Pee Wee #15785 Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Had a medium frame Colt Lighting offered that is Nickel plated in .44WCF. Did Colt nickel plate the Lighting rifle? Markings are deep but the horse is light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCandless Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 4 hours ago, Pee Wee #15785 said: Had a medium frame Colt Lighting offered that is Nickel plated in .44WCF. Did Colt nickel plate the Lighting rifle? Markings are deep but the horse is light. Colt would do that as a special order. A Gargle search showed a couple that have been sold at auction. If the nickel-plating is original to the gun, they are rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pee Wee #15785 Posted September 14, 2022 Author Share Posted September 14, 2022 but Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Reno Kid Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Howdy Pard Great looking shootin’ iron. Have you requested a factory authentication letter from Colt? That could well determine if the nickel plating originated as a factory order. Otherwise highly likely the nickel plating was an after-market job. It should also assist in determining, in the event you want to shoot with it, if the rifle was black-powder era or smokeless era. In approx 3 decades of participation in Cowboy Shoots (admittedly in the West Texas/New Mexico area) I can prob count the number of period Colt Lightnings I’ve seen used in an actual match on the fingers of one hand. A shooter who used one said he only occasionally used his Lightning. Said the linkage in the pump action was prone to wear or breakage (they are very old guns) and it was a real bear to find gunsmiths that were familiar with the gun and even fewer that could work on them. Finding parts? Good luck! Sincere Congratulations on locating that beautiful, period piece. Keep on the sunny side Adios Fort Reno Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 40 minutes ago, Fort Reno Kid said: I can prob count the number of period Colt Lightnings I’ve seen used in an actual match on the fingers of one hand. Top is a .32-20. Bottom a .44-40. It's not nickel, it's just got no finish left. Both are real Colts. I've used the top one at a match a couple of times. I normally shoot a modern made AWA in .45 Colt, but bring the .32 out once in a while for fun. I have not yet fired the .44, but I will eventually. Lightnings are FUN guns to shoot. So much so that eventually, you'll have a plethora of them! See what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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