Winchester Wildcat

I first read of the new Winchester Wildcat 22 Long Rifle semi-automatic rifle some two years ago. Then, a short time ago one showed up at the local shop. What I found is among the most interesting and useful lightweight rifles in the world. That is a bold statement but completely true. The rifle is well thought out, and while functional and accurate enough for most chores, the engineering is most interesting. The Wildcat is the right rifle for the times.

Winchester used modern engineering and CNC machining to create one of the more ergonomic rifles I have handled. And this engineering and usefulness doesn’t come at a high price, being only $249 retail. Lets look hard at the rifle. Starting off, there isn’t much that will likely need gunsmithing in the short term that I can find. Tasks at the bench at first will probably be scope mounting and perhaps questions about the trigger. More on that later. Top: The Winchester Wildcat features trim lines..

The Wildcat is a straightforward blowback action featuring easy takedown and reassembly. Most of the stock and trigger guard is plastic or polymer. The factory sights are ideal for small game and plinking with an aperture rear and post front and along rail on top of the receiver accommodates a wide range of optics. The magazine is a rotary type holding ten rounds that is based on the original Ruger 10/22 ten shot magazines and is compatible with the Ruger.

Both of these rotary magazines come by way of the Savage rotary magazine developed over a hundred years ago for the 1895 rifle. One improvement Winchester made with their factory magazine eases filling. Rather than pressing each cartridge into the magazine, a small wheel on the magazine can be rotated to compress the magazine spring, allowing cartridges to be easily dropped into place. Of course, the 10/22 has long had af-

A standard Ruger type is at the bottom of the receiver along with twin levers on either side of the stock. termarket extended magazines available and the Wildcat can use them. This makes a great deal of sense when you are designing anew rifle. The magazine release is also similar to the Ruger, however, there are also rails on the side of the stock that when pressed to the rear release the magazine as well. I like this system a lot. To lock the bolt back simply pull back on an empty magazine.

The bolt lock and bolt release is ared tab in front of the trigger guard. Bottom: The bolt lock/bolt release is located in front of the trigger guard. The stock design is compatible with most body types from preteen to average adult and fits most hands and shoulders well. To remove the barreled action an Allen wrench is supplied. Unscrew the angled bolt in the stock. This angled bolt is more solid of a lock up than the type that threads in straight.

In common with the Ruger 10/22, the barrel isn’t permanently affixed to the receiver and is easily removed by removing a crossbolt that runs across the lower receiver. The barrel is a conventional sporter type, 18 inches long, and with the standard barrel twist of one turn in sixteen inches. The metal receiver and barrel are finished in a matte blue. The safety is a crossbolt type in the trigger guard, which proved quite stiff even after several dozen manipulations.

Another good feature is a covered rail in the forward section of the stock for mounting a light or laser. Cool stuff. If you have hunted pests and predators at night you will appreciate this feature. Stripping the gun is super easy. Unload the rifle by removing the magazine and clearing the chamber. Be certain the bolt is closed. Press your fingers into the rear of the receiver into the red button therein.

Press the trigger guard down and pull down and forward Winchester Wildcat Important specifications Caliber: 22 Long Rifle Overall Length: 36.25" Length of pull: 13.5" Drop at comb: 7/8" Barrel length: 18"

as you turn the assembly. The rifle separates into lower and upper receiver. The charging handle rotates to one side allowing the bolt to slip out of the receiver ejection port. Another great feature is this self loading rifle allows easy cleaning from the breech end via a port at the rear of the receiver made for the purpose. Reassembly is simple enough. Line the bolt handle in the ejection port, line up the front of the lower receiver into an opening in the front of the magazine well, and rotate into position.

The assembly snaps into place. While I am surprised that so many gun owners do not bother to maintain their own rifles but I suppose this provides a steady income for gunsmiths. If one comes into your shop for that purpose you’ll likely be find it filthy as rimfire shooters that leave it to someone else to clean likely fire great quantities of the cheapest, dirtiest ammunition they can find and then neglect to clean the rifle until the action becomes sluggish or begins to misfeed.

At least the Wildcat makes cleaning and assembly/disassembly as easy as possible. Mounting optics is simple enough and straight forward. The Wildcat trigger is interesting. It is made of composite material and trigger compression is hard and stiff at 5.5 pounds. I used two RCBS trigger pull gauges to confirm this and found some variation of two to three ounces on the trigger compression over the space of twenty pulls.

This is neither the worst nor the best I have evaluated and for simple training, plinking, and small game hunting this trigger is useful. I had no difficulty firing good fiveround groups at 25 yards, typically grouping inside two inches using the factory iron sights. With amounted optic accuracy potential should improved. The rifle also eats everything from CCI Stingers to the cheapest loads I tried. At four pounds even the rifle is certainly light and handy enough. The trigger is usable if not ideal.

I may be able to work the trigger but it looks sealed. The bigger concern is the material and construction does not invite modification. I am hoping for some greater cooperation from Winchester and perhaps I will attempt to take the trigger housing apart in the future. It appears to be

Top: Note recoil spring, top, and striker spring, lower. Allen wrenches are neatly stowed in the receiver. pinned together and may be easily broken if tampered with. Of course, if this rifle becomes a commercial success, aftermarket triggers are inevitable. More on these subjects at a later date! AG A Tru- Glo laser is mounted here. American Gunsmith Reader Services 1.