.54 Lyman Plains Pistol

[user 43911]

Ordered one on Monday from Jedediah Starr , only place that had one in stock, Fed Ex just dropped it off. First thing is cleaning the typical Lyman junk out of it and off it, they must not sell at bunch as this one is dated 2014 (yes it's new), just in time for the weekend (load work up).

 

[10XPistol]

Nice! I've admired the profile of them in the past but would rather they made one in a much smaller caliber. Let us know how it goes.

 

[fourbore]

I was looking at these, becasue I have the GP rifle in 54. The rifle has a slow twist for round balls. The corresponding pistol is double. More / less 1:60 rifle and 1:30 pistol. Is there some theory or practical reason for this? I would have assume both wold be for shooting the same projectile. Now, I wonder what is going on.

 

[brazosland]

That twist is normal for pistols. It will shoot round ball very well.

Op, check the serial number against Lyman’s web page for the recall they had just to be safe.

 

[user 43911]

That twist is normal for pistols. It will shoot round ball very well.

Op, check the serial number against Lyman’s web page for the recall they had just to be safe.

The recall was for a 2017 run but I did check, just in case.
The hammer needs to be bent to line up with nipple (center that is), barrel cleaning done and the rifling is 10 thousandths (lands .540, grooves at .560), cleaned the now 6 year old preservative gunk from the lock and lubed with Mil-com TW25B , hammer drops at 1.5 pounds with a little stack, sights are short (I like) in height with a U notch rear, it's easy to see the pattern breech with a pistol but the opening is large just over .358" and cut with a ball end mill (looks to be), anyway now to get the hammer off (it don't want to move) so I can ease it over a bit.

 

[fourbore]

Being an older gun are the words "Lyman, etc" stamped as individual letters or is it a series of dots? Also is the tang flush with the stock or ~1/16 inch low? Is the stock walnut?

I use two screwdrivers as wedges from opposite sides of the lock to ease the hammers off.

I dont know what this means: "it's easy to see the pattern breech with a pistol but the opening is large just over .358" and cut with a ball end mill (looks to be) ". I mean, I understand each individual word but collectively I dont get the meaning or meanings.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Very nice gun! They are accurate and powerful.
They never seem to have any real problems ( issues ), they also make for good follow up shots as needed in hunting sometimes.
35-40 grains of 3F makes for an accurate load, and can reach out to fifty yards.
Have fun with your new toy.

 

[user 43911]

Being an older gun are the words "Lyman, etc" stamped as individual letters or is it a series of dots? Also is the tang flush with the stock or ~1/16 inch low? Is the stock walnut?

I use two screwdrivers as wedges from opposite sides of the lock to ease the hammers off.

I don't know what this means: "it's easy to see the pattern breech with a pistol but the opening is large just over .358" and cut with a ball end mill (looks to be) ". I mean, I understand each individual word but collectively I don't get the meaning or meanings.

Lyman etc is dots , tang is flush, stock is nice walnut.
My pattent breech statement was incomplete, it is easy to clean because the opening at the front is large unlike many others, on my (sold it) Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken the opening was the size of a .22 mop, the length of a pistol barrel makes it easy to see the area and how clean it is.

 

[user 43911]

I was looking at these, because I have the GP rifle in 54. The rifle has a slow twist for round balls. The corresponding pistol is double. More / less 1:60 rifle and 1:30 pistol. Is there some theory or practical reason for this? I would have assume both wold be for shooting the same projectile. Now, I wonder what is going on.

The pistols have a faster twist because of attainable velocity with black powder in short barrels and lower powder drop. Too slow a velocity combined with too slow a spin = poor accuracy, spin drift etc.

In the Lyman line the pistols have the deepest rifling 9-10 thousandths 1 in 30 twist,
GPR is 8 thou, 1 in 60 twist.
GPH is 4 thou, 1 in 32 twist.
Trade is 8 thou, 1 in 48 twist.
Deerstalker is 8 thou, 1 in 48 twist.
Stainless is 4 thou, 1 in 48 twist.

 

[user 43911]

Nice! I've admired the profile of them in the past but would rather they made one in a much smaller caliber. Let us know how it goes.

Get one, shoot it for a bit then sleeve it to .40 or your favorite cal. Could also just fit a spare barrel in the size you want.

 

[10XPistol]

Get one, shoot it for a bit then sleeve it to .40 or your favorite cal. Could also just fit a spare barrel in the size you want.

Wouldn't replacing the barrel with a smaller diameter be difficult if not impossible since the barrel channel is already predetermined for a larger one? It would have to be the same diameter barrel. In a smaller caliber it would probably end up very front heavy.

 

[user 43911]

I was thinking 15/16th with whatever bore size, or hex to round to cut weight at the nose.

 

[brazosland]

I am currently working my .54 barrel to octagon to round.

I have a .50 I am thinking about opening up to .58 smooth.

 

[user 43911]

Phil Coffin , on this forum

 

[brazosland]

View attachment 29991


Phil Coffin , on this forum

Bought a rifle from Phil. Stole that pic from him a year ago. File work is slow, but it’s coming along.

 

[user 43911]

Can't cost much to have a local machine shop turn it down, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

 

[brazosland]

Can't cost much to have a local machine shop turn it down, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

I like doing it myself. May be buying a belt sander though before too long. I took all the sharp edges off the breach as well, that is as much of an improvement as anything else in terms of it being more user friendly. The stock is getting a significant haircut as well. Looking forward to the end result...

 

[user 43911]

Pistol bug is getting me, next I'm thinking one of the following after I'm done playing with the Lyman.
On the other hand I find it hard to look at anything that does not have a hook breech, cleaning is very easy.

http://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/p-9/
http://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/p-4/
P.S.
This may be the answer for next one,
http://www.longrifles-pr.com/hawkenpistol.shtml

 

[Bad Karma]

I was looking at these, becasue I have the GP rifle in 54. The rifle has a slow twist for round balls. The corresponding pistol is double. More / less 1:60 rifle and 1:30 pistol. Is there some theory or practical reason for this? I would have assume both wold be for shooting the same projectile. Now, I wonder what is going on.

They both probably arrive at similar revolutions per second, RPS, given the much slower velocity of the pistols... RPS is really the important factor to be considered when stabilizing a projectile.

 

[user 43911]

They both probably arrive at similar revolutions per second, RPS, given the much slower velocity of the pistols... RPS is really the important factor to be considered when stabilizing a projectile.

Not adjusting for lose of velocity to target (distance etc) ,
GPR average velocity of a .535rb from it's 1 in 60 twist barrel = 1,500fps would give 300RPS.
GPP average velocity of a .535 rb from it's 1 in 30 twist barrel = 900fps would give 360RPS.
If my math is correct.

As I touched on someplace above a round ball traveling with too slow a velocity or too little spin will/can have poor accuracy, a ball from a rifled barrel spun too fast can also suffer the same fate, spin drift is a prime culprit in both too fast or slow velocity for a given twist, the only time a ball really benefits from being fast is in smooth bore because it's not being spun.
A sphere is aerodynamically and ballistic horrible, having no front or back with a CG in the center, add spin and the ball wants to walk in the direction of spin. Pushing velocity up on a sphere does not help after a point as speed increases resistance and drag increase aggressively negating any benefit.

P.S. Round ball ballistics are not the same as modern bullets.