Several companies are coming out with clones. Anyone have any experience with these?

TIA,

Mark

Not yet. The local gun shop has sold several of these from Taurus, but they haven't received any feedback as far as accuracy or reliability.

Several companies are coming out with clones. Anyone have any experience with these?

TIA,

Mark


http://www.gunblast.com/Taurus_Thunderbolt.htm

http://www.curtrich.com/GettingStarted04.html

http://www.cascity.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=2

I haven't bought one yet, almost did then plunked the money down on a CZ Bobwhite 20 ga SxX. (what a beaut!) Anyway I have seen the Thunderbolt for as little as $359 - my local gunshop had a 45 LC, 26" barrel, blued one for $399. I would prefer a 20" barrel and I know they make 'em, but I haven't seen one yet. From what I've read the Taurus is definitely worth the money. It's a blast to shoot (hold the trigger and work the pump and slam fire it just for fun). I would have to replace the sights, ghost ring or similar would work better for me, and I have some concerns about soft hits on primers and feeding of certain bullet types/weights. Other than that I still might pick one up just for the fun factor.

Here's a link to a forum that has several new owner's reviews of the Thunderbolt:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,2227.20.html
and another:
http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=1436.0


Hope this helps.
Craig

Several companies are coming out with clones. Anyone have any experience with these?

TIA,

Mark


Yers ago, had a buddy Loius that collected Lightenings...small frame, medium frame, and large frame. He was kind of a nut on teh guns, but did keep a few "shooters' seperate from his collectors guns.

I like the odd little rifles, but if they are built like the orignals, once they get a bit of wear in them, seems you can cycle the pump faster than the insides can get a round of deck to be loaded. So i leaned the heistation pump...just a split second paurse at the back stroke seemed to cure all ills.

From waht I've read on teh new reporos, are pretty close copies...not that parts would interchange (they genrally won't) but they certainly do feel and look a lot like the originals.

Even had some original ammo, in this case headstamped .38 CLMR (Colt Lighetning magaizine rifle) with an odd SMALL primer. On a guess, the differnce that earned it the CLMR stamp was in that small primer.

Lets put it this way...it's on my list...and I'd prefer one in 38-40.

I've got a friend who bought one of the Taraus rifles and he had to work on a couple of things before he ever made it to the range. Seems there's a snap ring on the magazine that wouldn't allow the 45 Colt cartridge to be loaded into the mag tube which required some modification. Also there is a roll pin that holds the firing pin in place that fell out and was lost while cycling the action. A trip to the hardware store with the disassembled rifle was required to get a new pin. After he put everything back together it shot very well even with that awful rear sight.

I took a look at one three weeks ago. $395 and the idea of 14+1 sounds like all sorts of giggles and grins. Very nice fit and finish for the money and they picked good wood on the one I was looking at.

It's on my "To Do" list.