Rancho Roy Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 OK, I simply couldn't resist! My local gun shop has had a Taurus Thunderbolt in 45LC with a beautiful case colored receiver and terrible brown "painted" wood. It's been there for three years! But I always wanted a Colt Lightning but knew I might never be able to afford one, so a clone it is! I took it to the range and the accuracy is amazing.......That's good! But the action is stiff as a new bride! I was loading some cast LEE 452-255RF bullets. These round nose / flat tip bullets don't feed to well. What are folks using in these rifles for bullets. A couple of times I had a bullet make its way past the cartridge stop in the magazine and end up under the elevator, jamming up the whole works. This won't be good if the Indians are charging! Is anyone using the Cowboy45 Special brass in their Thunderbolt? A few dummy rounds seem to function fine, but it's been raining and I've not been able to try them. Any other hints you can add.....But please don't tell me to use it for a tomato stake! I like it! Stock Picture (not mine) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Fill 'Em 67797 Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Roy, I had the stainless version and it was a beautiful rifle. I really liked the feel of it and it was very accurate. For a plinking or even a hunting rifle it would be OK, it just would not work reliably for CAS. It might get through a stage or two without a problem, but eventually it would jam. Who wants to deal with that? Sometimes it would lock up completely for no good reason. I noticed if I turned it upside down it would unlock. It turned out the little button in the hammer that allows you to drop the hammer without pulling the trigger was binding. I fixed that problem but it still jammed all the time. I was glad to sell it to my neighbor. He bought it because he thought it was pretty, I don't think he has shot it once. Somebody (Deadeye Dallas?) is supposed to be able to make them work, you might send it to him. Good luck with yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Roy, I had the stainless version and it was a beautiful rifle. I really liked the feel of it and it was very accurate. For a plinking or even a hunting rifle it would be OK, it just would not work reliably for CAS. It might get through a stage or two without a problem, but eventually it would jam. Who wants to deal with that? Sometimes it would lock up completely for no good reason. I noticed if I turned it upside down it would unlock. It turned out the little button in the hammer that allows you to drop the hammer without pulling the trigger was binding. I fixed that problem but it still jammed all the time. I was glad to sell it to my neighbor. He bought it because he thought it was pretty, I don't think he has shot it once. Somebody (Deadeye Dallas?) is supposed to be able to make them work, you might send it to him. Good luck with yours. I am pleased with the work of DD. Seems to work but have not had it out since I shoot mostly BP. They are a real pain to put back together and I lost my link when the 'puter crashed the last time on getting them back together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Maverick Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I did the same thing and had the same jambs. Took the stock off and sprayed the livin daylites out the action with Winchester cleaner useing the little tube between the hammer and frame on bolth sides. Put the stock back on and it works. Probably have to do it again when it gets dirty. Good Luck, Wildcat Maverick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Roy - Welcome to the World of Being a Thunderbolt Owner! * Many owners swore at the trying to cycle the first 10 rounds. Primarily because they babied it and didn't rack it hard * Others got the 'Y' serial numbered ones that were fraught with issues * Some of the owners worked out the issues themselves but shied using them as main match rifles * A few lucked out, knew how to rack them - keep the rifle vertical and they shoot flawlessly as main match rifles out of the box But as we have all read - the Taurus Thunderbolt is made no more and lives with the dislikes the same as the AWA's Then Deadeye Dallas offered his skills to Lightning owners and has done wonders making them a reliable shooting firearm. He worked on mine after I fiddled with the issues and it is a near flawless shooting firearm Use only round nose reloads. Bullets with a wide metplat will hang up on the 2 'fingers' that act as the carrier to chamber rounds Keep the OAL of the rounds in the 1.55 to 1.57 length. OAL rounds of 1.60 give the Taurus fits. And rack that pump action hard and smoothly. If it isn't an 'issue' Taurus, you'll have fun with it - Good Luck OK, the stock and forearm: Strip the finish off. Steam the wood with a clothes iron - knock off the raised wood feathers with 600 grit sandpaper - rub down with mineral spirits and let dry. Then go to an artist supply store and buy a tube of Burnt Umber. Rub it on the bare wood to your likeness of being dark. The finish coat will look classy with a few coats of Tung Oil, with or without varnish. Rub in with cheese cloth so the wood feels warm. Be sure to let each coat dry completely. Mine doing it this way looks real sharp! Here's the portfolio of Deadeye Dallas's excellent work on these slide actions... http://www.youtube.com/user/HarryJeffcoat#g/u Check out the Final rifle video. I shot my in a horizontal position - slam firing 50 rounds with multiple COL rounds as a 1st test. Only had 2 rounds that failed to chamber! