WTB 38/357 Colt Lightning Replica

[fatboy harley]

Looking for a pump in 38/357,Berretta,Taurus,Uberti or Pedersoli

[Wild Willi]

see them in 45lc not many in 38

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

What are you looking to do with it? I always tell everyone if you want to shoot a Lightning it will become a second hobby. You need to learn how to break the rifle down and fix problems as they will arise. Some general comments.

 

Beretta and Uberti are the same thing. There are two versions. They look pretty much the same from the outside but there are internal differences. There are no parts for the early versions and getting parts for the current models is difficult as Uberti has kept the supply line on spare parts pretty dry. Ubertis do not have slide locks. If you are the type that pulls on the forearm on a lever gun to press it into your shoulder there will be a learning curve with the Uberti as you have to pull on the stock and basically shoot the gun like you are playing a trombone. The internal locks don't work very well so it is easy to pull the trigger early or late and get light hits.

 

Taurus. Many internal variations were made and some serial number ranges are better than others. For the most part few worked well and there are no parts. Taurus does not support the gun. The smart move is to avoid them unless you really enjoy a challenge and know how to work on them yourself.

 

Pedersoli. For the beginner this is probably the best selection. Most work out-of-the-box but like all guns used for CAS need a little tuning. (Actually very little just some tweaking of springs, etc.) The Pedersoli has a slide lock and a very good hammer disconnector. So, you cannot open the slide without pulling the trigger and cannot pull the trigger without fully closing the slide. Thus beginners tend to be able to shoot the gun without jamming it. The Pedersoli is a .357. It does not like short rounds. Pedersoli recommends ammo that is at least 1.540" OAL.

[Colt Walker 45]

There are some Taurus Thunderbolt rifles in 38/357 coming out as factory refurbished. They are carrying factory lifetime warranty other than the wood. As Larson stated few if any parts , Lassiter can fix them if needed and does a good job. There are others running them but you have to learn to work on them. Saw a used one on gun broker yesterday in38/357 for 450.00.