Make: Colt

Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame

Serial Number: 70122

Year of Manufacture: 1892

Caliber: .44 CLMR (.44-40 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 barrel; a notch has been cut in the top-rear of the blade. The rear sight is a "V"-notch semi-buckhorn elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The top tang is drilled, tapped and filled for a tang sight (none present).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are walnut with a two-piece checkered slide handle, straight grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have some scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. There is handling wear in the grip areas. The checkering shows some wear, but is generally well defined. There is a tiny loss in the top-front corner of the wrist on the right and there are small cracks at the toe on each side. 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 some nicks and scratches. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition as antique.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5-6 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 35% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most remaining finish is in the barrel which has some scattered light wear. The magazine and receiver have mostly worn or gone to a light patina with some finish in protected areas or around raised features. There are scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is some light surface oxidation and infrequent minor erosion. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are generally clear, the rampant colt shows some wear, as is common. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good 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: This rifle comes with a Colt Archives letter confirming it was produced in its current configuration and shipped June 1, 1894 to Simmons Hardware in St. Louis, Missouri in a shipment of 30 guns of the same type.

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 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 came in three action sizes: 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.

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 medium frame rifle made in 1894 and chambered for .44-40. Despite being more than 130 years old, the rifle still retains some of its original blued finish and strong mechanics. The rifle is a nice find for Colt collectors and fans of early repeating rifles. Please see our pictures and good luck!