London Proofed .40-60” large frame Colt Lightning pump action rifle manufactured in 1887.
£7500 SOLD
A good and rare London Proofed .40-60” large frame Colt Lightning pump action rifle manufactured in 1887. Slab sided Colt Lightning action engraved with rampant Colt trade mark to the left side has loading gate to the right side and pump actuated breech block to the top. External hammer with chequered spur to the rear and serial number 214 to the trigger guard tang for manufacture in 1887. Straight hand walnut butt with steel crescent butt plate and two piece screw retained chequered forend / pump handle to the front. 28” octagonal barrel rifled with six grooves is stamped to the left side of the chamber with the rifles calibre 40-60-260 (.40-60” Marlin or 40-65” Winchester firing a 260 grain bullet over 60 grains of black powder) next to Victorian London proof marks for .400” calibre. Signed to the top of the barrel in front of the buck horn elevation adjustable and windage driftable rear sight COLT’S PT.F.A.MFG.CO. HARTFORD Ct. U.S.A. over patent dates. Windage driftable screw retained blade fore sight and full length under barrel magazine tube. Made to compete with the Winchester underlever rifles the Colt pump actions were designed by William Elliot who sold his patent to Colt in 1883. They were manufactured as small frame .22” rim fires, medium frame carbines chambered for the popular pistol calibres of the day and these large frame ‘Express’ rifles chambered for a selection of deer rounds such as the .38-56” and the .40-60” up to .500” calibres for use on large and even dangerous game. While well designed and effective the Colt simply couldn’t compete with the huge popularity of the Browning designed Winchesters, particularly the 1886 large calibre rifles and only 6498 of the express rifles were made in all calibres before production stopped in 1894 during which time hundreds of thousands of Winchesters were sold. In very good condition with very good bore and mechanics, much blue finish to the metal work beginning to turn brown with age and a nice clean, sharp stock. A very good example of a very rare Colt pump action express rifle in a popular deer calibre of the period imported to the UK by Colts London agency for sale to a stalker or for use by an officer serving abroad where it was an ideal small to medium game rifle.
