A. Uberti 1884 Lightning
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 616 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- 2005
About
What it is, and why it matters
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning is a modern Italian-made reproduction of the Colt Lightning slide-action (pump-action) rifle originally produced by Colt from 1884 to 1904. Chambered in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum, it retains the classic exposed hammer, tubular magazine and case-hardened medium frame of the original, feeding pistol-caliber cartridges through a smooth pump action. It is popular for Cowboy Action Shooting, historical reenactment and collectors of Old West firearms.
The original Colt Lightning was Colt's answer to Winchester's dominance of the lever-action market, using a slide (pump) action patented by William Mason; the San Francisco Police Department famously issued 401 of them, and the modern Uberti revival keeps the design alive on Cowboy Action Shooting ranges.
Manufactured by A. Uberti in Italy and imported to the US under the Uberti/Stoeger and Taylor's & Company brands; also rebranded by other importers. The original Colt Lightning was made in three frame sizes; the Uberti reproduction replicates the medium frame.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- A. Uberti
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2005
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 616 mm
- Overall length
- 1092 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Pump action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Tube
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Case hardened frame blued barrel
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 300 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Slide action
Exposed hammer
Octagonal barrel
Walnut stock
Tubular magazine
Adjustable rear sight
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 3.40 kg | 3.50 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1092 mm | 1080 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 616 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 10 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning
How much does the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning weigh?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning is chambered in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum.
How many rounds does the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning hold?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning holds 10 rounds, fed from a tube magazine.
How long is the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning is 1092 mm (43.0 in) long overall, with a 616 mm (24.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning is made by A. Uberti (Italy). It was designed by William Mason.
When was the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning introduced?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning was introduced in 2005.
How does the A. Uberti 1884 Lightning operate?
The A. Uberti 1884 Lightning uses a pump action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Cowboy Action Shooters
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/uberti-1884-colt-lightning' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "uberti-1884-colt-lightning", "name": "A. Uberti 1884 Lightning", "manufacturer": { "id": "uberti", "name": "A. Uberti", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1959, "website": "https://www.uberti-usa.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Italian maker of reproduction historical firearms, founded 1959. Manufactured in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy. Owned by Beretta Holding since 2000.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "febb6d9d105b602772dc6525221c8f71eb87fba0a4044a2c475c8a7c9b8b2213" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 2005, "barrel_length_mm": 616, "weight_empty_g": 3400, "action_type": "pump_action"}