Make: United States Fire Arms MFG. Co. (USFA)
Model: Standard Grade Lightning Carbine
Serial Number: A558
Year of Manufacture: 1993 – 2009 / Modern
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester Centerfire (WCF)
Action Type: Slide-Action Side-Gate Loaded Rifle fed by Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 20" Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a ladder sight which presents a fixed u-notch when down and a sliding u-notch leaf when up, dovetailed to the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are three-piece checkered walnut with two-piece slide handle, smooth straight grip, straight comb and blued steel buttplate. There is no notable wear or damage, just light handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 5/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate is free of any wear outside of a small mark on the heel. The stocks are in Excellent overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue with Case Color hammer
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish is strong and complete throughout. There is no notable operational or handling wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Excellent condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This rifle is a replica of the Lightning made by the United States Fire Arms Mfg Co. (USFA) after they bought and took over the old Colt factory in Hartford, Connecticut. Originally, 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.
Since then, USFA has applied their same dedication to quality in producing replicas of these historic designs. Production was limited with a wide variety of options offered, so each of these rifles retains collector value. This gorgeous rifle will make a great addition to any collection. Don’t let it slide away!
