AWA Lighting 38 sp

[Burn Through]

there is a nice one for sale what can you tell me about them ?

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

The AWA Lighting is, in my opinion, a good one.  I have two, a .45 and a .44-40, and they have been very good to me.  The .45 was the first rifle I shot a clean match with, for example.  It also infected me with the Lightning Bug.  

 

Beware the Lightning Bug.   Once it gets ahold of you, it will never let you go.   The next thing you know, you'll have seven or more of the things!

Now in all honesty, opinions here on the Wire of the AWA are mixed.   My experience has been very positive.  Others will tell you they have not fared so well.   A lot of it depends on "which" AWA you have.  If it's an AWA International, it is more likely to be problematic, but if it's an AWA USA, it more likely to be one of the good ones.   Mine are USAs, so maybe that's why they work right.  I don't know.

If you like the .38, and if you really wanna try the Lightning, I'd say go for it.  Let's assume it works fine as is.  You will never regret it, and it'll wind up being a favorite rifle.

If it's got issues, you can always send it to Lassiter for tuning.  He can even make a Taurus run, which are universally regarded to be useful tomato stakes.  

So, you have options.

Good luck.

[Shawnee Hills]

They are junk and you should let me know where this one is for sale so I can save you from eventual heartache.  😁

 

I've been shooting an AWA round barrel carbine in 38 sp. as my main match rifle for a bit over a year.  It was reportedly worked over by the president of the company and works flawlessly.  It does need a complete teardown and cleaning after 3 matches or the firing pin will begin sticking from blowback.  This is a simple job for someone mechanically inclined and is a much easier process than my Pedersoli.  Keeping a Lighting clean is paramount to having it run smoothly but, truthfully, the same applies to lever rifles.

 

You should know that spare parts for these do not exist (that I am aware of).  While I haven't had anything break on mine, I know I'll either be making parts or trying to find a donor rifle should it happen.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Some work.  Some don't.  Some shooters can shoot them.  Some shooters cannot.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

5 hours ago, Shawnee Hills said:

It does need a complete teardown and cleaning after 3 matches or the firing pin will begin sticking from blowback.  ...  Keeping a Lighting clean is paramount to having it run smoothly but, truthfully, the same applies to lever rifles.

I will second this.   Keeping it clean is VERY  important.  Now, I have noticed that with my .45 this is very true.   Lotsa blowback.  With the .44-40, not as crucial.  No blowback at all.   I'd assume that a .38 will have the same blowback issues as a .45 for the same reasons.

I have never torn mine down though.  All I do is make sure to flush out the action in general, and the firing pin channel in specific with Gunscrubber after every match.   This blasts away any and all gun.   For the firing pin, with the straw in the spray head, press it to where the pin comes out of the bolt face and squirt away.  After a few quick blasts, the stuff will come out clean.

After doing this, oil the gun properly, and you are all set for the next match.

[Burn Through]

Thanks everyone 

[Griff]

I bought an AWA Lightning 5-½ years ago from a cowboy shooter who wanted it for WB, but never messed with it much.  Looked N-I-B when it arrived.  It's a 24" round barrel in .44-40.  I've probably shot less than 20 WB matches with it.  I think at most I've shot six rounds thru it at one time.  When I've run it like a stolen mule, it's worked flawlessly.  Meekly stroking it, or working the action like a caress, doesn't seem to make it respond.  Haven't bother to clean it once.  Yesterday, I took it for it's maiden outing to a cowboy match.  At the first stage I used it, it locked up tighter'n a drum.  It seemed like it was in battery, but dropping the hammer, elicited no response.  Even repeatedly!  Wouldn't open to save me.  10 misses... Hung my head and took it to the unloading table.  I've never taken it apart... not to inspect or anything.  No tools with me... At a loss... yet, at the unloading table it meekly opened and cycled all ten rounds, with no fuss.  So I set it down at the loading table for the next stage.  Along with the same 10 rounds.  At this stage, it worked perfectly... I'm still learning how to stroke the action, as it's length of stroke is seemingly VERY short, unlike any pump shotgun I've shot.  On one other stage, it balked on two rounds in the middle of the string, but not consecutively.  However it ejected them smoothly and finished the rest.  So... I'm chalking it up to operator error or being dirty...   Those were the only instances of anything untoward during the four stages I shot it in.  The other two stages I shot had nothing to do with this rifle, just wanted to run my '73 in C45S for 'em!

 

Even for its quirkiness, sometimes jerky operation (operator?), this last bit of failing to FFE, (feed fire, eject), it's a fun little rifle in a great cartridge, and never fails to attract attention.  All good.  I know of NO match that's ever been won with one... but if you're not out for buckles... & like the "different", I'd not hesitate to buy one.

Edited 6 hours ago by Griff

[Sedalia Dave]

@Roger Rapid has a good white paper on lightning rifles. 
 

Lassiter is one of the better CAS gunsmiths. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Sedalia Dave