Original U.S. Colt Medium Frame .44-40 Lightning Pump Action Magazine Rifle made in 1888 - Serial 30544

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a most attractive Colt Lightning Magazine Slide-Action Rifle, with a lovely Antique glow around it. The serial number 30544 stamped on the trigger guard indicates manufacture in 1888. The 26" round barrel is marked .44 Cal. above the chamber, indicating that this rifle is in .44-40 Winchester, a popular caliber of the time. It features an iconic "Buckhorn" rear adjustable sight, with the classic front sight, which has had the blade replaced with a nickel silver one, now glued in place. It features the classic front sight with a replacement nickel silver blade, and a lovely "Semi-buckhorn" rear adjustable sight.

The top of the barrel is marked with the manufacturer information, which is clear:

COLT'S PT F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.
PATENTED MAY 29.SEPT. 18.83.MAY 26 85.JUNE 15.86.FEB. 22.87.

Offered with a crisp tight action in fully functional condition. The rifle cycles well, with a smooth action and crisp dry fire, though we have no way to check to see if the magazine will feed. The metalwork is in very good condition, with no signs of major cleaning or restoration, though there is some repaired damage on the right front magazine tube. The original blued finish is very well retained on the barrel, however the magazine tube and receiver, which were probably originally case colored or niter blued, now show an aged gray patina. The original "Prancing Pony" is unfortunately mostly worn away, with only traces still visible.

The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some rounding to the lands, as well as some areas of past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away. There are also some rings of oxidation near the muzzle, but no signs of a bulge. We would probably rate the bore at about 6-7 out of 10, which is quite good for a black powder era repeating rifle in a very popular chambering. Stocks are in very good condition, showing great grain and the lovely red brown color of aged walnut. The checkering on the fore stock is in very good condition, though there is a crack on the lower left side, and also a chunk missing on the rear right. The butt stock is in very good shape as well, showing some gouges and chunks missing on the right side, as well as a personalized marking.

A lovely "frontier used" example of an early Slide / Pump action rifle, ready for display!

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: 1888
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Slide Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-round tube magazine

More on the Colt Lightning Rifle:

The Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle was a slide-action (pump-action) rifle manufactured by Colt from 1884 to 1904 and was originally chambered in .44-40 caliber. Colt eventually made the Lightning Rifle in three different frame sizes, to accommodate a wide range of cartridges, from .22 Short caliber and .38-40 to .50-95 Express. Its profile somewhat resembles the pump-action rimfire rifles made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Remington Arms. The Lightning saw use as a sporting arm in America and was adopted for use by the San Francisco Police Department, but was never as popular or as reliable as the various lever-action rifles of its day.

The medium-frame Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle was manufactured between 1884 and 1904. It was the first slide-action rifle offered by Colt. Colt records indicate 89,777 were produced, in .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40 as a companion arm to the Colt Single Action Army revolver. Two versions were offered: a rifle with a 26 in (66 cm) barrel and 15-round magazine, and a carbine with a 20 in (51 cm) barrel and 12-round magazine.

NOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.