Wildey

Last updated

Wildey
Wildey IMG 6827-8.jpg
Type Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin United States
Production history
DesignerWildey J. Moore
Designed1973
ManufacturerUSA Firearms Corp. - Wildey Guns
(current) [1]
Wildey F.A., Inc.
(1996–2011) [2] [3]
Wildey, Inc.
(1983–1996) [4]
Wildey Firearms Company, Inc.
(1980–1982) [5]
Produced1980–2011
2016–present
Specifications
Mass1.8 kg (4 lb) (with 5-in barrel)
Length127 mm (5 in)
Barrel  length
  • 5 in (127 mm)
  • 6 in (152 mm)
  • 7 in (178 mm)
  • 8 in (203 mm)
  • 10 in (254 mm)
  • 12 in (305 mm)
  • 14 in (356 mm)
  • 18 in (457 mm)

Cartridge
Action Gas-operated
Feed system7 or 8-round detachable box magazine
Sights Iron sights
USA Firearms Corp.-Wildey Guns
Company type Private
Industry Firearms
PredecessorWildey F.A., Inc. (1996–2011)
Founded1973
FounderWildey J. Moore
Headquarters,
US
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Charles Rhoades (Pres.) [6]
Charles Rhoades (VP)
Jessica Rhoades (VP)
Products Handguns, Ammunition, Shooting Accessories
Parent USA Firearms Corporation
Website www.usafirearmscorp.com

The Wildey is a gas-operated, double- or single-action pistol designed by Wildey J. Moore. It was designed to fire several high-pressure proprietary cartridges including the .45 Winchester Magnum and the .475 Wildey Magnum. They are currently being produced by USA Firearms Corp.-Wildey Guns of Winsted, Connecticut. [7]

Contents

Action

The Wildey was purpose-designed to be a hunting firearm. The pistol is built to withstand breech pressures of over 48,000 PSI associated with Moore's lines of proprietary cartridges. The Wildey was the first gas-operated double action semi-automatic pistol. [8]

The Wildey employs a unique short-stroke gas operation which allows the pistol to be adapted to fire several high-pressure cartridges ranging from the 9mm Winchester Magnum to the .475 Wildey Magnum. Moore described the Wildey patented gas system as an "air-hydraulic piston powered by the firing gases through six small holes in the barrel. This piston forces the slide rearward, initiating the cycling of the pistol". A further advantage of the Wildey's gas operated system is that it allows for the reliable operation of heavy and light loads for each cartridge type, by manually adjusting the gas-regulator valve to tune the system for different loads. The valve is adjusted by way of turning the gas-regulating collar at the base of the barrel. Another advantage of a gas-operated system is that it often reduces felt recoil. [8]

The Wildey uses a fixed-barrel, three-lug, rotating-bolt design. The bolt locks into the aft barrel extension. The bolt is linked to the slide via one of the bolt lugs. When the cartridge is fired, the piston is forced against the slide. The retracting slide catches the extended bolt lug which causes the bolt to rotate open. The spent cartridge is ejected by the bolt through the retracting slide's ejection port. The fixed-barrel design is considered by some to promote greater accuracy over pistols designed around an articulating barrel design. The Wildey can be used as either a single-shot or an auto-loading pistol. [8]

All pistols feature ventilated, ribbed barrels and angled frames similar to those of Colt M1911 designs but considerably larger. The pistols will accept scope attachments which are mounted on the barrel ribs. The pistol uses a single-stack magazine. It utilizes a heel-mounted magazine release lever located on the underside of the mainspring housing, a type of catch which has historically been popular on many European guns like the SIG P210, Walther TPH, and FN 1910. The Wildey features a frame mounted auto-resetting decocking lever which will drop the hammer safely. The pistol also incorporates a number of safety features including a firing pin block, trigger block and a rebounding firing pin.

The Wildey allows for caliber and barrel conversions by simply installing a new barrel assembly into the original frame and slide. Whenever the caliber and barrel conversions are made, the gas regulator needs to be tuned to allow for the pistol to function reliably.

Stainless steel is used for all major parts of the pistol including the frame, slide and barrel. [9] The pistol was offered in four models: the Survivor, Survivor Guardsman, Hunter and the Hunter Guardsman. The Survivor model came in a bright stainless steel, high-luster finish while the Hunter model was available in a matte finish. The Guardsman model has a squared-off trigger guard instead of the rounded trigger guard found on the non-Guardsman model. [10]

Variations

The Wildey Pistol offers extensive customization options, allowing modifications such as altering barrel length and converting calibers. Wildey F.A. states that barrel and caliber conversions are facilitated by replacing the entire barrel assembly. The pistol is offered with a choice of either single-action or double-action trigger mechanisms.

