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Found one Thanks!!Thinking I might WTB a Taurus C45 Thunderbolt (Lightning clone)


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Pards,

 

I have an itch for a Lightning rifle clone that I think I might want to scratch.  I'm not really sure that I want to go down this path so I was thinking i might see if anyone had something collecting dust in the back of the safe that they wanted to part with.

 

I was thinking the Taurus Thunderbolt as it seems to be the least expensive.

 

I would prefer .45 but I could also be interested in a .38  (I don't load any other possible cowboy caliber and don't want to start)

 

I would prefer something stock still simply for the sake of cost as I am not convinced I would replace my 73 with this so I don't need a super slick race rifle.

 

Shoot me a PM if you have one that needs a new home and we'll see what we can work out.

 

Celtic Cowboy

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Pedersoli Lightning would be my preference, I’ve had and used the others.

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never ever under any circumstances consider doing this. many,many,many have tried to use them, to almost zero success.  The Taurus versons just never worked right, for the most part,going back many years

 

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No, no, no.

 

When I worked at Sportsman's Warehouse in '07, I bought one in .45, knowing full well the bad reputation. I had it apart several times and never could make it through a full ten rounds without a jam or a speed unload through the top of the action. I finally sold it for $400 last year, with full disclosure that it didn't work. I paid $465.49, so I didn't get hurt too badly. Oddly enough, people came out of the woodwork, "Oh no, I wish you had told me you wanted to sell that", "Oh no, I've been looking for one for a long time", "Hey, you don't have another one of those $400 Thunderbolts do ya?" Weird.

 

If you want to throw money at the problem, I guess there are people who have redesigned the action, made new parts, and eventually made them work.

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Shot with a fellow that followed some instructions that another pard had posted here on the wire. His ran good, he just never did like shooting a pump. Sorry I don't remember who it was that posted the fixes. But maybe someone will chime in. Bottom line is I believe they will work if you put in the work. But if you add 2 or $300 to the pot and get a Pedersoli you're home free. I have one somewhere and it runs(ran)  like a champ, no mods needed.

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26 minutes ago, Goody, SASS #26190 said:

Shot with a fellow that followed some instructions that another pard had posted here on the wire. His ran good, he just never did like shooting a pump. Sorry I don't remember who it was that posted the fixes. But maybe someone will chime in. Bottom line is I believe they will work if you put in the work. But if you add 2 or $300 to the pot and get a Pedersoli you're home free. I have one somewhere and it runs(ran)  like a champ, no mods needed.

It was Deadeye Dallas.  There were several discussions.  Here is one:

 

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I had a Pedersoli version from Yul Lose. My mind could not make the jump from lever to pump so every time I tried to go fast it was train wreck. I have seen a few that run them well and they scream. Yul Lose is a Lightning connoisseur so I would listen to his advice.

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10 minutes ago, Ezra Hawthorne said:

How much would a Pedersoli Thunderbolt go for these days?

There's no such thing, "Thunderbolt" was a name used by Taurus for their version of the Colt Lightning pump rifle. Every other maker called it a Lightning. Completed Gunbroker auctions indicate somewhere around $1600.

$1695 on DGW's website. I didn't think they were still being made.

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Thanks everyone for your input, you've all given me a lot to think about.

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I knew a guy once who, despite all of the warnings about the shortfalls of the Taurus Thunderbolt, bought one anyway and at the first stage of the first match had a jam that required the rifle to be partially disassembled to clear the jam. He then bitched about nobody warning him that the rifle had problems and I was quick to point out that a lot of people had warned him about it. Lassiter can make them run but it might end up costing more that the price of the rifle.

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I had a C45 with a 26-inch stainless barrel.  The instructions were to run it like you had stolen it and it worked without any issues.  I bought it to shoot Wild Bunch and our club stopped doing Wild Bunch, so it stayed in the closet for years.  The 45s have some blow back, but I understand that the 44-40s do not.  I had read all of the materials, thus I considered it to be my tomato stake, even though it worked without a flaw.

 

I decided to take it to a friend's pawn shop with some other firearms.  It sold within one day with people calling asking if it was still there? 

 

Who knew?

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I bought a Taurus in 45 Colt, and it ran very well. Then I bought a Pedersoli in 44-40 and it is much smoother to run.  Both rifles were stock, so I will second all

of the other posts that recommend not getting a Taurus.  I believe mine was the exception.

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5 hours ago, Frontier Lone Rider said:

I had a C45 with a 26-inch stainless barrel.  The instructions were to run it like you had stolen it and it worked without any issues.  I bought it to shoot Wild Bunch and our club stopped doing Wild Bunch, so it stayed in the closet for years.  The 45s have some blow back, but I understand that the 44-40s do not.  I had read all of the materials, thus I considered it to be my tomato stake, even though it worked without a flaw.

 

I decided to take it to a friend's pawn shop with some other firearms.  It sold within one day with people calling asking if it was still there? 

 

Who knew?

Taylor's has imported a some Lightnings. Anyway they started appearing on GunBroker last November. The Taylor's rifles were hitting the $2000 price range. Then some used Taurus Lightnings started showing up and some of them went for the $2000 price range. I don't know why, Taurus sounds like Taylor? I was mystified why someone would pay that much for a Taurus when they could be bought for $600 on other sites. The new Taylor's rifles got everyone excited.

JFN

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Wouldn't you know this is running now.  I sold mine two weeks ago for $450 and felt guilty of that.  I did explain the eccentricities to the buyer.

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It took Taurus quite awhile to get the .357 into production, and it is not nearly as common as the .45 Colt. There was one on Gunbroker a month ago that went for $1140, shipped. :blink: 924762506

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I 3/2008 I ended my quest to get a Lightning clone in 45C.  It took a couple of months to find a gun store that had any of them in stock.  I wasn't going to buy wo/handling them.  I couldn't find the Pederosoli but a LGS 60 miles from my house had a stainless Taurus & the Gold Rush.  After handling them I bought the Gold Rush even though it was more than twice the price.  The Uberti was worth more than twice the Taurus.

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  • Celtic Cowboy, SASS 111421 changed the title to Found one Thanks!!Thinking I might WTB a Taurus C45 Thunderbolt (Lightning clone)

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