Lyman Plains Pistol
Lyman Products Corporation · Pistol · Discontinued · 1981
Also known as: Lyman Plains Pistol .54, Investarm Plains Pistol
Overview
The Lyman Plains Pistol is a modern reproduction .54-caliber single-shot percussion muzzleloader pistol modeled on the Hawken-style horse pistols carried by trappers and travelers across the American West in the mid-1800s. Built in Italy by Investarm for Lyman Products, it pairs a 9-3/4 inch blued octagonal barrel with a fast 1-in-30-inch rifling twist for accurate round-ball shooting, a color-case-hardened percussion lock accepting #11 or musket caps, a walnut stock, and polished brass furniture. A hooked patent breech allows quick takedown, and a detachable belt hook offers an alternative to holster carry. It is loaded from the muzzle with loose black powder and a patched round ball and fired by a single percussion cap.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1247 g (44.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 375 mm (14.76") |
| Barrel Length | 248 mm (9.76") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 250 m/s (820 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 466 J (344 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 762 mm (30.00") |
| 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
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloader
- Features: Single Shot, Octagonal Barrel, Hooked Patent Breech, Brass Trigger Guard, Wooden Ramrod, Fixed Iron Sights, Detachable Belt Hook
Variants
- Lyman Great Plains Pistol - Improved Model
Service history
Operators
- Civilian
Production
Production years: circa 1981-present
A production black-powder reproduction; exact numbers are not published. Lyman's own catalog listing was later discontinued while the Investarm-built pistol remains available through muzzleloading retailers.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Marketed under the Lyman brand and manufactured in Italy by Investarm. Numeric figures reflect the standard .54-caliber percussion configuration; ballistics vary with powder charge. The later Lyman Great Plains Pistol is an improved, more historically styled development of the same pattern.
Background
The plains or 'horse' pistol was the sidearm of the mountain man and Santa Fe trader, a big-bore percussion companion to the Hawken rifle. Lyman's reproduction revives that trapper's pistol of the 1840s-1850s with modern steel and a match-grade barrel, letting black-powder shooters and living-history reenactors carry a faithful .54-caliber Hawken-style pistol.