Roger Rapid

H.K. ... The new Lightning you are referring to is Pedersoli's "Jackal." It is actually more of a hunting rifle than what we would think of as a cowboy action rifle. It borrows the features of the Lightning's mechanism and pump action, but has a curved grip. And the stock, feel, and sights have much more of a hunting-gun feel than a Cowboy one. It comes chambered in .44Magnum. The major change to the action is that it features the swing-out cartridge guides that Colt employed on its large-frame version of the Lightning which provides for better cartridge control from the lifter to the chamber. That's the good news. The better news is that Pedersoli also announced the new "SIlver Spur" Lightning that also features the swing-out cartridge guides. The first release of this rifle comes in .45LC. IFG (Italian Firearms Group) has now listed the Silver Spur in its web site at: https://italianfirearmsgroup.com/silver-spur/ Rye Miles.... Another reason some folks like the .38-40 and .44-40 is because the necked cartridges offer less blowback. RR

El Sobrante Kid... Since the barrels are swinging open in an arc I do try to modify the angle slightly by taking more off the left of the bosses - as you view them in this photo. Very little needs to be removed since it doesn't take much to alter the opening angle of the barrels. Again, just go to where you begin to file on the ejector's opening lever. This adjustment should open the action about 4°-5° further. RR

RSE... To get the action to open wider on a Stoeger s/s single- or double-trigger shotgun file down the two bosses that are on either side of the extractor lever. (See file marks in pix below). File down until the file begins to touch the extractor lever - no further. RR

One more thing... regarding the "some work done to it" ... Some folks will alter the cocking levers by removing material from the top of the levers with the goal of having the action open wider. This is the wrong way to accomplish that on a Stoeger. Removing material from the top of the cocking levers causes the levers to delay whem the hammers are pushed back, which means that the firing pins are still protruding into the fired primers are you try to open the action, and that makes it much harder to open the barrels. RR

The Stoeger s/s,single-trigger action uses a long pin (A) that is held into a recess in the right hammer (C) at a point inside the action at (D). The rear end of pin (A) goes into a block (B) that is spring-loaded [see spring under block (B)]. When the hammers are cocked (this view is of the hammers released) pin (A) is pushed back by the cocked right hammer which pushes block (B) to be set in its rear position (not shown). In this position, when the trigger is pulled it lifts the right barrel’s sear allowing the right hammer to drop. However block (B) is what lifts the left barrel's sear and it can only do that when block (B) is in the forward position (that is, after the right hammer is dropped). So, simply stated, the trigger first releases the right sear and when the right hammer drops block (B) hinges forward allowing the next pull to release the left sear. To your question, the pin is held into the hammer by a very light spring under block (B) and the pin can come free of the hammer. Of course a lot of other things could happen that would jam your action - so at the very least this is what a proper single-trigger action should look like… RR

What’s the call?? Staging: On the rifle segment of a stage there is a plate rack with five knock-down targets. To its left is a square cluster of five targets with the center target painted red as a dump target. Scenario: Shooter is to knock down the five plates then dump remaining rounds on the red dump target for a one-second bonus each hit. MISSes don’t count on the KD targets unless one remains standing. MISSes don’t count on the bonus target because it is a bonus target. Situation in question: Shooter picks up rifle and aims at, and hits one of the four targets surrounding the bonus target, then continues to engage and knock down the five KD plates and dumps the four remaining shots on the bonus dump target. The call?: Is that first shot NOT at MISS because those targets are not part of the scenario, allowing the shooter to be clean on the five plates and have four bonus points on the bonus target. - or - is that first shot on the plates that surround the bonus target a P? WTC? RR

This is so very very sad!!!! Quicksand was always supportive, proactive, and wonderful to interface with. She will be forever remembered and forever missed. Sending out a special prayer to her... Our thoughts and prayers are with her family... RR

Eagle... 1) Did you ever modify the two cocking levers that protrude from the front of the action (with barrel removed)? 2) If you push the action and cocking levers down on a table - to cock the hammers - will both hammers cock? (Requires a bit of pressure but easy to do.) 3) What do you mean by "normal operation?" - can you cock them some other way? RR

Got both an email and a PM asking for more info about the ore cart. The ore cart at Fort Miller (actually, it’s the Kings River Regulators’ range - “Fort Miller" is the name of our Annual and was named after the Fort on one of our bays) runs down into a canyon and is set with targets along the way and at the end. The shooter sits in the front of the cart and the driver stands on a platform at the back of the cart. Guns are staged on either racks or on the shelf in front of the shooter. The shooter starts the timer and as soon as she/he hits the button the driver starts the car in motion. As soon as the ore cart clears the mine building the shooter can begin engaging targets (it’s P to shoot before the cart is out of the building). Gun sequence varies according to who wrote the stage. Some targets are on the left and some are on the right. And if you look at the photo below you’ll see that the track curves, too!!!! The ride down the hill takes about 25 seconds and the run is about 100’ long. The four square targets you see on the face of the hill are pinned into that mountain wall and they are about 100’ from the cart when you first start. The ride has been made a bit bumpy - purposely! When the cart gets to the bottom of the hill, the driver brings it back up (the cart is battery-powered). The driver calls the “P” for shooting too early (he knows if it happens because his ears are ringing!!!!) and he calls out the shooter’s time when the cart comes back to the mine building. Spotters need to stand back until the ore cart clears the front of the mine building and then they usually walk down the hill behind the cart so they can call out the misses - if any. It’s a different experience shooting while seated in a moving and somewhat bumpy cart! How you stage your guns and shotgun rounds is half of the battle. You can pull shotgun rounds from your belt, or lay them on the counter, or put them into the provided rubber pad that has holes in it (the shotgun rounds go into the holes MUCH easier than they come out so I urge NOT to use it!) On Thursday, when all the side activities are taking place, you can do a test ride-and-shoot on the ore cart. The ore cart at Fort Miller is a HOOT! Come on out and shoot it!!!! RR

