A little under 90,000 of the medium frame variation of the Colt Lightning rifles were manufactured between 1884 and 1904. The vast majority of those would have been full blue and have featured the standard stock and pump handle. This 1886 production rifle is a very scarce deluxe Lightning with a casehardened frame and fancy grade walnut handle and pistol grip stock featuring attractive multi-point checkering. The rifle is chambered for the .44-40 caliber cartridge and has a 26 inch octagon barrel, 15-round magazine, German silver blade front sight, and elevation adjustable rear sight. The receiver is the early style with no provision for a sliding breech cover. The top barrel flat is stamped with the two-line Hartford address/patent dates legend ahead of the rear sight and "44 Cal." at the breech. A Rampant Colt is stamped on the left side of the receiver. The serial number is stamped on the lower tang. This rare rifle features a special order deluxe checkered and highly figured walnut stock and forend and casehardened receiver and buttplate. The fine checkering on the stock extends to the bottom of the pistol grip. The underside of the stock is inlaid with a blank German silver oval. The accompanying factory letter confirms the 26 inch octagon barrel in .44 caliber, blue and casehardened finishes, and fancy pistol grip stock as well as being shipped on April 16, 1886 to Wm Read & Sons of Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1880s Colt's revolvers were extremely popular, but Remington and Winchester had the rifle market cornered. Colt needed to find a way in, and what better way could they have done this than by designing a rifle specifically to compliment their revolvers? The result was three sizes of Colt Lighting rifles which were the first slide action rifles developed by Colt and were chambered for the same cartridges used in the Single Action Army. Colt proclaimed "Nothing was faster than lightning!" The Medium Frame Lightning was the first of the Colt slide action rifles. Colt Lighting Rifles with special order deluxe stocks and casehardened receivers are exceedingly rare.

Exceptionally fine. The barrel and magazine retain 95% original blue finish with a few small spots of dark corrosion near muzzle on right side. The buttplate retains 40% original blue finish with the balance a smooth brown patina. The receiver retains 75% plus vivid original case colors with nearly all of the finish loss concentrated on the right side and upper tang. The deluxe walnut is excellent with some minor handling marks. The stock and forend retain most of the original high gloss varnish and the checkering is crisp. Mechanically excellent. A high condition example of a rare, special order Colt Deluxe Lightning Medium Frame Rifle.