Is ANY Lightning worth having???

[Paladin UK]

I keep gettin a hankerin fer a Pump rifle in .45LC

BUT...
All I seem ta hear is negative comments about them.

I luv my Rossi #92 runs a Smooth a silk but I would also like a different actioned .45. Not interested in another LA

Paladin (What needs input  ) UK

[pony express]

No personal experience, but reading on here suggests maybe one of the origional tapered/bottlenecked cartridges might function better.

[Pettifogger]

I have at least one of all the lightnings made.  Original Colts, USFA, AWA, Uberti, Pedersoli and Taurus.  I also have them in all available calibers: .32-20, .38-40, 44-40, .38/.357 and .45 Colt.  I always tell people if you want to shoot Lightnings be prepared to make them a separate hobby.  You need to learn about each of them, their problems and how to fix them and how to take them COMPLETELY apart for maintenance.  Of all of the Lightnings, the one that is the most likely to work out-of-the-box is the Pedersoli.  They usually work very well (if given the proper ammunition), there's not much you can do (or need to do) to tune them up and they are very well made.  The action is simplified over the original Colt design and they do not slam fire.  I even use a Pedersoli in .357 for BP and it has no problem with it.

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[rbertalotto]

I just got back from the range shooting my rebarreled Taurus (from 45LC to 38-40).

No way near as fast as my hot rodded Uberti 1866 or 1873....But I put two hundred rounds through it this afternoon and didn't hick-up once. I can't say the same when it was a 45LC........

One of the issues with a pump rifle is the hand that usually holds the forearm steady is now manipulating the action. Very difficult keeping it on target. You wouldn't think so as the throw of the pump is so short. Sure you can spray extremely fast especially with a Taurus which will slam fire. But not as accurately, especially when moving from target to target.

Using a timer, I was always much faster with the lever rifles on the same target sequence. Never missed a target with the levers, missed quite a few with the Taurus. Maybe this will improve as the rifle breaks in and gets smoother or I practice with it more.

In any event, I love shooting different rifles and the Lightning is a "hoot to shoot".

You can read about my barrel swap here:

www.rvbprecision.com

[Forty Rod]

Any rifle is worth having.....if it's free.  There are a lot I wouldn't pay anything for and the Lightning is one of those.  I've owned four originals, but none of the new ones.  

Just too finicky and fragile for my liking.

[harleydavis]

I too, read the negative reviews about the Tauras Thunderbolt. My hankering for one got the best of me and I picked up a new one last week in .45Colt, ZCxxxx, for $485. First trip to range found the rifle to be quite accurate. took a bit to learn how to properly rack the action for the cartridge to feed, but still functioned better than I was expecting, at first anyway. By round 50, I had a cartridge that did not want to raise up quite far enough, worked through that. Around round 70, I experienced the next round in the magazine get past the holding device, under the action and locked up the entire rifle. After removing tube, and prying the cartridge up, everything freed up. disassembled action, cleaned the action, some oil on moving parts. Back to the range today, 80 rounds through the rifle with no lockup. I had 5 rounds not raise up properly into the action, a little push got it working relatively quickly. I load 10 rounds and in each instance, it was the second round not coming up. Maybe a coincidence in that.

So, it has not been without some hiccups but from what I could learn on the forum, they will get better with usage. My experience thus far seems to point in that direction. fun rifle, there is a learning curve, this I can see already. Others mileage may vary.

[Paladin UK]

Ho Pettifogger..........
Now ya really got me thinking.... Hadn't thought of a .357!!

Now it looks like its gotta be a Pedersoli...  I really like the 20in Oct Barrel jobbie, I suspect it holds the magical `10`

Onlyest trouble its gonna cost a Kings Ransom here in the UK approx... $1800!! unless I can find a used one...
Still... you only live once!!

Paladin (What really REALLY fancies a Lightning  ) UK

[cal44walker]

I've got a premium 24" Lightning in 44/40 on the way from Pedersoli. Hopefully it should be here sometime in the spring. I'll post a review when I get it.

cal44walker

[rbertalotto]

If a cartridhe gets caught under the carrier, you usually dopn't need to take the rifle apart. Simply use a thin screw driver to slide the cartridge back into the magazine from the ejection port. The carrier is slotted to allow a thin screw driver blade to fit down there and accomplish this.

Hope this helps!