Barrels are currently available in 8 in (203 mm), 10 in (254 mm) or 12 in (305 mm) lengths. [11] Other lengths of 5 in (127 mm), 6 in (152 mm), 7 in (178 mm) and 14 in (356 mm) have been discontinued. [12] Barrel changes can be accomplished by the means of loosening the barrel chuck, replacing the existing barrel and re-tightening the barrel chuck. [9] The pistol is currently available in .45 Winchester Magnum, .475 Wildey Magnum and .44 Auto Mag. [13] Calibers previously produced by Wildey, which have been discontinued, include the .45 Wildey Magnum, 9mm Winchester Magnum, .357 Wildey Magnum (also known as the .357 Peterbuilt), .41 Wildey Magnum and .44 Wildey Magnum. [13] [14] There are some sources which mention .30 Wildey Magnum and .50 Wildey Magnum calibers, but no manuals from the company or other firearms literature list such cartridges. [15]

Wildey F.A. manufactured a pin gun for duck pin shooting which features a 5 in (127 mm) compensated barrel to allow for fast follow-up shots by reducing recovery time. A silhouette-shooting version of the pistol was also available featuring a wooden fore stock and an 18 in (457 mm) barrel. A carbine version of the Wildey pistol was offered, similar to the Wildey Silhouette Pistol but also featured a removable shoulder stock.

All the Wildeys have adjustable rear sights and removable front side blade inserts (high and low). The front side blades are interchangeable and available in three colors: red, orange, and black. Special tools are not required to disassemble or reassemble any of the Wildey's four configurations. [9]

Status of production

Health problems of founder Wildey J. Moore, along with a series of litigations with the company's major stockholder at that time, caused production of firearms products at Wildey F.A., Inc. in Warren, Connecticut, to be suspended in 2011. [3] [16] [17]

In August 2015, USA Firearms Corporation of Winsted, Connecticut announced that the Wildey Survivor models will once again be produced along with parts and ammunition. [1] [18] Production of the firearms and accessories began in 2016, and customer orders for the new Wildey Survivor models started on February 3, 2017. [12]

Wildey previously had production sites in Cheshire, Connecticut, and New Milford, Connecticut.

The firearm was integral to a large number of scenes from the Charles Bronson film Death Wish 3 ; in reality, it was Bronson's personal pistol—a ten-inch, brushed, stainless finish. The appearance is credited with increasing Wildey sales enough to rescue the company from a near collapse and bankruptcy. Founder Wildey J. Moore said that every time Death Wish 3 is aired on cable TV, sales spike. [19] The Wildey is also featured in the 2021 video game Resident Evil Village as the S.T.A.K.E.

The Wildey also features in several of British Writer Andy McDermott's novel series, featuring archaeologist Nina Wilde, and her ex-SAS trooper and husband, Eddie Chase. It was Chase's handgun of choice on many of their srchaeological expeditions for the U.N.

The Wildey was also featured prominently in the movie Natural Born Killers (1994), where the protagonist, Mickey Knox, uses it throughout the first half of the film.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-shot</span> Firearm that holds one round of ammunition

In firearm designs, the term single-shot refers to guns that can hold only a single round of ammunition inside and thus must be reloaded manually after every shot. Compared to multi-shot repeating firearms ("repeaters"), single-shot designs have no moving parts other than the trigger, hammer/firing pin or frizzen, and therefore do not need a sizable receiver behind the barrel to accommodate a moving action, making them far less complex and more robust than revolvers or magazine/belt-fed firearms, but also with much slower rates of fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartridge (firearms)</span> Pre-assembled firearm ammunition consisting of a casing, projectile, propellant, and primer

A cartridge, also known as a round, is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile, a propellant substance and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit within the barrel chamber of a breechloading gun, for convenient transportation and handling during shooting. Although in popular usage the term "bullet" is often used to refer to a complete cartridge, the correct usage only refers to the projectile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action (firearms)</span> Functional mechanism of breech-loading

