Colt Lightning Rifle

[Hooker53]

Has anyone here done much with one of these? I'm wondering it being a 38 SC, LC?? If you can fire moderate smokeless loads in them. Anyone reloading for this? I have not looked to see availability for the brass yet but I'm sure if I'm Interested in it, it won't be cheap. Ha. Thanks all.

Roy
Hooker53

[Mk42gunner]

I never held one of the medium frame rifles in my hands, but I always thought the .38 caliber version was chambered for the .38 WCF/ .38-40/ whatever Colt called the same cartridge (.38CMLR at a guess).

I did have a chance to buy one of the small frame .22 Long versions, but passed since even in the late 1980's finding .22 Long was getting to be a very occasional thing.

Robert

[Hooker53]

Yes. I found a little info on this particular gun. 38-40 and is actually a 40 cal. Think it would be a fun gun to shoot. I may have to settle for a Uberti though and even they are not cheap.

Roy

[Vann]

I had one in 38-40 it was a fun rifle to shoot and had no problems shooting smokeless powder. It was a b/p Era rifle so the bore was a little rough but it shot well. Yes it was a medium frame the large frame came in 45/70, 45/90 and so on. I'm not sure what calibers the small frame came in the .22s for sure a 38 colt maybe. I had mine for cowboy shooting and got rid of it because it was to nice of a rifle to riun, and traded it to a collector.

[Vann]

Oh, and yes a 38/40 is a .40 cal bullet over 40 grains of b/p a fairly hard hitting round for its time and no slouch now. Beware if you do get one 38/40 brass us just as thin as 44/40 brass, it crushes very easy.

[Hooker53]

Van, I'm starting to see that a lot of the older brass like 38-40, 25-20 and 32-20 all have thin brass on the mouth and maybe the whole case. I wound up not getting the Lightning but it's still on my list. Not at the top mind ya!! Ha. I guess at the top would be a Marlin 27-S in 32-20. I have a 20-A and a 27 in 25-20 so would like to Finnish that family out.

Roy
Hooker53

[Hooker53]

Well a somewhat success. I made the stock. Bought parts to Finnish the rifle and have shot it just today. I'm having only one problem. For right now, it's a single shot. Ha. I have some timing and tuning to do once I gather enough info to start. The cartridge lifter is coming up a little high and is falling back to early during the cycle. Also having trouble loading it. The cartridge catch is not dropping down far enough to get a round in the magazine and yes I have the bolt back and open. All the way. Ha. I had to buy parts of coarse off of multiple guns so no telling what in gonna get have to learn to do before I get it right. On a brighter note, as bad as I was calling the bore, I'm grouping better then I fig it would. If anyone can sort through those troubles and has some input, please do.

Roy
Hooker53

[leadeye]

I rebuilt a 32-20 and am working on a 44-40, no issues like what you are experiencing. I had to make some new flat springs for the 32-20 as it was missing some, and wouldn't work at all.

[Hooker53]

Hello Leadeye. Glad to meet a new Lightning brother. Ha. Right after I posted the last post in this thread I became father to a 32-20 lightning project. I'm working on a new set of stocks for it now. I'm hoping when I zero in on it the 32/20 will give me an idea of what's going wrong with the 38-40. These things are a lot of work but fun to work with them. Let me know if you run across the problem I'm having with my 38-40 with your 44-40. If you get the casted bullet the correct Dia. It's amazing how well these old barrels will still shot. Ken Waters book has been a dream sent for loads on these old rifles. Good luck with yours and keep shooting.

Roy

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a Pedersoli Lightning 44/40 which I use for Western action shooting. Apart from a vary stiff magazine spring (I cut 4" of it) it feeds and functions perfectly

[leadeye]

I finished this up a while back, missing some parts and had to be the filthiest gun I've ever worked on. Sand and dirt through the whole action, parts didn't look like they had moved in a long time. Besides being a nice shooting 44-40 when I finished there were the markings of Western stamped into the receiver and barrel. Both of my sons are in the film business and told me this was a prop from WCC or Western Costume Company an old Hollywood prop rental place. I couldn't find much refrence to Lightnings in films except for the old spaghetti western For a Few Dollars More. A friend sent me this picture where you can see the back of a Lightning in Col. Mortimer's gun roll. No provenance that I can find, but my oldest son said that Carlo Simi, Sergio Leone's property master, dealt with WCC for this film.

[Hooker53]

WoW. Wouldn’t it be something if you found out you hold in your hand The Col gun? Looks like you are coming along well with your project. I haven’t done much to the ones I have since after I retired I went to work at a local Hospital and every time someone shows up sick and sent home I have to help out with their vac. I did buy a Taurus Thunderbolt in 45 LC and having a ball with that. I do need some 45 brass to reload badly but I know it will come around. Keep up the good work and keep shooting.