Uberti Lightning Rifle

[wjt4]

Does anyone have any experience with the Uberti Lightning rifle? I have always kind of wanted a slide action Lightning and I have come across one that is in very good condition and for a fair price. It is .45 caliber with a 20" octagonal barrel. I guess what I am asking is did uberti get any of the feeding problems fixed that it seems the Taurus rifles had? Thanks for any help and comments!

Wjt4

[Pinto Jim]

I may be wrong but I think the feeding problem is with the straight walled cartridge as the lightnings were made to feed tehslightly knecked down wcf cartridges.

[Blackpowder Burn]

From what I've been told, Nash is correct.  I have a USFA Lightning in 44WCF that works quite well, but even the Sales Manager for USFA told me that all Lightnings chambered for straight walled cases tend to have feeding problems, no matter who the manufacturer.

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[Marshal Will Wingam]

I had an AWA Lightning in 45 colt. It was worked over by Eldon Penner. It fed like oiled ice. Never missed one as long as it was not run too fast. With the ramp feed, if you shoot too fast, the cartridge hops off the carrier and noses into the top of the chamber on the way in. He felt that the 44-40 was better and the 38-40 was the best cartridge in them because they fed better. It would make sense that the smaller the bullet, there would be less tendency for a bullet hopping up and snagging on the top of the chamber edge on the way in.

Eldon also mentioned that the bottleneck seemed to have less blow-back because of the nature of the 44-40 and 38-40 case being thinner and sealing the chamber better.

[Russ T Chambers]

Just got back from our Easter match.  Shot with both El Rod (Eldon) and his wife Toni.  They both shoot Lightings, though I’m not sure which calibers.  I’ve never seen a hiccup out of any of their rifles.  They have been shooting with us for years.