Lyman Great Plains Rifle
Lyman Products Corporation · Rifle · In Production · 1982
Also known as: Lyman GPR, Great Plains Rifle
Overview
The Lyman Great Plains Rifle is a traditional half-stock percussion muzzleloading rifle patterned after the classic mid-19th-century plains rifles built by makers such as Hawken, Gemmer and Dimick. Chambered for the patched .54 caliber round ball, it features a 32-inch blued octagonal barrel with a slow 1-in-65-inch twist optimized for round balls, an oil-finished European walnut stock, a Hawken-style percussion lock, double set triggers, and traditional semi-buckhorn rear and silver blade front sights. Manufactured in Italy by Investarms and later Davide Pedersoli under the Lyman name, it has remained in continuous production since the early 1980s as a popular authentic-style hunting and target muzzleloader.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3992 g (140.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1270 mm (50.00") |
| Barrel Length | 813 mm (32.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Set |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 370 m/s (1214 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1020 J (752 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1651 mm (65.00") |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .54 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 54 cal round ball, 13.7mm ball, .54 caliber percussion
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Double Set Trigger, Semi Buckhorn Rear Sight, Silver Blade Front Sight, Hawken Style Lock, Wooden Ramrod, Coil Spring Lock
Variants
- Lyman Great Plains Hunter - Fast Twist Conical
- Lyman Great Plains Rifle Flintlock - Flintlock Ignition
Service history
Operators
- Muzzleloading hunters and sport shooters
Production
Production years: 1982-present
Originally built by Investarms of Italy; more recent Signature Series production by Davide Pedersoli.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Also offered in .50 caliber and in flintlock ignition. A faster 1-in-24-inch twist Great Plains Hunter variant is made for conical bullets and sabots. Sold both factory-assembled and in kit form. Drilled and tapped for the Lyman 57 GPR receiver aperture sight.
Background
The Great Plains Rifle recreates the heavy half-stock 'plains rifles' that fur trappers, buffalo hunters and pioneers carried across the American West in the 1840s and 1850s, when the powerful .54 caliber ball was favored for large game like bison and elk.