Make: Colt
Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame
Serial Number: 83161, San Francisco Police Issued
Year of Manufacture: 1898
Caliber: .44 CLMR, .44-40 Winchester
Action Type: Slide/Pump Action, Full Length Tube Magazine Fed
Barrel Length: 26", Round
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 tang sight, none present.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are walnut with a two-piece slide handle, straight grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have a few scattered minor marks. There is a tiny filled loss at the top-front corner of the wrist on the right. There are no cracks. 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, showing treatment with cold blue in the distant past. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good-plus condition as refinished Antique.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright, the rifling is sharp. There is some minor erosion in the bore. There is a nick on the inside of the crown. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches, most notable on the left of the barrel. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation, also most notable on the left of the barrel. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fine-Excellent 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. 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. Living in Ilion, NY, he often walked down to neighboring Remington and showed them his designs. When Remington didn't bite on his new rifle, 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 stocks, 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 44 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 fascinating one for Colt collectors, one of 401 ordered by the San Francisco Police in 1898. Chambered for .44-40, the rifles all had 26" round barrels and most saw limited use while in SFPD's care. This rifle is in Fine-Excellent condition as Antique. It retains about 87% of its metal finish, a nice bore, intact markings and strong mechanics. This will make for a wonderful example of a scarce San Francisco Police Colt Lightning and would be an excellent addition to any safe in America. Please see our pictures and good luck!
