I shoot ML rifles often and like a lot of folks wanted an affordable quality sidearm in the same caliber as my rifle. I picked Lyman's Great Plains Pistol. I wanted a .54 but ended up with a .50, after all I had a .50 rifle too.
I've had this pistol for about 25 years and I've shot it some however it's probably been 5 years since it's left the house. I'd planned to meet a friend at our club's pistol range today to shoot suppository slingers but I really had the bug to burn blackpowder. This morning, as I was packing up my goods, I threw in my Lyman GPP and the bare minimum essentials I'd need to fire it. Man did I have fun shooting that thing. I loaded it up with 30 grains of FFFG, a .490 cast ball wrapped in a .017 spit lubed ticking patch and proceeded to punch about a 1-1/2" ten shot group at 50' from a rest. It hit just a hair to the left but dead on for elevation, good enough to impress my shooting buddy. When I got home cleaning that short barrel was a breeze. I think I'll be shooting this gun quite a bit more in the future. I'd forgotten just how much fun it can be.
I've had this pistol for about 25 years and I've shot it some however it's probably been 5 years since it's left the house. I'd planned to meet a friend at our club's pistol range today to shoot suppository slingers but I really had the bug to burn blackpowder. This morning, as I was packing up my goods, I threw in my Lyman GPP and the bare minimum essentials I'd need to fire it. Man did I have fun shooting that thing. I loaded it up with 30 grains of FFFG, a .490 cast ball wrapped in a .017 spit lubed ticking patch and proceeded to punch about a 1-1/2" ten shot group at 50' from a rest. It hit just a hair to the left but dead on for elevation, good enough to impress my shooting buddy. When I got home cleaning that short barrel was a breeze. I think I'll be shooting this gun quite a bit more in the future. I'd forgotten just how much fun it can be.
