Can anyone tell me what this is?

B

black_hog_down

New member
This came to me from my grandfather who had taken it as as payment for a debt.
I'm not even sure what caliber it is.
Thanks!
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It's definitely not a .22. :)
But it looks like a keeper, for sure.
It might be one of the many import replicas that were so popular during the heyday of the tv westerns.
 
Colt model of 1877 Double Action.
Caliber may be .38 Long Colt making it the 'Lightning' or if .41 Long Colt, the 'Thunderer'.

Yours was made in 1904.
It has been reblued, so the collector interest and dollar value are not high.
This is not a very strong action and if broken, hard to get fixed.
I would limit shooting to what a friend calls "Ceremonial Occasions."

Markings probably deleted when reblued, it was buffed hard.
 
Colt model of 1877 Double Action.
Caliber may be .38 Long Colt making it the 'Lightning' or if .41 Long Colt, the 'Thunderer'.

Yours was made in 1904.
It has been reblued, so the collector interest and dollar value are not high.
This is not a very strong action and if broken, hard to get fixed.
I would limit shooting to what a friend calls "Ceremonial Occasions."

Markings probably deleted when reblued, it was buffed hard.
Click to expand...

+1 to all of this.

Neither 38 Long Colt nor 41 Long Colt are easily available, although there are a few specialty loaders that offer them. I wouldn't consider it a regular shooter. You might want to scrounge up a box and shoot it on special occasions. Mostly it will be a memento of your grandfather.

https://www.midwayusa.com/38-long-colt/br?cid=9524
https://www.midwayusa.com/41-long-colt/br?cid=19612
 
The actions on these revolvers are a nightmere to work on and get right. Parts are almost nonexistent. 38 long Colt is an outside lubricated bullet with a heal that fits into the case mouth, like a .22 rimfire.
I have one with a 4" barrel that belonged to my wife's grandfather who was under-sherrif in Creek County Oklahoma right after OK became a state. It is worn but not refinished. Someone replaced the main spring so it only works corectly in single action. In double action there isn't enough trigger travel to trip the sear. It will remain a sentimental object in the back of the safe. Not worth messing with.
 
Why doesn't someone make a new production of those? It seems the CASS guys would be all over a newly re-designed and more robust offering of that model if Uberti or someone was to take the challenge.
 
While a 38 special may "slide in" - it would be a 38 Colt Long. Starling still makes brass and you'd be able to shoot both 38 Colt Short or 38 Colt Long in it. Starling still makes both sizes. I load both the Short and Long with lead - in that pistol, you would want to stick with black power loads IMHO to keep pressures down. If you reload, a set of Lee dies are available and use lead only out of it. Before you try shooting it though, have it check out by a "competent" gunsmith who knows what he's doing. While it's been reblueded - I'm guessing that markings were buffed out of it in the processes. Take a look at the bore as well as it may be good or it may be worthless. Some pitting will usually not affect accuracy in most cases but severely pitted - a wall hanger. As already mentioned, the actions on these were somewhat "fragile" - for want of a better word - and if broken, parts are hard to come by.
 
There are a considerable number of fako "Lightnings" with birdshead grips on SAA frames. There is even one version on a scaled down SAA.
They do not have a double action but that is OK, SASS does not allow double action revolvers, even if period correct. I think you can use a real one in NCOWS.

It would not be worth anybody's time to tool up for a more faithful copy, even if beefed up to stand regular firing.
 
"Why doesn't someone make a new production of those?"

There might be a small market for a completely redesigned and reworked copy, but as for reproducing the original, a reproduction of junk would still be junk even if it has Colt's name on it. Those guns were a very poor design, with parts that broke routinely, even when brand new. New guns had to be carefully fitted, and trying to fit new parts in old guns is a nightmare.

Jim
 
Howdy

Yup, Model 1877. In 1878, Colt introduced a larger, and sturdier double action revolver. The 1877 model was more fragile and they broke down frequently. Absolutely do not try to fire 38 Special ammunition in it, even if it does fit. The original 38 Long Colt ammo used a heeled bullet, as has been stated. Different bore size.

Nobody makes one because it was not a very good gun. Nobody makes the 1878 Model either. No, absolutely not allowed in CAS, no double action revolvers allowed in the Single Action Shooting Society.
 
By 1904 most commercial manufacturers had switched from the old heeled-style bullet to modern-style inside lubricated bullets, meaning that the bullet was now badly undersized for the original bore.

To correct for that, bullets had a large hollow area in the base and relatively thin side walls. This allowed the bullet to expand into the rifling upon firing, giving at least the hope for passable accuracy.

Generally it worked OK, but you'd never get target accuracy out of such a round.

If you want to shoot your Lightning, the answer is simple...

Hollow Base Wad Cutter bullets.

Generally they're more than soft enough that they'll expand into the rifling.
 
Those guns were a very poor design, with parts that broke routinely, even when brand new. New guns had to be carefully fitted, and trying to fit new parts in old guns is a nightmare.
Click to expand...
When I was in grade school, I had a comic book--perhaps Silvertip, perhaps Wild Bill Elliott--that featured someone with a Colt Lightning who extolled the double action feature. The protagonist commented on the tendency of the thing to suffer from parts breakage and affirmed his preference for the SAA.
 
Why doesn't someone make a new production of those? It seems the CASS guys would be all over a newly re-designed and more robust offering of that model if Uberti or someone was to take the challenge.
Click to expand...

Double action revolvers are not allowed in these matches. But Uberti has made a Single Action look-alike, maybe still offered.



Bob Wright
 
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