RARE LARGE FRAME COLT LIGHTNING EXPRESS PUMP ACTION RIFLE.

SN 1581. Cal. 50-95 EX. Standard grade rifle with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight, Colt semi-buckhorn rear sight and a Lyman combination tang sight. Left side of receiver has the Rampant Colt logo roll marking and is made without manual safety, relying on the safety notch of the hammer. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with 2-pc checkered, double schnable forearm and straight stock with crescent buttplate. Front face of the buttstock & inside the buttplate are marked with the matching serial number to this rifle. The large frame lightning rifles and carbines were produced to compete with the Winchester & Marlin big bore rifles of that era. There were only 6,496 of these big rifles produced during the period 1887 to 1894, in a variety of calibers, and only a few in 50 Ex. While Colts advertizing and distribution systems were certainly the equivalent of Winchester and probably superior to Marlin, the dramatic departure from the already established lever action style did not reach acceptable sales with the American public and production ceased. The lightning rifles were strong and reliable and probably faster acting than their lever action brethren but were simply not adopted by the buying public. PROVENANCE: Tommy Rholes Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig blue with only very faint sharp edge wear and some minor dulling on the magazine tube. Receiver retains 92-94% glossy orig blue with some fine flaking and one small cleaned area on the side and another on the bottom. Bottom tang is mostly a blue/grey patina; hammer retains brilliant case colors; buttplate retains 70-75% orig blue. Wood is sound with only a very few fine nicks and a small chip by the top tang at the receiver and overall retains virtually all of its orig finish. Mechanics are crisp. Brilliant shiny bore, possibly unfired. 4-50627 JR37 (20,000-30,000) – Lot 1329

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1329	$23,000.00	RARE LARGE FRAME COLT LIGHTNING EXPRESS PUMP ACTION RIFLE. SN 1581. Cal. 50-95 EX. Standard grade rifle with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight, Colt semi-buckhorn rear sight and a Lyman combination tang sight. Left side of receiver has the Rampant Colt logo roll marking and is made without manual safety, relying on the safety notch of the hammer. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with 2-pc checkered, double schnable forearm and straight stock with crescent buttplate. Front face of the buttstock & inside the buttplate are marked with the matching serial number to this rifle. The large frame lightning rifles and carbines were produced to compete with the Winchester & Marlin big bore rifles of that era. There were only 6,496 of these big rifles produced during the period 1887 to 1894, in a variety of calibers, and only a few in 50 Ex. While Colts advertizing and distribution systems were certainly the equivalent of Winchester and probably superior to Marlin, the dramatic departure from the already established lever action style did not reach acceptable sales with the American public and production ceased. The lightning rifles were strong and reliable and probably faster acting than their lever action brethren but were simply not adopted by the buying public. PROVENANCE: Tommy Rholes Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig blue with only very faint sharp edge wear and some minor dulling on the magazine tube. Receiver retains 92-94% glossy orig blue with some fine flaking and one small cleaned area on the side and another on the bottom. Bottom tang is mostly a blue/grey patina; hammer retains brilliant case colors; buttplate retains 70-75% orig blue. Wood is sound with only a very few fine nicks and a small chip by the top tang at the receiver and overall retains virtually all of its orig finish. Mechanics are crisp. Brilliant shiny bore, possibly unfired. 4-50627 JR37 (20,000-30,000) – Lot 1329 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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RARE LARGE FRAME COLT LIGHTNING EXPRESS PUMP ACTION RIFLE.