Taylors Uberti Lightning in .357 Magnum

[Virginia Gentleman]

Can these be shot with 38 Special or only .357 Magnum?

[Pettifogger]

The short answer is .357.  You could shoot ammo loaded in .38 cases.  However, it has to be loaded to .357 OAL.   The Uberti has an unusual magazine stop that is mechanically regulated to rise at 1.520".  Your ammo has to be over.1.520" to work correctly.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Do they make a kit to allow you to replace it to shoot 38s?

[Hoof Hearted]

VG

There is very little support or aftermarket parts for the lightning replicas.
I have shied away from them for many of the same reasons that everyone else has. I do own a couple original lightnings and will tell you that they are very sesitive to OAL as well. My opinion is that the bottlenaeck case was a big part of the design and probablt why the straight walled versions have gotten such bad press.

I also know that the 357 version has some issues that Uberti tried to fix with a mag tube sleeve and such and the 45 Colt version (and really a 44-40 version) would be a much better choice.

Try before you buy!

HH

[Roscoe]

My Taylor's Uberti Lightning Short Rifle has been modified by Longhunter to release only one round at a time from the magazine. There is another element though, beside the advice about minimum COL and staying with 357 cases, and that is the shape of the bullet. My RNFPs are not consistent in loading, so I have gone to a TCBB from Penn, who has that shape in the 158 gr I use to keep velocity down I don't "race" the gun at 73 years old but do like the style points for shooting the Lightning. If I can get through stages without a functional issue, fellow cowboys might resist the well-intended urge to advise getting an 1873. I need to shoot what I own, at least for now.

Another thing about bullets is that the gun hangs up on any leading band, so I was crimping over that on the RNFP. The TCBB doesn't have any shape except taper ahead of the crimp groove.