Browse our wood samples to choose the best one for your Lightning Upgrade.

• Fancy Grade (one step above standard),
• Deluxe Grade (two steps above standard)
• Exhibition (top of the line)

Interested in engraving your Lightning Rifle? See our Lightning Rifle Engraving page.

Check out The Premium Grade Lightning Carbine and Special Baby Carbine.

• The Premium Grade Lightning Carbine
• Special Baby Carbine

“…the USFA lightning will appeal to collectors of old West firearms and those who can't find an original Lightning. And this is an exact replica. I've compared it side-by-side to Jay's original Colt, and the only difference that I can see between the two rifles is 100 years of honest wear. …I think highly motivated CAS competitors are going to love it. Anyone with a yen for an authentic 19th century pump-action will have a hard time passing it by.” – Guns of the Old West, Summer 2005. Read the Entire Review (pdf).

Cowboy shooters know that when seconds count you look for speed and accuracy in every shot. The USFA Lightning Rifle™ is built for this purpose. The most striking feature about the Lightning is the slide or pump mechanism. Many rifles of the Old West were lever action. This means the “Anchor Arm” breaks its hold in order to enable the lever to work the action. The result is that the ‘anchor arm’ causes the shooter to lose the critical barrel/target relationship. This unique benefit of the Lightning rifle is the ability of the shooter to never lose that critical “anchor arm” (regardless of whether you are right or left handed) and remain focused and ready on your target. When “Second Place is not an Option”… put your Score on the board with the Lightning Rifle.

Produced from 1884 to 1904, the Medium Frame Lightning Magazine Rifle was a dramatic innovation in breech loading firearms. A remarkably short action stroke, compact size, made the Lightning Magazine Rifle a success on the frontier.

In the 21st century, USFA uses the latest in modern Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing to reverse engineer and make new parts for our products. Having the right ‘tools’ is important but having the right skills and a good pair of hands is what makes USFA products better. 100% Made in America. Why buy anything else?

Like the original, our Premium Grade Lightning is available with a 26” Octagonal, or Round barrel. Upgrade to a Half-round barrel and choose a Standard Cresent Butt or Upgrade to a Deluxe Grade Lightning with Deluxe Pistol Grip Stock in Armory Blue™ Finish. A High Polish Dome Blue™ with hand-polished blue barrel is the standard finish but a variety of options are available. See USFA Pricing guide (PDF) for details.

The start of any gun, rifle or pistol, begins with the selection of stocks or grips. The USFA Custom Shop maintains some of the highest quality wood for our custom gun customers. Imported from Turkey, all custom stock blanks are graded and selected for strength, figure and wood quality.

USFA has 4 grades; Standard, Fancy, Deluxe & Exhibition. For those who know the best.

In the picture above a Lightning Rifle is being worked at the rifle benches. Hand filing of frames, barrels and stocks all done by a skilled hand. Achieving the right final contours, smooth actions, and finishes are the hallmark of USFA Premium Grades.

“All in all, I enjoyed the USFA Lightning. It's definitely got the looks, and it's a fine reproduction of a famous 19th Century design. …it's a classic, 100% American Made with modern steels, and just like the originals.” – Guns of the Old West, Spring 2005. Read the Entire Review (pdf).

The first step in a hand cut checkering pattern is the proper layout. After the proper style and proportion have been established a series of master lines are scribed from which all others are cut. This is the “old way” - the only way we know. If you seek the best, and know quality, you have found it.