Rifleman Q&A: A Colt Like Billy The Kid’s

by
posted on November 18, 2022
Colt Model 1877 Lightning

Q: When my father retired in 1967, he gave me a Colt revolver. It is stamped “COLT D.A. 38” and has a serial number in two adjacent places: the trigger guard next to the screw and the frame next to the trigger guard: 138XXX or 136XXX. I was told that Billy the Kid carried a Colt double-action revolver. Do you know if that is true?


A: From the good description you provide, we can determine that your revolver is the Colt Model 1877 Lightning chambered in .38 Long Colt.

It is a double-action model as stated on the barrel “COLT D.A. 38.” This means you can fire the gun by first cocking it and then pulling the trigger or just by pulling the trigger (without cocking the hammer by hand). In other words, you could pull the trigger six times and empty the gun.

Many sources indicate that Billy the Kid sometimes carried the Colt .44 single-action gun (as seen in most cowboy movies), but he sometimes carried the Colt Thunderer D.A. .41—the big brother of your Lightning.

Latest

heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees
heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday

With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.

Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer

Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.

New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX

European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.

Review: Citadel Trakr

At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.

Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho

Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.