In firearms terminology, an action is the functional mechanism of a breech-loading firearm that handles the ammunition cartridges, or the method by which that mechanism works. Actions are technically not present on muzzleloaders, as all those are single-shot firearms with a closed off breech with the powder and projectile manually loaded from the muzzle. Instead, the muzzleloader ignition mechanism is referred to as the lock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith & Wesson</span> American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-automatic pistol</span> Type of pistol

A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridges in its chamber after every shot fired. Only one round of ammunition is fired each time the trigger is pulled, as the pistol's fire control group disconnects the trigger mechanism from the firing pin/striker until the trigger has been released and reset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.45 ACP</span> Pistol cartridge designed by John Moses Browning

The .45 ACP, also known as .45 Auto, .45 Automatic, or 11.43×23mm is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After successful military trials, it was adopted as the standard chambering for Colt's M1911 pistol. The round was developed due to a lack of stopping power experienced in the Moro Rebellion in places like Sulu. The issued ammunition, .38 Long Colt, had proved inadequate, motivating the search for a better cartridge. This experience and the Thompson–LaGarde Tests of 1904 led the Army and the Cavalry to decide that a minimum of .45 caliber was required in a new handgun cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert Eagle</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Desert Eagle or simply Deagle is a single-action, gas-operated, semi-automatic pistol known for chambering the .50 Action Express, the largest centerfire cartridge of any magazine-fed, self-loading pistol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.45 Colt</span> Revolver cartridge designed by the U.S. Army

The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), often called the .45 Long Colt, is a rimmed, straight-walled, handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as an official US military handgun cartridge for 19 years, before being replaced by the .38 Long Colt in 1892. Although there has never been a ".45 Short Colt" cartridge, the .45 Colt is frequently called the ".45 Long Colt" to better distinguish it from the shorter .45 Schofield cartridge, which was also in use around the time the .45 Colt was introduced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.44 Magnum</span> Revolver cartridge designed by Elmer Keith and Smith & Wesson (S&W)

The .44 Remington Magnum, also known as .44 Magnum or 10.9x33mmR, is a rimmed, large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers and quickly adopted for carbines and rifles. Despite the ".44" designation, guns chambered for the .44 Magnum round, its parent case, the .44 Special, and the .44 Special's parent case, the .44 Russian all use 0.429 in (10.9 mm) diameter bullets. The .44 Magnum is based on the .44 Special case but lengthened and loaded to higher pressures for greater velocity and energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.45 Winchester Magnum</span> American pistol cartridge

The .45 Winchester Magnum is a .45 caliber rimless cartridge intended for use in semi-automatic pistols. The cartridge is an externally lengthened .45 ACP with a thicker web to withstand higher operating pressures. The 45 Win Mag is nearly identical in dimensions and loading to the .45 NAACO developed by the North American Arms Corporation for their Brigadier pistol, developed to supply to the Canadian Army after World War II. The army ultimately did not adopt the pistol and its non-NATO standard ammunition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire</span> Rimfire cartridge

The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also known as the .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, .22 WMRF, .22 MRF, or .22 Mag, is a rimfire cartridge. Originally loaded with a bullet weight of 40 grains (2.6 g) delivering velocities in the 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) range from a rifle barrel, .22 WMR is now loaded with bullet weights ranging from 50 grains (3.2 g) at 1,530 feet per second (470 m/s) to 30 grains (1.9 g) at 2,200 feet per second (670 m/s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metallic silhouette shooting</span>

Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets representing game animals at varying distances, seeking to knock the metal target over. Metallic silhouette is shot with large bore rifles fired freehand without support out to 500 meters, and with large bore handguns from the prone position with only body support out to 200 meters. Competitions are also held with airguns and black-powder firearms. A related genre is shot with bow and arrow, the metal targets being replaced with cardboard or foam. The targets used are rams, turkeys, pigs, and chickens, which are cut to different scales and set at certain distances from the shooter depending on the specific discipline.

A rim is an external flange that is machined, cast, molded, stamped, or pressed around the bottom of a firearms cartridge. Thus, rimmed cartridges are sometimes called "flanged" cartridges. Almost all cartridges feature an extractor or headspacing rim, in spite of the fact that some cartridges are known as "rimless cartridges". The rim may serve a number of purposes, including providing a lip for the extractor to engage, and sometimes serving to headspace the cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.30-30 Winchester</span> Rifle cartridge designed by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company

The .30-30 Winchester / 7.8x51mmR cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895. The .30-30, as it is most commonly known, along with the .25-35 Winchester, was offered that year as the United States' first small-bore sporting rifle cartridges designed for smokeless powder. Since its introduction, it has been utilized alongside the development of flatter shooting cartridges, most prominently those derived from designs subsidized by interest in military expenditures. The .30-30 has remained in widespread use almost entirely because of reliable effectiveness in civilian applications, and has put food on the table for millions of people in hunting situations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.475 Wildey Magnum</span> Pistol cartridge

The .475 Wildey Magnum is a large semiautomatic pistol cartridge designed for big game hunting in the Wildey pistol.

