Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle CLMR Small Frame .22 S/L Pump Action 1900 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,075.00

WOA#: WY240516TM002

Make: Colt 

Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Small Frame 

Serial Number: 44587

Year of Manufacture: 1900 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .22 Short & Long (not Long Rifle)

Action Type: Slide / Pump Action, Half Length Tube Magazine Fed Rifle 

Markings: The top of the barrel is 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.” in front of the rear sight. The left shoulder is marked “22 Cal.”. The left side of the receiver has a Rampant Colt logo. The bottom tang is marked “44587”.

Barrel Length: 24”, Tapered Octagonal 

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a folding beech-style sight, presenting either a blade or a hooded, beaded post, dovetailed into the barrel. The rear sight is a “V”-notch elevator sight dovetailed into the barrel. The top tang is drilled and tapped with a folding tang sight installed, adjustable for elevation.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth wood with a straight grip, straight comb and checkered black hard rubber Colt buttplate. The slide handle has borders carved, typical of this era. The slide handle has a crack on the bottom, extending forward to the front edge from the mounting screw. There is a tiny loss at the top-front of the wrist to the right of the tang. There is a crack in the right of the wrist below the top tang. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs, and scratches. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has light wear, mostly around the edges, the checkering and rampant colt are well defined. Overall, the stocks are in about Good-Plus condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling shows moderate-heavy wear, but is generally visible. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 4 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Strongest finish is in the barrel. The exposed portions of the receiver and magazine tube have mostly gone to a light patina with finish remaining in protected areas or around raised features. There are scattered light nicks and scratches. There is some minor surface oxidation. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are generally clear, the rampant colt is shallow, as is common. Overall, this rifle is in Good condition.

Mechanics: The functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None 

Our Assessment: 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. The handy rifle’s tubular magazine could hold as many as 16 rounds, depending on caliber, which made it very attractive. It came in three varieties: small, medium, and large. Each of these guns had the same set up, with a deep-blued finish, case hardened hammer, American walnut stock and fore-end, and open rear and front sights. They were light, going 6.5-pounds or so. The medium frame guns, chambered for .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40 Winchester calibers, marketed as 32, 38 and 40 CLMR (Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle), were the most popular, using some of the same cartridges as Colt’s Single Action Army and with ammunition already being produced for Winchester’s rifles. Ultimately, the rifle was discontinued as Winchester and Colt came to the agreement that Winchester would produce rifles, Colt would produce handguns, and nobody needed to make the market competition get ugly.

This example is an 1900 production small frame chambered for .22 Short and Long. The rifle has fairly light wear given its age, though the bore shows significant wear. A nice set of sights has been installed and the rifle retains strong mechanics. This would be a neat addition to a Colt collection and may be worth having re-bored to get it back out on the range. Please see our pictures and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud