I have read a few folks mention that these pistols will split/crack the wood if you use the max 50 grains? How many have had this happen? I'm leary of ruining my new .54, and so far have not put over 35 of grains of Pyrodex through it, although this seems like a mild load pushing a big .54 caliber round ball. Has anyone here taken any big or medium game with one of the Lyman pistols? Also, do you strip out the lockwork and clean that as well after shooting? The guide doesn't mention it, but it seems like the BP smoke/grime might work it's way inside after a long shooting session.
Lyman Plains Pistol Durability???
- Thread starter shurshot
- Start date
I use my .50 only for fun and have never carried it in the field. Never dismounted the lock on that particular gun but that isn't hard at all. Dismounting the lock is easy and it's a matter of removing a screw or two and pulling it out of the wood. I wouldn't disassemble it (besides, it has a coil spring that must be a pain to reassemble) but would swirl it in hot, soapy water and then tossed into the oven for drying afterwards.
I remember one fellow posting about using the .54 Lyman pistol as a backup gun for bear protection, and he wasn't planning on loading it past 60 grains due to the stiff recoil. That barrel should be able to handle 70 grains of powder without any safety issues, it's just whether or not your particular wood stock can handle the constant punishment from a heavy load.
Upping the load once in a while probably won't hurt it as much as loading it up more heavily each and every time. And you have some room for at least a couple incremental 5 grain powder increases so that you can begin testing the actual strength of your stock.
Not every stock will crack, it's just a possibility to be aware of, so then check the stock occasionally for signs of stress. If a crack did develop, maybe it could be pinned and fixed to be made stronger than it was originally. That's why the wood on many brands of guns are not warrantied at all.
I'm curious to learn if your lockwork is exposed underneath the barrel of your pistol or not? Or is it totally enclosed within the wood stock itself? If it's fully enclosed, then you shouldn't have to remove it as often. When the lockwork is exposed underneath a barrel, I usually place a piece of masking tape over it as a cover if the barrel channel has enough room to allow it. This helps to keep the lockwork free of ~99% of the fouling powder residue.
Upping the load once in a while probably won't hurt it as much as loading it up more heavily each and every time. And you have some room for at least a couple incremental 5 grain powder increases so that you can begin testing the actual strength of your stock.
Not every stock will crack, it's just a possibility to be aware of, so then check the stock occasionally for signs of stress. If a crack did develop, maybe it could be pinned and fixed to be made stronger than it was originally. That's why the wood on many brands of guns are not warrantied at all.
I'm curious to learn if your lockwork is exposed underneath the barrel of your pistol or not? Or is it totally enclosed within the wood stock itself? If it's fully enclosed, then you shouldn't have to remove it as often. When the lockwork is exposed underneath a barrel, I usually place a piece of masking tape over it as a cover if the barrel channel has enough room to allow it. This helps to keep the lockwork free of ~99% of the fouling powder residue.
Look again on this picture:
http://thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=53875&d=1172413608
The head of the wedge is flush with the escutcheon on the right side. On the left side wedge protrude about 1,5mm. Wedge can be easilly push in with the finger and pull out on the right side. Lockwork is not exposed underneath.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s231/Ledenko_sr/PlainsPistol-1.jpg
It is so on my .45 cal Plains pistol. I doubt that it is any different on .54 cal pistol. But anyhow thanks for the tip
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Thanks icy, then another way for fouling to enter the lock is through the crack around where the lock plate meets and fits into the wood stock.
Another tip is to carefully seal around this lock mortise area with beeswax to help seal it from having powder residue and weather elements seeping in. While I have never done this, some folks think that it helps to keep the lockwork cleaner & drier, especially if there are loose gaps.
Another tip is to carefully seal around this lock mortise area with beeswax to help seal it from having powder residue and weather elements seeping in. While I have never done this, some folks think that it helps to keep the lockwork cleaner & drier, especially if there are loose gaps.