Colt Large Frame "Express Model" Lightning Slide Action Rifle in .45-85-285 Caliber
This 1890 Colt Large Frame Lightning rifle is a particularly desirable example from the scarcest group of Colt’s slide-action rifles, with only 6,496 produced between 1887 and 1894. Designed as Colt’s answer to Winchester’s Models 1876 and 1886 and other single-shot big bore rifles, the Express Lightnings like this one were chambered for powerful cartridges and built to appeal to hunters and frontiersmen seeking reliable big-game performance.
Key features of this rifle include:
- German silver blade front sight paired with an elevation-adjustable buckhorn rear sight
- Two-line Colt legend stamped on the top barrel flat ahead of the rear sight
- Caliber marking “45-85-285” on the left side of the barrel, representing an “improved” loading of the .45-70 cartridge
- Left receiver side marked with the iconic Rampant Colt logo
- Slide handle featuring multi-point checkering for enhanced grip
- Plain straight grip stock fitted with a classic crescent rifle buttplate
This model’s rarity combined with its chambering and distinctive Colt features make it a sought-after piece for collectors of American lever and slide-action rifles, representing a significant chapter in late 19th-century firearms development and competition.
Fine. The receiver retains 70% original blue finish with smooth brown-gray patina on the balance. The barrel and magazine tube retain 85% of the original blue finish with thinning to brown on the balance and some scattered light spotting. The buttplate has a gray patina. The buttstock is very good with a hairline crack on the wrist (left side), minor dings and scratches. The forearm has a chip of wood absent on the rear and some softened checkering otherwise. Mechanically excellent.
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