Colt lightning rifle large frame

[pecosdon]

I just aquired a Colt large frame lightning rifle in 40 60 260.  The guy I purchased it from did not know any thing about them and had never fired it.  He told me that he belived that it did not function properly.  He believed that the bolt should not be able to move backward with the hammer back.  I think that it is functioning properly, but I wanted to check.  Also is the 40 60 260 the same as a 40 60 Win.  Can any body help   Thanks Don

[Capt. Augustus]

I don't know about a genuine Lightening, but on my Thunderbolt, if the hammer is cocked the action is locked.  The action does not release until the hammer falls.

[Hell-Er High Water]

NO!!!!!!  The rifle is not functioning properly.

The bolt should only be able to be moved to the rear to open the action with hammer fully down.

You should not be able to open (or even partially open) the bolt with the hammer in either the half or full cock positions.

Depending on your location, and if you do not have a gunsmith that fully understands the inner working of the Colt Lightning rifles, I can refer you to the Colt Lightning guru gunsmith in Nevada if you wish.

Feel free to send me an eMail at wrheller@sbcglobal.net if you need more info and I will give you his name and contact info.

At this point I would not fire it if I were you.

HHW

[Pettifogger]

Well, its not exactly true that the bolt shouldn't come back on all Lightnings.  On the mid-size frames the 1st gens do not have a slide lock.  They had a little latch inside the trigger guard to keep the bolt from coming back.  If the latch isn't engaged, the action can be pumped with no problem.  On a lot of the 1st gens the latch didn't work well so a lot of people simply removed them are threw them away.  Colt added the positive internal lock later on in production on the 2nd gens.  The primary purpose is just to keep the action closed while you were out hunting or carrying the rifle.  I have a first in .38-40 that I shoot a lot and it will pump with the hammer back.   Large frames are scarce, so I have never been able to take one apart.  Not sure if all of them, or any of them, had slide locks.
(The new Beretta Gold Rush Lightning clones will open with the hammer back.)  So, whether your gun is malfunctioning should just take a simple take down and inspection.

[Hell-Er High Water]

Pettifogger,

I don't know about small or medium frame original Lightnings.  My original large frame does not open unless the hammer is fully down with the slide lock disengaged.  This was rebuilt for me by the aforemetined gunsmith with original parts and functions as described.

One thing that the original large frames (as well the others I understand) will do is slam fire if the trigger is held back while the slide is actuated.  Mine is in 45-85-285 (Colt's version of the 45-70) and this is a real eye opener when you are not expecting it.  I have learned to really practice in keeping my trigger finger off of the trigger when cycling the action.

By the way, I have another large frame in 45-85-285 being rebuilt for me at this time.  This one will be a carbine with a 20" barrel (the one that I have now has a 29", half round, half octagon barrel).  This one should be a little handier for off-hand shooting as the big one weighs in about 9-10 pounds unloaded (it will hold 10 rounds in the magazine which really ups the weight).

HHW

[Pettifogger]

Wow, you have two and I haven't been able to get one yet.  Only made 6,000.00 and they are pretty pricey.  The medium frames also slam fire. The slide lock is just a notch in the pump slide and a little groove behind the finger on the cartridge stop.  If either is worn it would allow the slide to come back with the hammer cocked.  Can be fixed without to much problem.  The only sure way to see what is worn or needs fixing is to take it apart.  One of these days I'll get one to play with.  Right now I have nine medium frames.  Five originals and four clones.