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Lassiter got his to function & feed. He said he had over 100 hours to get it reliable for match use. This was his personal piece. He was our Posse Marshal at Bordertown a few years back and was using it then. Good luck, you will need all you can get. You may just have a Lifetime project on your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deputy Dangit Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 +1 for Deadeye, he did mine a year ago and it is still running strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Buscadero, SASS #73085 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I have one also, stainless in .45 Colt. It was my first CAS rifle when I first got into SASS. Shot well on some stages, left me high and dry on many others . It is accurate, and can be made to look real nice by stripping off that creosote like finish and applying a quality finish of your choice. As others have said, DeadEye Dallas has figured out the issues and can make them run consistantly. And was doing the work for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, last post I saw from him on the subject was that he had other important matters to attend to and would not be accepting any new work, for a while at least. Aside from the other advise already given (keep it verticle, rack the slide with authority, etc), my other recommendation is to use a heavy bullet, higher end of the scale on powder, and use a heavy crimp. Blowback, which can be considerable with this style rifle, will be noticibly reduced. Negatives aside, I plan on keeping mine. Just something about it I like. And I'll keep tinkering until it runs right consistantly or I send it to someone like DD to tune. It's just too unique to let it go. Bucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt Walker 45 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Good luck with yours, Dallas Put out some info on what he was doing and you can do a search and find it. If you find those posts it might help with any problems you might have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 If it cycles C45S, gimme a shout Roy. So far I have not heard they would. But then most won't cycle anything reliably..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Jack, Deadeye has a video chambering Schofields - 1.109" cases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 But as we have all read - the Taurus Thunderbolt is made no more and lives with the dislikes the same as the AWA's That statement I have to refute. I've got an out of the box as it came from the factory AWA in .45 Colt, and it is a sweet gun that has never even hinted at giving me any trouble. Smoothest action of any of the Lightning clones I have seen, and I have handled them all except the USFA. I run 200 grain round nose flat points in it, and it by far my "fastest" rifle. Used it at 2 matches so far, and loaned to my brother for one as well, and he didn't have any problems either. In fact, I plan to use it a regional in two weeks. I like the AWA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I've always wanted one of the Lighting Clones. Though I'm sure there are exceptions, I've never seen anyone be competitive in the game with one. That, not withstanding, it would still be a neat gun to have. I don't know, but 44-40 might be the best round for one of them. O-Well, I hope that you get it running good enough to actually use as a "Plinker". I'll keep my eyes open.... one of these days I might find the deal that I can't refuse.... then I too can have one sitting in my safe! Snakebite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Lassiter got his to function & feed. He said he had over 100 hours to get it reliable for match use. This was his personal piece. He was our Posse Marshal at Bordertown a few years back and was using it then. Good luck, you will need all you can get. You may just have a Lifetime project on your hands. Lassiter shoots a Uberti, not a Taurus. He also says that the trick with the Lightning pattern rifle is not just to get it fixed but to fix it so it stays fixed. I don't know whether he even works on the Taurus. I know there has been a fair amount of excitement over Deadeye Dallas' work on the Taurus rifles, but the acid test will be when someone runs one hard for a full season at competitive speeds and it continues to work. I get around quite a bit and I'm not seeing people shooting competitively with a Taurus Thunderbolt as their main match rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadeye Dallas, SASS #60249 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 If it cycles C45S, gimme a shout Roy. So far I have not heard they would. But then most won't cycle anything reliably..... they can be set up to feed shorter rounds, but the blowback will knock your hat off.Dallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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