Make: Colt

Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame Carbine

Serial Number: 64373

Year of Manufacture: 1892

Caliber: .44 CLMR (.44-40 Winchester)

Action Type: Slide / Pump Action, Full Length Tube Magazine Fed Rifle

Barrel Length: 20”, Tapered Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade integral to a rectangular base, fixed to the barrel behind the front band. The rear sight is a folding ladder-style sight presenting a "V"-notch when folded down and with a "V"-notch slider on a ladder graduated from 2-9 in hundreds of yards, 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 carbine buttplate. The stocks have some scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. The wrist has small fills at the rear of each tang. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The buttstock has been refinished, but the slide handle appears original. The LOP measures 13 1/8" 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 nicks, scratches and surface erosion. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition as partially refinished antique.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling is worn, but visible. There is moderate erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 4 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 60% of its metal finish. There is scattered finish wear, most notable in the receiver and tangs. Some worn areas are going to a light patina. There are scattered light nicks and scratches with some more notable marks in the bottom tang. Both tangs have tool marks around the edges. There is some light surface oxidation and minor erosion. There are tool marks around most screw heads. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are clear with good detail in the rampant colt. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good-plus 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 as a Carbine and shipped June 21, 1892 in a shipment of 20 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 Carbine made in 1892 and chambered for .44-40. Despite being more than 130 years old, the rifle still retains the majority of its original blued finish and strong mechanics. This will make for a nice example of the Colt Lightning Carbine and would be an excellent addition to any safe in America. Please see our pictures and good luck!