The Marlin Model 336 is a lever-action rifle and carbine made by Marlin Firearms. Since its introduction in 1948, it has been offered in a number of different calibers and barrel lengths, but is commonly chambered in .30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington, using a 20- or 24-inch barrel. Currently, several models with a 16-, 19- and 20-inch barrels are available in .30-30 Winchester. The Model 336 is now back in production as of March 27, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LAR Grizzly Win Mag</span> Semi-automatic pistol

The Grizzly Win Mag pistols were conceived, invented, designed, engineered and developed in the 1980s by the sole inventor, Perry Arnett, who licensed his patent for an interchangeable caliber semi-automatic pistol to L.A.R. Manufacturing Inc. Perry Arnett's designs were initially flawed and were improved upon by Heinz Augat. The L.A.R. Grizzly was the most powerful semi-automatic pistol ever commercially produced after the Desert Eagle.

The .45 Super / 11.5x22mm is a powerful smokeless powder center fire metallic firearm cartridge developed in 1988 by Dean Grennell, a well-known writer in the firearms field as well as managing editor of Gun World magazine. It is dimensionally similar to the .45 ACP round but has a thicker case wall and is loaded to higher pressures, which offers an average 300 feet per second (91 m/s) improvement in muzzle velocity over the .45 ACP. The cartridge was co-developed by Tom Fergerson and Ace Hindman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varmint rifle</span> Mostly 22 Caliber Rifles Used For Hunting Small Game Animals.

A varmint rifle is a small-caliber precision firearm or high-powered airgun primarily used for both varmint hunting and pest control. These tasks include killing three types of pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.17 Winchester Super Magnum</span> American rimfire rifle cartridge

.17 Winchester Super Magnum, commonly known as the .17 WSM, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by the ammunition company Winchester in 2012. It descended from a .27 caliber nail-gun blank cartridge by necking down the blank case to take a .17 caliber (4.5mm) bullet. Initial loadings were with a 20 grains (1.3 g) bullet, delivering muzzle velocities around 3,000-foot-per-second (910 m/s).

References

  1. 1 2 Nathaniel F. (September 30, 2015). "Wildey Guns Is Back!". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  2. "Connecticut Business Registry Search (Wildey F.A., Inc.)". Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Fjestad, S.P. (2013). Blue Book of Gun Values (34th ed.). Blue Book Publications, Inc. p. 2085. ISBN   1-936120-31-3.
  4. "Connecticut Business Registry Search (Wildey, Inc.)". Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  5. "Wildey, Inc". Blue Book of Gun Values. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. "Connecticut Business Registry Search (USA Firearms Corp.)". Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  7. "The Wildey". WildeyGuns.com. Wildey F.A. 2005. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Wahl, Paul (1980). "First Gas Operated Semi-Auto Pistol". Popular Science. 216 (4): 148.
  9. 1 2 3 Hartink, A.E. (2003). The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc. pp. 375–376. ISBN   978-0-7858-1871-7.
  10. Taffin, John (2005). "The Wildey survivor: a man-sized magnum semiauto pistol". Guns Magazine. FMG Publications. Archived from the original on November 26, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2011 via Findarticles.com.
  11. "The Wildey". WildeyGuns.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "USAFC Survivor Order Form". USA Firearms/Wildey Guns. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  13. 1 2 "The Wildey". Wildey Guns. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  14. "The World's Most Powerful Rifles & Handguns" (PDF). AMT Guns. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  15. "Magnum SMGs/Assault Rifles/MGs?". The Security Arms Message Forum. August 2006. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  16. "Wildey J. Moore vs. F.A. Investment Holdings, Ltd". United States District Court of Connecticut. March 4, 2012. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  17. Johnson, Steve (May 11, 2010). "Wildey Guns has "suspended operations"". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  18. "USA Firearms Wildey Handguns". Facebook. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  19. Taffin, John (2005). ""My friend Wildey": Dirty Harry watch out, Wildey's back!". American Handgunner. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2008 via Findarticles.com.