Cowpokes..… The Kings River Regulators is galloping down the trail to the 30th Annual ShootOut at Fort Miller, April 17-19, 2025 at our range in Clovis, California. This event marks 30 fantastic years of the best of the best in Cowboy Action Shooting™! This is a not-to-miss event including: Side Matches galore: Speed Pistol, Speed Rifle, Speed Shotgun, Long Range, Cowboy Sharpshooter, and Fast Blast. And, you can take a test-ride-and-shoot on our heralded Ore Cart and saddle up for the match by shooting our warm-up match(s). The Shootout at Fort Miller main match is a two-day, 11-stage event filled with fun, challenging, and mystifying scenarios. And, to top it off there’s our Awards Dinner, Costume Contest, Super Raffle, Ice Cream Social, a ton of camaraderie, and much more! And, this year we’ve added a new “Plinkerton” category so that you can shoot the whole match .22 L/LR caliber (using shotgun for knock-downs, of course). • You can simply register on-line by CLICKING HERE: or…. CLICK HERE to download our mail-in registration form. • For more information about the match including Lodging and Directions please CLICK HERE • Want information about the Kings River Regulators? please CLICK HERE. • Got questions about the match? CLICK HERE to email our Match Director, Big Bad Blaine. Come out and shoot with us! Hope to see you in April... Roger Rapid

Hi Old Grouch... I'll send you a copy of my Taurus manual (24 pages). The Taurus "ThunderBolt" Lightning is more similar to the AWA version - the Uberti and Pedersoli internal workings are quite different from each other, and from the AWA version. Uberti or Pedersoli parts will NOT fit the AWA version. (I have also prepared detailed manuals for the Uberti and Pedersoli Lightnings.) On its way to you. Stay Healthy! RR

Lightning rifles are super fun to shoot, but do take some practice - as with anything - to learn how to cycle them smoothly and consistently. Most problems I see with Lightnings are the driver, not the vehicle. The AWAs can be made to run well. Taurus is the bottom of the barrel. Uberti's have too many built-in safety's, and a Pedersoli Lightning is a fine machine. They are all tight out-of-the-box and need some help with slicking (unless worked on before), and they all need frequent teardown and cleaning because of intricate inner workings - but look at the cleaning as your friend, it's what you do if you want to shoot one. Because of the bolt design, the straight-shell versions (.45LC/.357) have some blowback (the necked case of the .44-40/.38-40 have much less) but good glasses help. I have several flavors, and my Pedersoli is my favorite match gun - it helped win me a buckle! I have detailed teardown documentation for the Pedersoli, Uberti, and Taurus (Taurus document can be used for AWA) that is available gratis - just PM me. RR

Pardners... Regarding my assembly/diassembly manual, I'd like to ask that you do not forward it to someone else unless you also provide me with their email address. I send out updates and corrections from time to time - the current version is rev. 15 - and I want to be sure everyone gets the most current version. I promise not to use the email list for any other purpose than to provide updates or information related to the Pedersoli Lightning. (The current version is 28 pages and the PDF file is 9M.) Thanks... RR

Lost Vaquero... The firing pins on the .357 models are .060" diameter and are prone to breakage. Rather than replacing it, I'd suggest you install a .45LC firing pin which is .095" dia. The larger diameter of the firing pin end requires drilling the bolt. The larger firing pin runs as well and will not break. I can do it for you if you are concerned about drilling the bolt. RR

2 Barrels Bob... On it's way to your email - enjoy! RR

Thanks CRP - if .44-40 they should have run really well. Bummer.. ..RR

Crooked River Pete... What caliber was your USFA? If it was .357, were you running .38s or .357s in it? RR

