there have been a great help to me over the years with guns and hunting advice.