Wildey
Wildey | |
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Parent USA Firearms Corporation | | |
Website | http://www.usafirearmscorp.com |
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The Wildey is a gas-operated, double-action 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]
Action
The Wildey was purpose-designed to be a hunting firearm. The pistol is built to withstand
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
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 is extensively customizable, from changes to barrel length to caliber conversions. According to Wildey F.A., barrel and caliber conversions can be made by replacing the barrel assembly. The pistol is available with 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.
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
Status of production
Health problems of founder Wildey J. Moore, along with a series of
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.
In popular culture
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 Archaeological 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
References
- ^ a b The Firearm Blog, Wildey Guns Is Back! by Nathaniel F, September 30, 2015 Archived October 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ Connecticut Secretary of State, Wildey F.A., Inc. Archived November 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 1-936120-31-3, page 2085, Retrieved Jan. 13, 2016.
- ^ Connecticut Secretary of State, Wildey, Inc. Archived November 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ Blue Book of Gun Values, Wildey, Inc. Archived 2016-01-15 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ Connecticut Secretary of State, USA Firearms Corp. Archived November 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 20, 2016.
- ^ "The Wildey". Wildeyguns.com. Wildey F.A. 2005. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ a b c Wahl, Paul (1980). "First Gas Operated Semi-Auto Pistol". Popular Science. 216 (4): 148.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7858-1871-7.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The Wildey". Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ a b USA Firearms/Wildey Guns, USAFC Survivor Order Form, Retrieved Feb. 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Wildey Guns - The Wildey Archived October 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 16, 2016.
- ^ AMT Guns, The World's Most Powerful Rifles & Handguns Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ The Security Arms Message Forum Archived February 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 20, 2016
- ^ United States District Court of Connecticut, Wildey J. Moore vs. F.A. Investment Holdings, Ltd., Civil Action No. 3:10cv891(VLB), March 4, 2012 Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ The Firearm Blog, Wildey Guns has "suspended operations" by Steve Johnson, May 11, 2010 Archived October 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ Facebook, USA Firearms Wildey Handguns Archived January 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Jan. 12, 2016.
- ^ Taffin, John (2005). ""My friend Wildey": Dirty Harry watch out, Wildey's back! | American Handgunner | Find Articles at BNET". Findarticles.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
External links
- wildeyguns.com Official website for Wildey Guns