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Winchester wildcat

GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭
edited February 2009 in Ask the Experts
Who is making the winchester wildcat, 22 lr bolt action rifles?
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  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shot my new wildcat today,its a accurate 22 rfle...it has the heavy barrel,but the stock needs more weight,may have to add lead shot in the stock,anyone ever had to do this before on there 22 rifle...
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  • GeriGeri Member Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I recently purchased a Winchester Wildcat .22 LR and mounted a 3x9x32 Bushnell on it.. I love it. It has the feel of a higher caliber long rifle and is great for the price. I have one concern about it however, I live in NYC and the laws here a rediculous. In case you don't already know the US Constitution doesnt apply here. There is a restriction on long rifles in NYC, you cannot posses any magazine that holds more than 5 rounds. The Wildcat comes with 4 mags, one 5 round mag and three 10 round mags. The dealer i go to would not give me the 10 round mags but threw in a brick of ammo instead. Here is my dilema, in order to purchase additional 5 round mags, I called Winchester and tried to order some, they told me each Wildcat rifle made has individual specifications for their magazines and therefore, in order to purchase more msgs, I would have to mail in the Wildcat to Winchester so their gunsmith can "taylor make" the mags. Does anyone know if this is BS or is this the truth, I cant find an alternative and so far I've spent more time reloading than actually shooting.

    Any suggestions?
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  • 22hipower22hipower Member Posts: 619 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Wildcats are made in Russia. Not sure of the manufacturer; maybe Baikal.
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  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good question.

    These are made by the famous TOZ (Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod) in Tula, Russia.

    If you look at them, the magazine sweeps back to the trigger guard, somewhat like the Mosin-Nagant rifle, which the Russians consider a "classic" look. Not coincidentally, historically the Tula arsenal was the largest manufacturer of Mosin-Nagant rifles.

    My understanding is that they took a Russian .22 action, then dropped it into a more American-looking stock to create the "Wildcat".

    EDIT: I just checked, FWIW, the "Wildcat" is an Americanized version of the Russian TOZ-78 .22 rifle. The latter has an adjustable trigger, a straight bolt, and a different stock. I've not shot either, but like many Russian guns these are supposedly pretty "rough" in terms of finish but reasonably accurate.


    Winchester Wildcat
    38177.jpg

    Mosin-Nagant magazine, closeup:
    5078d1158721199-purchased-my-1st-mosin-nangant-mosin-nagant-c.jpg

    EDIT: Russian TOZ-78 rifle
    tula22-2.JPG
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