Original Item: Only One Available. This is a particularly attractive early Colt Medium Frame Lightning Magazine Rifle with the honest finish, mellow walnut, and unmistakable appearance collectors look for in a well preserved 19th century repeating rifle. Serial number 20235, stamped on the trigger guard, falls within the documented 1886 production range. Chambered in the desirable .32-20 Winchester cartridge and fitted with its 26" octagonal barrel, this example retains substantial original blue, a clearly visible Colt "Prancing Pony" receiver marking, strong barrel markings, and a very good bore.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Introduced in 1884, the Colt Lightning was an important departure for a company best known for revolvers. Based on a design by Dr. William H. Elliot, Colt's Lightning was among the earliest commercially successful American slide action repeating rifles and gave the company a distinctive answer to the lever action rifles dominating the sporting market. The Medium Frame version was chambered for several popular centerfire cartridges of the period, including .32-20 Winchester, .38-40 Winchester, and .44-40 Winchester. Colt's choice of revolver length cartridges made the rifle especially practical for sportsmen and others who favored ammunition commonality between their shoulder arm and handgun.

The 26" octagonal barrel on this rifle is marked above the chamber:

.32 Cal

This marking is consistent with the rifle's .32-20 Winchester chambering, a popular small game and sporting cartridge of the period. The original adjustable rear sight has been replaced with a simple notch rear sight. A wear pattern visible on the top of the barrel indicates that a longer sight was previously installed in this location. The front sight has also been replaced with a fabricated all steel example.

The top of the barrel retains clear Colt manufacturer and patent markings:

COLT'S PT F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.
🞤 ELLIOT'S PATENTS MAY 29. 1883. Sept. 18. 1883. 🞤

These early patent markings are particularly appropriate for a Lightning manufactured during the first few years of production. Later Lightning rifles incorporated additional patent information as the design continued to develop, making the early Elliot marking an appealing period feature on this 1886 example.

The metalwork is in very good used condition overall and shows no obvious signs of major cleaning or restoration. A considerable amount of original bluing remains. The barrel has faded more toward a plum coloration, as has the magazine tube, while the receiver retains more of its original blue with finish worn through along the corners and other exposed edges. The original Colt "Prancing Pony" marking on the right side of the receiver remains visible, although it does show wear.

The rifle cycles well, with a smooth slide action and a crisp dry fire. We have no way to confirm whether the magazine will feed cartridges correctly. We also noted that the action does not lock in the forward position and can still be retracted easily even when the rifle is fully cocked. These observations describe the rifle only in its present mechanical condition.

The bore is in very good condition for a black powder era repeating rifle, showing a partly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some rounding to the lands as well as several small areas where past fouling and oxidation were present and have since been cleaned away. Even with this expected wear, the bore remains quite respectable for an 1886 sporting rifle that saw genuine period use.

The stocks are likewise in very good condition and retain considerable character from age and long use. The slide action fore end shows wear along its raised ends but still retains relatively strong checkering. The walnut has developed an attractive red brown coloration. There is no major damage to the fore end, although a hairline crack is present at the front on the right side.

The butt stock is somewhat darker in color and shows additional age and service wear. A chunk of wood is missing from the lower left side near the trigger guard, and there is a crack extending rearward from the receiver tang on the right side. These flaws are plainly visible evidence of the rifle's long working life and have been left fully disclosed.

With its documented 1886 serial number, desirable .32-20 chambering, 26" octagonal barrel, early Elliot patent markings, substantial surviving original blue, visible Colt "Prancing Pony," nicely aged walnut, and very good bore, this is an appealing early example of Colt's distinctive Lightning repeating rifle. Its combination of honest period wear and strong surviving original features would make it an excellent addition to an advanced Colt collection, an Old West sporting arms display, or a broader collection devoted to the development of American repeating rifles during the late 19th century.

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: 1886
Manufacturer: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Model: Lightning Medium Frame Rifle
Serial No.: 20235
Caliber: .32-20 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 43 Inches
Action type: Slide Action Repeater
Feed System: 15-round tube magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship these to the United Kingdom.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.