Need advise

DennisCA · January 15, 2014, 07:14 PM

FYI - I live in CA
A person on another gun forum has offered to sell me this:

Lyman .54 cal plains pistol
(The seller is a bit dirty and he hasn't shot it)
Prob w/shipping it will be around $200

The metal under the hammer doesn't look right or this normal?

Or I could get this for the around the same price:
http://muzzle-loaders.com/pistols/tr...cky-pistol.php

Your thoughs/comments?

51colt · January 15, 2014, 07:46 PM

It does not look like it has taken care of at all in fact it looks like it shot and put away without cleaning it. The most i would pay is 50.00 as a project. I was given a CVA that looks like the Traditions Kentucky pistol in the link in the same condition as the Lyman. I brought it back to live but it was a lot of work. If you look around you can find a good used Kentucky pistol for a 100.00.
51

Pahoo · January 15, 2014, 08:04 PM

Too many unknowns and at this price, you would really be taking a chance. Why don't you ask him if he has a 3-Day, no fire inspection period. This is a common practice. If he balks, at the idea, then that is a pretty good indication on it's condition. Quite often, I ask the seller to provide more pictures of the bore, muzzle, snail pocket of drum and nipple areas. Not always but if it looks rough on the outside, she's rough inside. .....

At face value, I'd pass on this one and even though I do prefer the Lymans, I'd go with the Traditions.

Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!

DennisCA · January 15, 2014, 08:13 PM

He said he just picked it up from a gun show and hasn't shot it.

bedbugbilly · January 15, 2014, 08:22 PM

For another $60 you could buy a kit from Track of the Wolf - all would be new and you'd have the fun of finishing it yourself. I know you probably want a "finished" pistol - but this one, which looks like it never saw a cleaning is way overpriced in my book. You might luck out and it would clean O.K. or . . . and that's a big OR . . . you could end up with a bore that was so rusted and pitted it couldn't be cleaned up.

Captainkirk · January 15, 2014, 08:24 PM

Looks OK to me. The receiver plate is CCH and looks a bit off-color anyway. I paid over 3 bills for mine. They are a marvelous gun to shoot. If you can examine the bore and the rest of the gun 'in person' and it looks good, I'd say go for it. It's gonna get shot anyway....

North East Redneck · January 15, 2014, 10:03 PM

If I feel any negatives about a purchase, I walk away. Another persons project can turn into a nightmare. Buy new.

Captainkirk · January 16, 2014, 12:08 AM

Be advised also that there have been problems with the .54's cracking at the grip part of the stock. No such troubles reported with the .50 cals but I have no idea why.

Hawg · January 16, 2014, 05:31 AM

It looks like splotchy case colors to me. The rest of the blued metal looks good.

Doc Hoy · January 16, 2014, 06:01 AM

I have seen relatively good specimens for a hundred or less.

January 15, 2014, 07:14 PM	#1
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	Need advise FYI - I live in CA A person on another gun forum has offered to sell me this: Lyman .54 cal plains pistol (The seller is a bit dirty and he hasn't shot it) Prob w/shipping it will be around $200 The metal under the hammer doesn't look right or this normal? Or I could get this for the around the same price: http://muzzle-loaders.com/pistols/tr...cky-pistol.php Your thoughs/comments?

January 15, 2014, 08:04 PM	#3
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Get more info from the seller ... Too many unknowns and at this price, you would really be taking a chance. Why don't you ask him if he has a 3-Day, no fire inspection period. This is a common practice. If he balks, at the idea, then that is a pretty good indication on it's condition. Quite often, I ask the seller to provide more pictures of the bore, muzzle, snail pocket of drum and nipple areas. Not always but if it looks rough on the outside, she's rough inside. ..... At face value, I'd pass on this one and even though I do prefer the Lymans, I'd go with the Traditions. Good luck and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

January 15, 2014, 08:13 PM	#4
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	just spoke to the seller He said he just picked it up from a gun show and hasn't shot it.

January 15, 2014, 08:22 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	For another $60 you could buy a kit from Track of the Wolf - all would be new and you'd have the fun of finishing it yourself. I know you probably want a "finished" pistol - but this one, which looks like it never saw a cleaning is way overpriced in my book. You might luck out and it would clean O.K. or . . . and that's a big OR . . . you could end up with a bore that was so rusted and pitted it couldn't be cleaned up. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

January 15, 2014, 08:24 PM	#6
Captainkirk Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2012 Posts: 144	Looks OK to me. The receiver plate is CCH and looks a bit off-color anyway. I paid over 3 bills for mine. They are a marvelous gun to shoot. If you can examine the bore and the rest of the gun 'in person' and it looks good, I'd say go for it. It's gonna get shot anyway.... __________________ "You gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"

January 15, 2014, 07:46 PM	#2
51colt Member Join Date: December 3, 2008 Posts: 50	It does not look like it has taken care of at all in fact it looks like it shot and put away without cleaning it. The most i would pay is 50.00 as a project. I was given a CVA that looks like the Traditions Kentucky pistol in the link in the same condition as the Lyman. I brought it back to live but it was a lot of work. If you look around you can find a good used Kentucky pistol for a 100.00. 51

January 15, 2014, 10:03 PM	#7
North East Redneck Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: Berkshire Hills Posts: 741	If I feel any negatives about a purchase, I walk away. Another persons project can turn into a nightmare. Buy new. __________________ NRA Patron Member SAF Life Member GOAL Member

January 16, 2014, 12:08 AM	#8
Captainkirk Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2012 Posts: 144	Be advised also that there have been problems with the .54's cracking at the grip part of the stock. No such troubles reported with the .50 cals but I have no idea why. __________________ "You gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"

January 16, 2014, 05:31 AM	#9
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	It looks like splotchy case colors to me. The rest of the blued metal looks good.

January 16, 2014, 06:01 AM	#10
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	I think 51Colt is right... I have seen relatively good specimens for a hundred or less. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search