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Original Colt Lightning restore.


Warden Callaway

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Great Video

* Neat idea using a slit piece of copper tuning around the barrel on the vice

* Bad idea leaving all the small parts on the bench ... put them in a magnetic parts tray

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56 minutes ago, John Boy said:

Bad idea leaving all the small parts on the bench ... put them in a magnetic parts tray

 

I suspect he was doing two things.  1) washing the parts down with some kind of degreaser. And 2) laying out the parts for display and getting a video inventory.  

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3 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

I always wanted a Lightning but after seeing all the parts..

 

So they have a lot of parts.   Doesn't matter.   Shooting Lightnings, especially original Colts, is a huge amount of fun.   Sometimes real Colts in good shootable condition can be had for a reasonable price.   Or if you prefer, some of the replicas on the market are of good quality.   Get yourself a Lightning and give it a try.   There is an excellent chance that it will become your favorite rifle, and they next thin you know you'll have five of them.

 

You might even shoot your first ever clean match with one, at End of the Trail no less, using one in a battery that looks like this...

 

551617264_EoTBattery.thumb.jpg.86095526c8351f9473bccf1cc41a6a3d.jpg

 

Cool video, by the way.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the ejection port identical to my AWA's.   Both of my Colts are different with a kind of built in dust cover.   I guess Colt has some modifications along the way.


Good luck and welcome to The Flashy Side.  [As in "flash of Lightning.]

 

 

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9 hours ago, watab kid said:

fun , not had good luck with these but always thought one might be fun to have if it worked well 

 

I have 2 AWA's and they work well.   Others will say that AWA is hit or miss and that I just got lucky.  I also have a couple of Colts that seem to work okay for me.   (Three if you count the .22)   The Pedersoli seems to have universally good reviews, so that's an option.  Or, just get one that you can find and send it to Lassiter to work his magic on.   He worked on one of my AWA's after something internal broke after years of no problems, and it has been said here on the Wire that he can even make a Taurus function properly.

 

I say go for it!

 

Good luck and welcome to The Flashy Side.

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This is a different Lightning than his first two videos - the previous one had a octagonal barrel. (Love to know when he's finding them!!!!)

RR

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An unusual finding is the screw that he is removing in teardown video at time code 5:08 to 5:20. Appears to go all the way through receiver (when he shows left side at time code 5:08 - but that may be a broken-head left-side screw, because when he removes it from right side it doesn't appear to be long enough to go all the way through). Even if it just goes into action 3/8" to 1/2" on each side it would interfere with lifter. Hmmm. I've not seen this screw on any original Colt Lightnings - small, medium, or large frame models, or on any clones. Curious if anyone else has seen this screw on a Colt Lightning??

 

RR

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38 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Good way to 'kill' a file PDQ. :rolleyes:

I will say then outcome was outstanding :excl:

OLG 

I'd bet for what he gets for the work he can buy files by the pound ..... :)

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WHERE CAN I FIND a good, fairly detailed “tutorial” manual on the Colt Lightning?  Can anyone point me to one?

 

Maybe something that shows details of originals and/or best reproductions??
 

Also, who’s the best person to tune them?  
 

I've always been interested in the Lightning, but I’ve only seen two of them.

Thanks for any help,

Cat Brules

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Cat Brules...

 

I have a fully illustrated 24-page assembly/disassembly manual (PDF) for the Taurus "ThunderBolt" Lightning (as well as separate manuals for the Uberti and Pedersoli versions of the Lightning) - the Taurus version is the closest clone to the original 1884 Colt Lightning. I work on them, too. I have your email addr - just PM me if you're interested in the Taurus manual and I'll email it to you. And, we're close enough to easily connect on it (although I'm hunkered down until this COVID-19 thing passes).

 

RR

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10 hours ago, Cat Brules said:

WHERE CAN I FIND a good, fairly detailed “tutorial” manual on the Colt Lightning?  Can anyone point me to one?

 

Maybe something that shows details of originals and/or best reproductions??
 

Also, who’s the best person to tune them?  
 

I've always been interested in the Lightning, but I’ve only seen two of them.

Thanks for any help,

Cat Brules

 

Many will tell you that Lassiter is the go to guy for the Lightning.  I agree.   He's worked on one of mine, and did a fine job.

 

It is my understanding that the various reproductions are all slightly different from the original Colt and each other.   I've read, for example, that the Pedersolis which are highly regarded here on the Wire, will not slam fire like a Colt did.   I know from experience that the AWAs will slam fire.   Opinions on the AWA are mixed here on the Wire, but both of mine have been good to me.   Same with original Colts, mixed opinions.   One of mine is fine, but it has had "an expert action job" according to the seller.  My other Colts I have not yet fired.  

The Taurus is mostly hated here on the Wire, but I have no first hand knowledge of them, other than thinking that the action was very rough when I saw one in a store.  The Beretta seemed clunky to me, so I bought the AWA, which was smooth.

 

The Lighting in a very intriguing rifle, and once you try them, you're either gonna hate it, or fall so in love with it that you'll soon be using them more than anything esle.

 

Come to the Flashy Side.   It's fun!

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Got Rogers tutoriel on the lightning.Waiting for my Pedersoli to get here to go to work on it.

                                                                                                                                                                    Largo

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