Colt Lightning Rifle | |
---|---|
Type | Slide action Light Rifle |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
Used by | United States San Francisco Police Department |
Wars | Spanish-American War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Colt's Patent Firearms |
Produced | 1884–1904 |
Specifications | |
Cartridge | various; see text |
Barrels | round, octagon |
Action | Slide |
Feed system | Tube magazine |
Sights | Iron |
The Colt Lightning Carbine or Colt Lightning Rifle was a slide-action (pump-action) rifle manufactured by Colt from 1884 until 1904 and was originally chambered in .44-40 caliber. [1] [2] Colt eventually made the Lightning Rifle in three different frame sizes, to accommodate a wide range of cartridges, from .22 Short caliber and .38-40 to .50-95 Express. [3] Its profile resembles the pump-action rimfire rifles made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Remington Arms. [2] The Lightning saw use as a sporting arm in America and was adopted for use by the San Francisco Police Department, but was never as popular or as reliable as the various lever-action rifles of its day. It is however reported to have been used by American forces in the Spanish-American War, most likely as privately purchased weapons. [2]
The medium-frame Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle was manufactured between 1884 and 1904. [4] It was the first slide-action rifle offered by Colt. [4] Colt records indicate 89,777 were produced, in .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40 as a companion arm to the Colt Single Action Army revolver. [4] Two versions were offered: a rifle with a 26 in (66 cm) barrel and 15-round magazine, and a carbine with a 20 in (51 cm) barrel and 12-round magazine. [4] The San Francisco Police Department acquired 401 rifles all of which had 26 in (66 cm) round .44-40 barrels and bore S.F.P 1 through S.F.P 401 stampings on the lower tang. [4]
The small-frame Lightning (also referred to as "Second Model Colt Lightning" [4] ) was the first rimfire rifle made by Colt and was manufactured between 1887 and 1904 as a plinking and gallery gun. [4] [5] Colt records indicate 89,912 were made, in .22 Short and .22 Long. [4] Barrel length was 24 in (61 cm) and the rifles had a blued finish, case-hardened hammer, and a walnut stock. [4]
The large-frame Lightning (also called the "Express Model" [4] ) was manufactured between 1887 and 1894. [4] Colt records indicate 6,496 were made in different big game calibers such as .38-56 WCF, [6] .40-60 and .50-95 Express. [4] Barrel length was 22 or 28 in (56 or 71 cm). [4]
Reproduction Lightning rifles are still manufactured today by companies such as Uberti, Taurus, and Pedersoli for hunting, historical reenactment, and competition purposes such as Cowboy Action Shooting in calibers such as .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44-40, and .45 Colt. [4] Of these calibers, only the .44-40 was offered in the Lightning when it was originally produced by Colt.
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Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC is an American firearms manufacturer, founded in 1855 by Samuel Colt and now a subsidiary of Czech holding company Colt CZ Group. It is the successor corporation to Colt's earlier firearms-making efforts, which started in 1836. Colt is known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms, most especially between the 1850s and World War I, when it was a dominating force in its industry and a seminal influence on manufacturing technology. Colt's earliest designs played a major role in the popularization of the revolver and the shift away from single-shot pistols. Although Samuel Colt did not invent the revolver concept, his designs resulted in the first very successful model.
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Harrington & Richardson Arms Company is an American brand of firearms and a subsidiary of JJE Capital Holdings. H&R ceased independent production February 27, 2015.
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A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
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