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Make: Colt
Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame Carbine
Serial Number: 49067
Year of Manufacture: 1890
Caliber: .32 W.C.F. (.32-20 Winchester)
Action Type: Slide / Pump Action, Full Length Tube Magazine Fed Rifle
Barrel Length: 26”, Octagon
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a silver blade set between a base dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a semi-buckhorn u-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel. There is a Lyman No. 1 Combination Tang Sight mounted on the upper tang. The stem of the sight is marked “PAT. JAN. 29./79.”, which would indicate the sight is a first variation since it does not have the May ’84 patent date. However, the sight does have a spring loaded stem that allows it to lock in the upright position, characteristic of the 2nd Variation. The aperture is large, with a tiny flip-down aperture in its center that can be used for target shooting.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are walnut with a two-piece checkered slide handle, straight grip, straight comb and steel carbine buttplate. The stocks have some scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. The checkering has smoothed at the peaks. The LOP measures 13 3/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has gone to a light to dark patina from the heel over the face to the toe. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stocks are in Excellent condition as antique.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some faint erosion down the length. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 8/10 for antique.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 70% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light operation wear. There are areas with strong blue mixed with areas of finish wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear with good detail in the rampant colt. There is thinning on the leading edges and some intermittent patches of thin corrosion. Overall, this rifle is in Fine condition as Antique.
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: the user pumped a moving arm set under the barrel and around a tubular magazine, kicking out a spent round and loading a new one with every “stroke”. 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 walked down to neighboring Remington and showed them the interesting things he was working on and 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, which made it very attractive. 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 rear and front 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 an 1890 production medium frame chambered for .32-20. It is an honest rifle, showing wear which could be considered light considering its age of more than 130 years. This will make for a nice example of the Colt Lightning and would be an excellent addition to any safe in America.