The Lightning replicas from each of the makers are typically too tight out of the box for CAS and they all need work to run smoothly. The three shown here are (top to bottom) Pedersoli, Taurus, and Uberti, and while they appear to be close to the original Colt design, each maker has their unique internal workings that presents an array of advantages and disadvantages. (Look at little details like trigger design, one or two screws in the shell-guides / ejection plates, hammer shape, etc.) The Taurus will slam-fire out of the box. The Uberti can be made to slam fire by a simple adjustment to the safety lever on the hammer. A lot has to be done to the Pedersoli to get it to slam fire. (I'm providing slam-fire info because folks are usually curious about it - but I don’t personally recommend slam firing a Lightning for CAS). The Pedersoli features a foregrip release mechanism (“rocker arm”) that prevents the foregrip from coming back until the hammer strikes the firing pin (a very nice feature if you like to pull the rifle into your shoulder when aiming). The foregrip on the Taurus and Uberti can be pulled back and action opened while the rifle is cocked. Uberti version is loaded with safeties that make the action stiff unless you remove some of the safeties. It also makes the action not as smooth to run as the Taurus or Pedersolil. A ball-check on the Uberti's carriage (slide) helps to keep the action in a fully closed / foregrip-forward position - but it also puts a lot of drag on the slide's movement. The wood and stock's finish is good on the Pedersoli and Uberti and pretty poor on the Taurus (the stock and foregrips on the Pedersoli shown here are mine). IMHO, the Pedersoli is the best overall made and best internal workings. The Uberti is second, and the Taurus is third. The Taurus has a dust cover (as on the original 1884 Colt Lightnings), other versions do not. Typically, the “.357" versions run better in .357 than they do with .38 SPEC cartridges (the 1.60” OAL is important for the .357 version). All three versions generally load and run better with .44-40, .38-40, and .45LC rounds (what the medium frame Colt Lightning was originally designed for) than they do with either the smaller diameter .357s or .38s. For staying on point of aim, the 26” barrel versions - while heavier - are steadier than the 20” carbine versions. === With some work, a bit of know-how, and attention to detail, these rifles can be made to run as fast and reliably as any lever gun. My favorite Lightning is a Pedersoli with an octogon 26” barrell in .45LC. I regularly shoot three matches a month - plus regionals, etc., - and very rarely have my Pedersoli misfunction on me. When a misfunction happens, it is me misfunctioning on the rifle!! RR

Lost Vaquero... Yes, a push stick is really helpful. I use a small piece of antler with the end rounded and keep it in a loop in my gun belt. While the design of the cartridge retaining lever allows the Lightning to accept a range of bullet lengths, it is ideal to stay as close to the intended OAL as possible. The .357 version was designed for a cartridge OAL of 1.60˝ - and you can load a bit shorter than that. However, while it is generally accepted that a "... .357 gun will also shoot .38 ...", proper feeding and positioning on the lifter - at speed - depends on the cartridge properly fitting the length of the lifter, and seating properly under the two side guides. .38SPEC rounds with short bullets (like 96g) can slide forward and either stove-pipe or get its rim hung up between the lifter the side guides. Note also that Pedersoli's Lightning is stamped ".357." and not ".357/38". So, it is best to load .357s, or .38s with heavier lead - like 125g - and keep the length as close to 1.60˝ as possible (with a good crimp, of course). Set up right, these are great rifles! ...RR

Hi John White - be glad to send it. Please PM me your email address - the document is 5.6M and 27 pages long. Best, Roger

Regarding comments on Pedersoli Lightnings running better than the other Lightning versions - they do. The Uberti versions are good and nicely made, but the abundance of safeties causes rapid-fire problems. Lost Vaquero: You can get light weight Delrin followers for your Pedersoli from Armorer's edge (www.armorersedge.com) - and you will feel the difference between their followers and the heavy Pedersoli ones. Lastly, barrel length is important to help steady a Lightning - where the hand working the action is also the steadying hand. I have a Pedersoli Lightning carbine (20"), a 24", and a 26" Octagon and the 26" is far steadier and can run really fast. It is very much worth the extra weight. RR

The Lightning will lock up on re-assembly if the "bolt block" (the part that hangs from the bottom of the bolt) is not engaged in its opening in the "carriage feeding shaft". As such, the "carriage feeding shaft" cannot release the bolt block (and bold) when the foregrip is pulled back. Releasing it is a rather simple matter of reaching into the magazine's opening with a small "L" shaped wire and pushing the bolt block back to unlock it (the process is described and there is a photo of the wire in my Pedersoli Document). Happy to send you a copy - or it looks like YL might send you one. Hard to tell why the action is being clumsy now but PM me and we can discuss the details off line and then come back on with a solution to share with others. Best, Roger

H.K.U. Thanks, and Yes, the Lightnings are subject to this, especially if you've either lightened the firing pin spring or replaced it with a lighter one. The overall length of the firing pin on these rifles is actually less than the overall length of the bolt - at least they are on the Pedersoli and Uberti versions. The firing pins are driven by inertia - the hammer hits the pin which drives it forward to the primer. If the spring tension is too light AND if there is debris in the firing pin opening or on the pin, the pin may not return far enough to protrude from the back of the bolt which, in turn, means that the hammer can't hit it. They are still VERY fun rifles to shoot!!! ...RR

Lightning45LC... If by "optics" you are referring to sights, you can mount any front or rear sight with a 3/8" (9.5mm) dovetail on a Pedersoli Lightning rifle. Some fitting may be required. As to the type or style, that's really up to your personal preference. ...RR