Colt Lightning Carbine

Colt Lightning Rifle
Type	Light Rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
Used by	San Francisco Police Department
Production history
Manufacturer	Colt's Patent Firearms
Produced	1884-1904
Specifications
Cartridge	various; see text
Barrels	round, octagon
Action	Slide
Feed system	Tube magazine
Sights	Iron

The Colt Lightning Carbine or Colt Lightning Rifle was a slide-action (pump-action) rifle manufactured by Colt from 1884 to 1904 and was originally chambered in .44-40 caliber. 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. Its profile somewhat resembles the pump-action rimfire rifles made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Remington Arms. 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.

The medium-frame Colt Lightning Magazine Rifle was manufactured between 1884 and 1904. It was the first slide-action rifle offered by Colt. Colt records indicate 89,777 were produced, in calibers 32CLMR (.32-20), 38CLMR (.38-40) and 44CLMR (.44-40) as a companion arm to the Colt Single Action Army revolver. Two versions were offered: a rifle, with a 26 in (66 cm) barrel and 15-rounds magazine, and a carbine, with a 20 in (51 cm) barrel and 12-rounds magazine. The San Francisco Police Department acquired 401 rifles. All had 26 in (66 cm) round .44-40 barrels and bore S.F.P 1 through S.F.P 401 stampings on the lower tang.

The small-frame Lightning (also referred to as "Second Model Colt Lightning") was the first rimfire rifle made by Colt and was manufactured between 1887 and 1904 as a plinking and gallery gun. Colt records indicate 89,912 were made, in .22 Short and .22 Long. Barrel length was 24 in (61 cm) and the rifles had a blued finish, case-hardened hammer, and a walnut stock.

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