The Colt Lightning Carbine or Colt Lightning Rifle was a slide-action (pump-action) rifle manufactured by Colt from 1884 until 1904 and was originally chambered in .44-40 caliber.[1][2] Colt eventually made the Lightning Rifle in three different frame sizes, to accommodate a wide range of cartridges, from .22 Short caliber and .38-40 to .50-95 Express.[3] Its profile resembles the pump-action rimfire rifles made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Remington Arms.[2] The Lightning saw use as a sporting arm in America and was adopted for use by the San Francisco Police Department, but was never as popular or as reliable as the various lever-action rifles of its day.[2]
The medium-frame Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle was manufactured between 1884 and 1904.[4] It was the first slide-action rifle offered by Colt.[4] Colt records indicate 89,777 were produced, in .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40 as a companion arm to the Colt Single Action Army revolver.[4] Two versions were offered: a rifle with a Шаблон:Convert barrel and 15-round magazine, and a carbine with a Шаблон:Convert barrel and 12-round magazine.[4] The San Francisco Police Department acquired 401 rifles all of which had Шаблон:Convert round .44-40 barrels and bore S.F.P 1 through S.F.P 401 stampings on the lower tang.[4]
The small-frame Lightning (also referred to as "Second Model Colt Lightning"[4]) was the first rimfire rifle made by Colt and was manufactured between 1887 and 1904 as a plinking and gallery gun.[4][5] Colt records indicate 89,912 were made, in .22 Short and .22 Long.[4] Barrel length was Шаблон:Convert and the rifles had a blued finish, case-hardened hammer, and a walnut stock.[4]
