Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive antique Colt Medium Frame Lightning Magazine Rifle chambered in .32-20 W.C.F. and manufactured in 1895. Serial number 76647 places it late in the production life of Colt's famous slide action sporting rifle, and this example retains its desirable 26" octagonal barrel, full length magazine, adjustable buckhorn rear sight, handsome walnut butt stock, and wonderfully aged mixture of faded blue, plum, and gray patina. It has clearly seen genuine sporting use over its long life, with a replacement fore stock, missing breech cover, and several mechanical points noted below, but remains an appealing example of one of Colt's most distinctive late 19th century repeating rifles.

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 during the 1880s, the Colt Lightning was one of the earliest commercially successful American slide action repeating rifles. Rather than compete with Winchester and Marlin using another lever action design, Colt adopted a manually operated fore end that cycled the action by sliding backward and forward. The Medium Frame version became the most numerous member of the Lightning family and was chambered for the popular .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40 class of cartridges.

This rifle is chambered in .32-20 W.C.F., with the barrel marked over the chamber:

.32 Cal.

The .32-20 was a popular late 19th century sporting cartridge particularly well suited to small game, pest control, and general farm or field use. Colt offered its Medium Frame Lightning in this chambering alongside the larger .38-40 and .44-40 cartridges.

The rifle is fitted with a standard length 26" octagonal barrel. Octagonal barrels were available at extra cost and give the rifle the classic sporting profile associated with higher grade 19th century American repeaters.

The rear sight is an adjustable buckhorn pattern, while the front sight retains its original base with a replacement nickel silver blade. The replacement blade is noticeably taller than the original configuration and is fully disclosed.

The serial number is stamped on the trigger guard:

76647

Published Colt serial information places this rifle in 1895 production, with Medium Frame numbers beginning that year at approximately 76000 and reaching approximately 79000 by 1896.

The top of the barrel remains clearly marked:

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.

These patent dates record the continuing development of Colt's Lightning action during the 1880s and remain an important identifying feature of later Medium Frame production.

The rifle remains mechanically active during manual inspection. The slide action cycles smoothly and the hammer releases with a crisp dry fire. There is, however, noticeable looseness or "slop" in the mechanism from long wear. We have no practical way to verify whether cartridges feed correctly from the magazine, so magazine feeding is untested.

We also noted that the firing pin retaining component in the breech block is somewhat loose, allowing the firing pin to project slightly from the rear of the block. This should be regarded as a mechanical deficiency requiring attention.

The sliding dust or breech cover normally fitted to the top of later Medium Frame Lightning actions is missing. The rifle remains operable during manual cycling, but the absence of this component is readily apparent and affects completeness.

The exterior metalwork is in very good service used condition with no indication of major modern restoration. The receiver shows evidence of old peppered oxidation that has since been cleaned away, while the barrel has developed an attractive worn plum patina with portions fading toward light gray from handling and cleaning.

The original Colt rampant horse or "Prancing Pony" marking on the left side of the receiver has been completely worn away through use and past cleaning.

The bore is in good condition and still retains visible rifling, although it shows definite wear together with evidence of past fouling and oxidation that has since been cleaned. The lands remain comparatively bright, while the grooves show darker traces of old fouling.

There is also a visible ring in the bore approximately 3" from the muzzle. We do not feel a corresponding external bulge in the barrel, but the internal ring is clearly present and is fully disclosed.

The walnut stocks are in very good condition overall and have developed the attractive red brown coloration associated with well aged Colt sporting rifles. The grain is especially appealing on the butt stock, which appears to have received a varnished finish many years ago.

The fore stock appears to be an old replacement rather than the original Colt component. Its profile differs from the correct factory form, it lacks the checkering expected on a standard Medium Frame Lightning fore end, and the screw fittings do not match the original pattern. The replacement itself has considerable age and blends reasonably well with the remainder of the rifle.

The butt stock is particularly attractive, retaining strong grain and a pleasing aged surface with only the expected handling wear from use.

With its 1895 production date, desirable .32-20 W.C.F. chambering, 26" octagonal barrel, clear Colt address and patent markings, smooth operating Lightning action, handsome walnut butt stock, and honest sporting patina, this is a very appealing antique Colt repeater. Its replacement fore stock, missing breech cover, internal bore ring, and mechanical wear prevent it from being described as an untouched example, but those details also reflect a rifle that clearly spent a long working life in the field. It would make an excellent addition to a Colt long arms collection, an Old West sporting rifle display, or a grouping devoted to unusual American repeating action designs of the late 19th century.

Specifications:-
Year of Manufacture: 1895
Manufacturer: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Model: Lightning Medium Frame Rifle
Serial No.: 76647
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.