In Praise of a Lyman Great Plains
 

I had the first range session today with my recently acquired .50 caliber GP.



Right after opening the box two weeks ago I mounted a new black English flint in the cock, put a little powder in the pan, and snapped it off. The pan went up with a satisfying woosh. Did that four more times and got a good flash each time. Then I pulled the Lyman touch hole liner and replaced it with a RMC liner.

Today I toughed out fifty shots with the temperature hitting ninety-one degrees and humidity up to 88% by the time I quit - shooting 15 three-shot groups at 50 yards over a chronograph.

I'll post shooting results later, but this is about the gun's reliability and overall performance.

I didn't pick the touch hole liner as I shot. It went 21 shots before my first flash in the pan. Poked a wire in the flash hole and it was off and running again.

Got my first KLATCH with no pan ignintion on shot number 27 or 28. Lightly knapped the flint and she was off and running again. Got another KLATCH around shot number 40 and lightly knapped the flint again. Took four more shots and quit at number 45.

I was letting the barrel cool after every three shots. When I did that the pan fouling turned to soup and I had to wipe it out with a patch. But I never poked the vent throughout the entire shoot, except that one time.

So after a total of 55 successful flint strikes, two KLATCHES and two knappings, here's what the flint looks like.





Can you say "happy camper"?

Nice rifle Semi...I like mine too but I am still working on the ignition problems getting the flame from the pan to the main charge. On you next post can you take a pic of the touch hole in relation to the pan? I have a sneaky suspicion that my touch hole is too high.

The touch hole should be behind the heel of the frizzen when closed...This way powder can't get into it from the pan...Or the bottom of the touch hole should be a touch above or even with the top of the pan...

It's amazing how much that lock looks like a T/C lock...

BPS

Here you go Bronko.

I am very pleased with my rifle as well. I still have to work up the final load. But so far mine has impressed me as well.

Thanks Semi. Well I think I see the problem. My touch hole is on the wrong side!! (Just kidding - mine is a LH) Mine looks to be in the same position. Must be something in my loading procedure that occasionally causes a flash in the pan. I never had any trouble with my T/C flinters or my previously owned Lyman Deerstalker. Just this one for some reason.

Beautiful Rifle, I love the stock on these Lyman's.

Bronko, do you still have the Lyman touch hole liner in it?

Hey Semi;
Is that a Invest arms or a early made in USA gun? All the ones I see are import for Lyman.

Made in Italy zeek. So far as I know the Lyman rifles always were.
(Or were they? :confused2:)

No - the first thing I did was replace it with an RMC. (the allen socket type)

Rather than start a new thread: BUMP!


I have a GPR .50 ca 1979 with 6 lands, made in Italy.Love it.

Recently picked of a GPR flinter, ca 1997; it has 5 lands and significantly more shallow rifling.
also, almost appears to have false muzzle.


Nothing ever is as it was, of course, but it seems to me this may be more about cost-effectiveness than an advance in quality...

btw, Semi- any flint/flint size recommendation?

no lyman should have a false muzzle. Sounds like someone added one over time.

I doubt it's a false muzzle. More likely a previous owner coned the muzzle to allow thumb start of the ball.

I favor the Tom Fuller black English flints - 5/8" x 3/4".

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/.../1/FLINT-ENG-5

also my thought.

ENG-5, not the 5S?

Shallow rifling might mean it's the GRH. Great Plains Hunter. Have you checked what the twist? The Hunter 1-32.

Yes, the ENG-5 are 3/4" (6/8") long. The 5S are 5/8" long. The longer one if better suited to the Lyman lock, though both will work.