Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Cowboy Action Shooting Lightning Rifles

I am an absolute fan of Colt Lightnings. As a matter of fact, we had a cowboy shoot here today in Arctic Montana. 10 people showed up to shoot, even in the cold.

I have 3 original Lightnings and have had as many as 9 at one time, in all sizes and calibers. I would strongly suggest that you are less enamered with the caliber and pay more attention to what will really work in a Lightning, in both reproductions and original guns.

Straight wall cases tend to have some gas blow-back that you don't get with the bottleneck of 32-20, 38-40 and 44-40 calibers. You will experience some of that blow-back with .357, but significantly more with .45.

People that badmouth Lightnings have probably never owned one. I bought a collection of 8 guns once to get the 38-40 I wanted out of the collection. The 38-40 is a 1st model with the bolt lock and no dust cover. I shot it a cowboy shoot in Rexburg Idaho and it was so fast that I sold 2 of the guns at that shoot.

I was slow to get away from just one caliber and that was 15 or 20 guns ago. I would suggest a hard look at an original Colt, as they are still the best. The Taurus and guns of that ilk, are quite disappointing. USFA are the best in fit, finish and reliability as far as reproductions go. The rest are very poorly made and as a result they work as bad as they look.

I have shot thousands of rounds through my 38-40 and decided I wanted to get more Lightnings so I wouldn't put so much wear on the 38-40. The shoot we had today, I got the fastest times due to the Lightning. Some guys are faster with their handguns and shotguns, but I can make up for that with the Lightning.

Original Colt's can still be found that work great, and are somewhat affordable. I just got a 90+% gun for just over $3000.00. A Winchester in the same condition would be twice the money. Original guns are a great investment as well.

Glad to hear that Shrapnel that you have had great luck with Lightnings. I would like to try one some day too. The very first nice original Lightning I handled was in your state. My wife and I were on our honey moon and we stayed in a cabin up in Whitefish. While we were there we went into all the gunshops in the area and while visiting one we saw a nice nickel finished Lightning that was just as nice as can be.

Maybe we will start to see more on the line at End of Trail or some of the other bigger shoots. I have to believe that a smooth working pump would be faster to shoot than a equally smooth lever any day. I know that my Winchester 62A is a lot faster to shoot than the Browning BL22 levers (Brownings have a shorter lever throw than the 9422 Winchester). The action of manipulating a lever tends to move the front or barrel sight up and down where the pump mostly stays in line with your sight plane.

Enjoy your day.

JWC

You must understand the difference with cowboy action shooting and what professionals or "gamers" want in a firearm. The top shooters in CAS aren't about the historic aspect of the sport as much as they are into speed or winning.

Mike Venturino wrote an article nearly 18 months ago about this very thing. I think he entitled it something like "What Would Wyatt Say?" He addressed the issue of how gamers had taken over in many areas and the original intent of CAS was deteriorating. He caught alot of flack about it, but I agree with him. It has evolved into a speed game and regards for the firearm itself or the original ammunition used in it, have been neglected.

Short stroke kits, reverse pawls, lightened springs, etc. have become such an obsession, that the guns being used are only similar in looks, not in function. I have 3 Colt Lightnings, 2 model 1873's, 1 model 1892, 1 Colt model 1883 shotgun, 1 Hume side lever hammer shotgun, 1 S&W New model #3, and 7 Colt revolvers. I shot them all in CAS, and only the revolvers have had action jobs to perfect timing on the lockup.

All of the long guns, and the S&W are made in the 1800's, and 4 of the Colts are 1st generation guns. I can't get enough original guns, and as a result I want to shoot them too. I will never be a top competitor, but I can hold my own with original guns that aren't all tuned up and stroked for competition.

To each his own I guess, but I have always loved these types of guns. I grew up watching Westerns on TV and maybe that has alot to do with it. I have come to the conclusion that everyone has their own motives, I just wish it were more about Cowboys, Gunfighters, Guns and Ammunition of the "Old West" than it is about tricked out equipment and light loads, just to win.

I don't shoot cowboy action, but I love the old guns and like to shoot them when I can without shooting any of the "collectors" value off of them.

It's no surprise that CAS has evolved into gamesmanship. There are always those out there who are extremely competitive. When I play something, I play to win. I don't need another game to obsess over, so I stick with owning and shooting (when I have the time) either the old ones or their replicas.

I have no desire at this stage in my life to be a "Top Competitor", I shoot CAS for the fun factor. I shoot loads that duplicate ammo of the era, my Navy Arms 92 has an octagon barrel and stock action, my Stevens 311 is of the type available then and is not modified save the polishing of the chambers. I do have modern single actions, stainless Gaucho's in .45 Colt that have the 4 clicks of the Colts but are safer with the transfer bar system. 'Sides that, I could afford them, both cost less than 1 Colt. I also have a pair of Remington New Army revolvers by Pietta and one of their 1863 Remington Pocket revolvers, this is when I get the urge to make smoke. I also load BP substitute cartridges for the rifle & shotgun for such days.

To me it is all about "playing Cowboy" for a day with real guns & ammo, the camaraderie and friendship is what is important to me. If somebody breaks a gun or runs out of ammo there always seems to be others willing to share their equipment and ammo. That to me is "The Cowboy Way, and that makes the day for me, not shooting a clean match and supersonic speed.

I like shooting the best I can but don't get upset in the least when I don't shoot that well. I have yet to shoot a match when every stage goes perfect and yet I still have the time of my life at these matches.

I mostly compete with my buddies. I know that I will never be a top shooter and I get more out the fellowship with my wife who shoots too and the friends that I have made along the way. CAS is the best shooting sport on the planet.

Jay

is cas allowing the lightning now? Used to be 7 or 8ears ago that ONLY lever action carbines were allowed in a CAS match.

Lightnings are allowed in any category except Classic Cowboy, which is limitied to model 1873 or older versions of lever action rifles.