"Make: Colt
Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame
Serial Number: 86160
Year of Manufacture: 1900
Caliber: .38 CLMR (.38-40 Winchester)
Action Type: Slide / Pump Action, Full Length Tube Magazine Fed Rifle
Barrel Length: 26”, Tapered Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a german silver blade in a slotted base dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “V”-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The top tang is drilled, tapped and filled for a peep sight (none included).
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are walnut with a two-piece checkered slide handle, straight wrist, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches with a few more notable dings. The checkering is well defined. The LOP measures 13 3/8"" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has mostly worn to white or gone to a light patina with scattered light surface oxidation. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is some minor erosion in the bore, mostly toward the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+ out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is some scattered light wear, mostly on the receiver and magazine tube. The top tang is mostly worn to white. Most worn areas show discoloration from oxidation and there is some other scattered minor oxidation. There are light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: Around the 1880s, Colt was looking to diversify but both Remington and Winchester had the rifle market sewn up. Besides their lever-actions, there were also new slide action rifles. Colt concentrated on this design concept and in 1884 introduced a gun with a short slide action that was so slick and so fast they dubbed it the “Lightning”. The advertising said it all: “Nothing was faster than lightning”.
Dr. William H. Elliot, a dentist by trade, designed the gun. Half hobby, half side job, Elliot liked to tinker with things and over the course of his life came up with at least 130 inventions. Since he lived in Ilion, New York, he often went to Remington and showed them the interesting things he was working on. When Remington didn’t bite on his new rifle design, he sent a letter to Colt, who loved it. The handy rifle’s tubular magazine could hold as many as 16 rounds, depending on caliber. It came in three varieties: small, medium, and large. Each of these guns had the same set up, with a deep-blued finish, case hardened hammer, American walnut stock and fore-end, and open sights. They were light, going 6.5-pounds or so.
The medium frame guns, chambered for .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40 Winchester calibers, marketed as 32, 38 and 40 CLMR (Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle), were the most popular, using some of the same cartridges as Colt’s Single Action Army and with ammunition already being produced for Winchester’s rifles. Ultimately, the rifle was discontinued as Winchester and Colt came to the agreement that Winchester would produce rifles, Colt would produce handguns, and nobody needed to make the market competition get ugly. This example is a 1900 production medium frame chambered for .38-40. It is in great shape considering its age of 125 years, the bore is in better condition than most we have seen and the mechanics are still spot-on. This will make for a nice example of the Colt Lightning and would be an excellent addition to any safe in America. Please see our pictures and good luck!
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