Lyman .54 Plains Pistol

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Nasty Canasta

Nasty Canasta

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I put this kit together last year as a companion to my 54 Hawken rifle. I wanted something a little different so I carved the grip to fit my hand, rather than the simple smooth ones I see on everything, & added a flur de lis for some decoration. Blued most parts & browned the barrel for some contrast after draw filling all the stupid black powder warnings stamped on the barrel to make it look a bit more period. Kept me occupied for several weeks & it’s a good shooter.
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I have one that I put together from a kit. I browned all the furniture, and removed the BP warning stuff from the barrel. I sorta wish i did some customizing of the stock the the OP's. Maybe some time in the future. My gun shoots 2" groups at 40 yards with 40 grains of 3f from the bench. I hope to take a deer with it in the near future.
 
Nice work, and I especially like the stock carving! The Fleur-de-Lis is impressive.
 
Nasty Canasta

Very well done! Like all of the added customization that you did as well (especially the belt hook)!
 
Thanks guys. These kits are still available but you have to hunt around for them & like everything they've gone up & a lot of places show them out of stock. The belt hook's part of the kit & they do give you a filler if you choose not to mount it.
I really got back into black powder to slow the pace down a bit so I wasn't shooting hundreds of modern cartridges at our weekly range visits & it does that quite well- reminds you to make every single shot count.
I've been eyeballin' a blunderbuss kit for the next BP project-something like this
https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/traditions-blunderbuss-kit-54-caliber-percussion.html
 
Nice fleur-de-lis. We had to build that miserable Traditions Trapper (the purpose was to learn different skills incidental to building the Trapper) and the only fancy thing I did was outline the lock and put a matching panel on the opposite side. Didn't get any extra points for it though.
 
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I fire a heavy load, (when hiking/hunting/exploring/woods-bumming) so that bow-handle wrap works well for me.
 
That is Bow Handle wrap. I get it from Three Rivers Archery. It's tough, does not squirm around. I have it on a couple of 65 pound long bows, and again, it's tough and stays put. All you do is peel off a layer of tape to expose the sticky side, and put it on.

On stock cracking with the Plains Pistol, other than having a very defective piece of wood, what can happen with heavy loads is that if the bolster is contacting the lock plate, that can drive the lock plate, and the cross bolt back, cracking the stock. If you make sure there is a small gap between the bolster and lock plate, it should be good to go with heavy loads.

I don't shoot the super heavy loads all the time, but I've shot them enough sighting in, and emptying the gun with no problems. When I'm packing it along with a bow-n-arrow and want serious back-up, I will load the 240 grain PA conical over 60 grains, or a round ball over 70. Recoil with those loads is "stout" and the wrap really helps keeping the pistol from rolling back too much. If I'm packing a rifle, then I find that 50 grains under either a bullet or ball is a good compromise between the really heavy loads, and the light loads.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
That is Bow Handle wrap. I get it from Three Rivers Archery. It's tough, does not squirm around. I have it on a couple of 65 pound long bows, and again, it's tough and stays put. All you do is peel off a layer of tape to expose the sticky side, and put it on.

On stock cracking with the Plains Pistol, other than having a very defective piece of wood, what can happen with heavy loads is that if the bolster is contacting the lock plate, that can drive the lock plate, and the cross bolt back, cracking the stock. If you make sure there is a small gap between the bolster and lock plate, it should be good to go with heavy loads.

I don't shoot the super heavy loads all the time, but I've shot them enough sighting in, and emptying the gun with no problems. When I'm packing it along with a bow-n-arrow and want serious back-up, I will load the 240 grain PA conical over 60 grains, or a round ball over 70. Recoil with those loads is "stout" and the wrap really helps keeping the pistol from rolling back too much. If I'm packing a rifle, then I find that 50 grains under either a bullet or ball is a good compromise between the really heavy loads, and the light loads.
Click to expand...


Thanks so much and my son makes Horse Bows and has that tape ! Ill have him him do it like yours. Ill check and relieve those areas if needed . Thank you !
I use 50 grains FFFG with a round ball normally . When backing up my hunting rifle hunting I go up to 60 grains. I use Maxiballs in the Lyman .50 Deer Stalker rifle when hunting over 85 grains FFFG ,
 
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60 grains with the 240 grain slug is about the limit on recoil, for me, in order to still make an accurate shot. But I like the power, it must equal a good .357 load at least. 50 grains with a ball is no slouch, 70 grains and that ball really gets moving. !!!! :) But again, don't shoot those loads on a regular basis.
 
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