Lyman Trade Rifle
Lyman Products Corporation · Rifle · In Production
Also known as: Lyman Trade Muzzleloader
Overview
The Lyman Trade Rifle is a half-stock percussion muzzleloading rifle patterned after the trade guns and plains rifles carried by mountain men, pioneers and Native American traders in the 1830s to 1850s. Chambered in .54 caliber, it fires a patched round ball down a 28-inch barrel with a 1-in-48-inch twist that also stabilizes conical bullets. It features brass hardware, a walnut half-stock, a hooked breech for easy takedown and a single trigger, and remains a popular affordable rifle for traditional black-powder hunting and re-enactment.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3629 g (128.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1168 mm (45.98") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 340 m/s (1115 fps) |
| Effective Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1219 mm (47.99") |
| 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: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Half Stock, Brass Hardware, Percussion Lock, Single Trigger, Hooked Breech, Primitive Open Sights, Round Ball Twist
Variants
- Lyman Trade Rifle .50 Caliber - Caliber Variant
- Lyman Trade Rifle Flintlock - Ignition Variant
Production
Long-running catalog model still in current production; total output not publicly reported.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Notes
Also offered in .50 caliber and in a flintlock ignition version. The 1-in-48-inch twist is a compromise rate that shoots both patched round balls and conical bullets. Barrels for Lyman muzzleloaders are produced in Italy by Investarms.
Background
The trade rifle takes its name from the plain, sturdy long guns bartered to Native American tribes and outfitted to fur trappers heading west along the Oregon Trail, prized for reliability over ornamentation.