Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle CLMR Medium .32-20 WCF Pump, 1891 Antique

SOLD FOR: $1,485.00

WOA#: WY240526BJ134

Make: Colt

Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Medium Frame

Serial Number: 62311

Year of Manufacture: 1891

Caliber: .32 CLMR (.32-20 Winchester)

Action Type: Slide / Pump Action, Full 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 “32 Cal.” at the rear. The left side of the receiver has a faint Rampant Colt logo. The bottom tang is marked “62311”.

Barrel Length: 26”, Tapered Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade in a slotted base dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “V”-notch leaf and elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The top tang is drilled, tapped and filled for a peep sight (none included).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are walnut with a checkered two-piece slide handle, smooth straight grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The panels of the slide handle have borders barely visible. The stocks have some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches with a few more notable marks, mostly finished-over. There are a few minor losses at edges. The LOP measures 13 3/8? from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has scattered wear and scraping. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition as refinished Antique.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Some remaining finish may be Original, most surfaces show treatment with cold blue.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and some minor pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6 or 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its current metal finish. There are areas with strong blue mixed with areas of finish wear. There is scattered residue from the stocks’ new finish. There is some minor surface erosion, mostly under the finish. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There are tool marks on the top-front edge of the bolt and the receiver just in front of the bolt. The action shows operational wear. There are tool marks around most screw heads. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are generally clear, the rampant colt is worn and incomplete. Overall, this rifle is in about Very Good condition as refinished Antique.

Mechanics: The action 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 1891 production medium frame chambered for .32-20. It is an honest rifle, showing wear which could be considered light considering its age of more than 130 years. This will make for a nice example of the Colt Lightning and would be an excellent addition to any safe in America. Please see our pictures and good luck!

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