1275

SCARCE LARGE FRAME COLT LIGHTNING SLIDE ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
SCARCE LARGE FRAME COLT LIGHTNING SLIDE ACTION RIFLE.
SN 1270. Cal. 45-85-285. Standard grade rifle with 28" rnd bbl, full mag, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight that has been filed flat on top. Left side of frame has the Rampant Colt logo. Mounted with straight grain American walnut that consists of a checkered, 2-pc, double schnable forearm and uncheckered straight stock with crescent buttplate. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms, only 6,496 of these scarce rifles were produced in the period 1887-1894 as compared to the nearly 90,000 rifles each produced for the medium and small frame Lightning rifles. Consignor states that only about 1000 large frame rifles were produced in this caliber. Then comparing the small number of large frame Lightning rifles to the numbers of Winchester Models 1886 and the Marlin models 1881 and 1895, which all numbered into the hundreds of thousands, one can understand just how rare the large frame Lightning really is. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Bbl and mag tube retain about 98% strong orig blue with faint muzzle edge wear and a couple of minor nicks. Receiver retains about 90% glossy orig blue with a few light nicks and scratches and some light flaking on right side with some light wear on right side. Top tang is a gray metal patina. Buttplate is a dark plummy brown patina. Stock has a hairline back of bottom tang and another in the toe with two small filled chips by the top tang at the receiver, otherwise wood is sound with a few light nicks and scratches and retains most of its orig factory finish, showing light wear around the wrist. Mechanics are fine, brilliant shiny bore. 4-47340 JR157