Colt 1877 Lightning, help pleas.

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PAINTBALL GUY 3

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Hey all,

So I'm trying to work out a deal with a guy for a Colt 1877 Lightning. The thing is it's in .38 Colt, therefore it's restricted.:( Is there "ANY WAY" I can get this pistol from the guy as an Antique? Would taking the barrel and/or cylinder out reclassify it as an Antique? I would later put a .41 Colt barrel and/ or cylinder on.

Thanks all.

Ti
 
The registered owner is the one who can deregister it. Also I don't think its sufficient to just remove the barrel and cylinder if its already registered.
 
You could buy it as restricted, then replace the barrel and cylinder.
Or, it could go to a business, where it could be altered.
But...
The barrel and cylinder might or might not be easy to find. Care would be needed changing the barrel; a warped frame would be most undesireable. There would be significant cost to finding a decent cylinder and barrel.
Collector value will plummet.
.41 Colt is not the easiest of rounds to load.
The Lightning is not known for mechanical reliability, and repairs are difficult.
If you want a shootable antique, there are much better options.
 
If you buy it it's your gun, but honestly I'd rather have a restricted .38LC than a bubba'd antique .41.
 
Well the thing is guys, I don't have my RPAL. And I would like to get an Antique so I dont have to get a RPAL. That's understandable, right?

Tiriaq - So why is the .41 Colt not easy to load?

Thanks guys.:)

Ti
 
Find a thunderer then. It is the 41 colt and antique version of the lighning that is in 38, and restricted.
41 is not really hard to reload, as long as your ready to jump in with alot of cash to start. You will need the usual reloading equiptment, 41 colt dies (redding) and you will need brass (starline) The hardest thing to find are the bullets, and you will find out fast, you will need to make them yourself. There arnt alot of guys making molds for the 41 colt. There are 2 types of bullets, heeled and hollow base. Hollow base is the easiest to make and shoot. Starline brass is the proper length for the hollow base bullet, if you make heeled style, you will probably have to cut the case down. I bought a thunderer from a fellow "nutz". I have had to hunt down all these items, and finally got them all to start to reloading 41
 
vettes has detailed how to make cartridges for the .41.
Compare this with .455, .450, 11mm German or French service, 9.4 Dutch, 8mm Lebel or any number of other rounds.
If you are thinking about the $575 revolver in the EE, it has action problems, and these are not easy pistols to repair. By the time it is repaired, rebarrelled, recylindered, and components and loading tools are acquired, you would have a rather expensive revolver, that is likely inferior to a variety of other guns.
Nothing is impossible, but some things are more practical.
 
Hmm, well I see your guys point. It would be very pricey, and I'm not rich.:rolleyes: And yes, the one I'm looking at is the $575 one.:)

Now, I know it would make more sense to just buy somthing in good shape that I could actuly shoot. But I dont really have the money to spend on somthing like that. With the one Willy has, he is intrested in trading for a rifle I have.<(that I can do)

As for the action. From what I've read, when the double action breaks, it renders it to single action. I'm OK with this because thats what a want, I single action.

So, here's an idea. If I got the barrel and cylinder from Willy, worked them down to say .22 Mag,< (I could do some of this work) then sent them back to Willy so the pistol could be deregister. Would that work or be possable? Of course the hammer would have to be changed, but the way the pistol is now, I dont see much harm in it.

Thank you guys.

Ti
 
OK, fine. I'll look for somthing else. But just for future reference, would this work.......................

PAINTBALL GUY 3 said:
So, here's an idea. If I got the barrel and cylinder from Willy, worked them down to say .22 Mag,< (I could do some of this work) then sent them back to Willy so the pistol could be deregister. Would that work or be possable? Of course the hammer would have to be changed, but the way the pistol is now, I dont see much harm in it.
Click to expand...


Thanks guys.

Ti
 
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