Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle CLMR Small Frame .22 S/L Pump Action Antique
SOLD FOR: $1,000.00
LSB#: WY250318BR176
Make: Colt
Model: Lightning Magazine Rifle, Small Frame
Serial Number: 31699
Year of Manufacture: 1898 (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 bottom tang is marked “31699”.
Barrel Length: 24”, Tapered Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a fixed u-notch sight dovetailed to the barrel. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for the mounting of a tang sight (not included).
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. 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. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is faint erosion. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 6.5/10
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 40-50% 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 tool marked 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 1898 production small frame chambered for .22 Short and Long. The rifle has fairly light wear given its age, and the bore looks great. The rifle retains strong mechanics. This would be a neat addition to a Colt collection. Please see our pictures and good luck! – L.S.
