New acquisition |Winchester .22 Rim Fire|Forum|Winchester Collector

Very nice. When did they stop production on the Colt Lightning?

Nice find Rick!

Those are hard to find in nice condition, like the Winchester model 1890 is! IMO!

Anthony

Very nice, Rick! I’m no Colt collector but I’m pretty sure that was a pretty good score, especially in that condition. Certainly don’t see those every day!

Mike

Im happy it went to you rick.  It fits nice with all your other amazing 22s.  Enjoy it, as others said its very tuff to find examples with condition . 

A very handsome piece of history. And it reminds us why Colt gave up the manufacture (or importation) of shotguns and put aside plans to manufacture lever action rifles.

Thomas G. Bennett was an astute and, apparently, aggressive businessman. The revolvers he had Mason (largely responsible for the Peacemaker’s design) make up to show Colt’s President were very nice, which we all can appreciate must have gotten Colt’s undivided attention.

But not all remember Bennett’s other move: acquiring a huge inventory of Belgian or French shotguns and flooding the market by selling them well below Winchester’s cost (with board of directors permission), causing Colt to suffer a material and substantial loss for that whole fiscal year. Such losses can cost senior management their jobs. 

Pump action rifles were apparently exempted from the agreement, although I note Winchester never since  undertook to sell pistols or design a centerfire pump action rifle. 

All this was well before modern antitrust laws, of course and Mr. Bennett could probably have given lessons to J.P. Morgan and friends. 

Beautiful Colt.  I have a fancy for slide actions as well. I have my share of Winchester gallery guns and a few others.  Might I suggest finding a Marlin model 32 or 38 to add to your collection or would that be a forum violation?  They are very cool take down slide action 22lr guns.

Cheers to your good fortune.

Brent

To truly appreciate a Winchester brand firearm and understand its history, one must explore its competitors, not just its precursors. Of course we study the Jennings Volitional Repeater and the Henry but we cannot fully grasp the value of the Winchester 1886 to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company — and the pressures brought to bear on Winchester management by its absence from their catalog — without having an appreciation of the Marlin 1881, an impressive and desirable rifle. I think most Winchester 1886 collectors who pick up a crisp and clean 1881 would be happy to slot it into their collection because it illuminates the story of the Winchester 1886. 

As a vice president of product development for the Powermatic Machine Company once said about the Delta Power Tool Company’s venerable Model 28 band saw,  “I can’t knock it, although I think our Model 66 is the best 14 inch bandsaw in the business. It’s good to have good competitors.” 

I have observed many Winchester collectors who use some of their collection in the field are also notably fond of John Browning designs sold under the Browning label. A connection that needs no explanation. 

Rick C said

steve004 said
By the way, the tang sight is a special bonus.  I also really like that this Colt is paired with a M1890 of similar vintage and with similar condition 
  

Yes was a nice bonus Steve and the correct C code.
 

  

Small frame C, medium frame O and large frame L.  Had to find a L once.  Bought it off one of Leroy’s rifles.  Not cheap though, but sort of rare.