Colt Lightning Small Frame Gallery Carbine
Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company · Carbine · Discontinued · 1887
Also known as: Colt Lightning Small Frame, Colt Small Frame Lightning, Colt Lightning .22 Gallery Gun
Overview
The Colt Lightning Small Frame Gallery Carbine is a small-frame pump-action carbine chambered for the .22 rimfire cartridge. The smallest and most popular of Colt's slide-action Lightning family, it fed .22 Short and .22 Long rounds from an under-barrel tubular magazine and became a fixture of shooting galleries, carnivals and backyard plinking in the late 19th century. Its slide action allowed rapid repeat fire, and roughly 89,912 small-frame examples were built between 1887 and 1904.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2950 g (104.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1054 mm (41.50") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 15 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 329 m/s (1079 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 102 J (75 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .22 Short · primary — also known as .22 Short, .22 Long
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Features: Under-Barrel Tubular Magazine, Exposed Hammer, Case-Hardened Hammer, Slide (Pump) Action For Rapid Repeat Fire
Production
Estimated total produced: 89,912 · Production years: 1887-1904
Total across small-frame .22 rimfire Lightning production; the small frame was the best-selling of the Lightning models.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: William H. Elliott
Discontinued: 1904
Notes
The small-frame Lightning was Colt's answer to inexpensive gallery and plinking rifles. Shorter carbine-length configurations were popular for arcade and traveling-show use.
Background
Colt's slide-action Lightning rifles were the company's attempt to compete with Winchester's lever guns during the 1880s. The small-frame .22 became beloved as a gallery and carnival gun, popping targets in shooting arcades across America.