Wildey
| Wildey | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Wildey J. Moore |
| Designed | 1973 |
| Manufacturer | USA Firearms Corp.-Wildey Guns (current) Wildey F.A., Inc. (1996-2011) Wildey, Inc. (1983-1996) Wildey Firearms Company, Inc. (1980-1982) |
| Produced | 1980-2011, 2016-present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.8 kg (4 lb) (with 5-in barrel) |
| Length | 127 mm (5 in) |
| Barrel length |
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| Cartridge | |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Feed system | 7 or 8-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Firearms |
| Predecessor | Wildey F.A., Inc. (1996-2011) |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Wildey J. Moore |
| Headquarters | Winsted, Connecticut, USA |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Charles T. Rhoades (Pres.) Charles M. Rhoades (VP) George L. Benedict Wildey J. Moore Linda Moore |
| Products | Handguns, Ammunition, Shooting Accessories |
| Parent | USA Firearms Corporation |
| Website | http://www.wildeyguns.com |
The Wildey is a gas-operated, double-action/single-action pistol designed by Wildey J. Moore. It was designed to fire several high-pressure proprietary cartridges including the .45 Wildey Magnum and the .475 Wildey Magnum. They are currently being produced by USA Firearms Corp.-Wildey Guns of Winsted, Connecticut.
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.
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.
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 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.
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Wikipedia