Colt Lightning .38 question

G

Gary Conner

New member
Hope someone can clear this up for me. I am thinking about aquiring a Colt Lightning .38. It was made in 1908.
I know there is a rifle cartridge .38-40.
But this is a .38 pistol. The book calls for Colt .38 cartridges. Does anyone know what the best cartridges are to be fired from an "1877 Colt Lightning Model, DA, manufactured in 1908? The gun appears in great mechanical condition.

Any input would be appreciated about this gun and the type of cartridges it should use.
 
Should You Care To Research This Further You Will Find,

The COLT LIGHTNING 38 and the COLT THUNDERER 41 were the two guns that kept pistolsmiths in business in the old days. These guns were a poor design and keeping them in time was a nightmare.
The LIGHTING shot the 38COLT pistol rounds just as you said. This is NOT the 38SPECIAL nor the 38S&W, but the 38COLT in long and short versions, both of which were pretty well popgun cartridges.
The 38-40 was a FAR larger round for use in COLT SAA revolvers, WINCHESTER '73, and '92 rifles and carbines etc. The 38-40 was also a 40 caliber cartridge irregardless of it's name.
 
As Wil says the Colt 1877 Double Action "Lightning" is one of the most fragile guns ever made in quantity. I would strictly limit the shooting, knowing that something could fail at any time. If you get it, consider it a showpiece and do not think of it as a working gun.

It is chambered for .38 Long Colt and will shoot .38 Short Colt. Ammunition available at:
http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/guns/ammunition.html
http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=3&Categoryid=9524&categorystring=653***691***

Remington still lists .38 Short Colt for something really mild. It is no longer on the Midway or Midsouth site, though.
 
Indeed, it's a neat old gun, but not one for much shootin'. When I inherited mine--my great-grandad's police service pistol, with holster and badge--I shot one cylinder through it, cleaned it and got a display case for it. Don't expect to ever shoot it again. The current production .38 short colts by remington will do the trick, assuming the gun is in safe-to-fire condition.

If you're looking to get a gun to shoot, though, you want to look a bit further. Maybe an old S&W model 10; that'll let you shoot .38 special, and do it well.
 
The .38 Long Colt is the cartridge you want. It used a 150-gr. bullet at roughly 750 fps.

It was not known for its great stopping power.

Lightnings, as others have noted, are VERY complex.

There's a story that Frank Pachmayer started in his Father's gunshop and became so frustrated one day that he threw a Lightning through the window and across the street.
 
Showpiece

Too bad they are so breakable. Billy the Kid owned one. I guess he wanted the fast DA first shot. So you can get one alot cheaper than a first gen. SAA, and it is still a ginuwine wild west era Colt, and collectable.(mystique factor) If you are gonna shoot it, maybe instead of factory ammo, roll your own and download it to just get the bullet out the barrel, like cowboy shooters do, to minimise wear on the gun, useing lead bullets. I had one in .41 once, but that cal. is a collectors cartridge and supposedly a real chore to load compared to the .38. So I never fired it. But it functioned correctly, a rare condition according to the reputation of it. If you break it, then you can show it off and no one will know it is broke. Someone is selling replacement parts for them, I think. New made, no doubt. Saw an ad in SGN or Gunlist gun parts. If I had a working good .38, I would be tempted to fire it just cause you could get ammo. Knowing the potential risks to the mechanism, of course. Fun versus history. And the prices won't be going down, they haven't made any since like before WW1, I think!
 
As others have said a collectors piece rather than a shooter. If in good shape the gun can be quite valuable. Too valuable to shoot. Sit on it awhile it's value will only increase, maybe better than Chevron stock.

tipoc
 
I too say DO NOT shoot it. The system of timing and lock-up is very complicated and fragile. 38 Long Colt ammunition is black powder or substitutes and is a bit involved in cleaning afterwards. I would NOT dry fire it due to possible parts breakage. The later Alaskan models are built better. The revolver is a looker and a wallhanger, not a shooter.
 
Thanks for your help

Guys, thanks for your input. I think you helped me make up my mind, to get the Uberti reproduction single action model of the Thunderer instead.
I did not realize the DA Lightning was as weak as it is.
Do you know anything about those reproductions from Cimmaron, Uberti, etc. as far as being good quality, and at least useful?
I absolutely love the look and feel of the bird head grip, the balance of those type guns.
I take it the line up on the cylinders are better on the reproduction guns in SA?
 
The Ubertis are mostly just a round butt on a Single Action Army frame and are no more (or less) troublesome than any other Eyetalian SAA clone. They usually do ok and if not, parts and gunsmiths abound.

There are some new made small frame single action birdshead butt revolvers in calibers .32 and .38 only which are closer to the size of a real Colt Lightning. I don't know how sturdy they are; they are based on .22 actions.

At Cimarron, the Lighning is the little gun, the Thunderer is full size.
 
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