Yesterday we took a look at the history and operation of the Wilkinson Arms Linda, and today I have it out at the BackUp Gun Match. Since I don’t have iron sights on mine, I fitted with with a period-correct Weaver Qwik-Point fiber optic red dot sight.
Overall, the Linda performed much better than I expected. All of my magazines were reliable, and the gun itself is quite accurate. This is to be expected, though, as it is a fixed barrel design with a similarly fixed optic (ie, not on a reciprocating slide) and it has a remarkably good trigger. It was so good that the match turned out to be a bit anticlimactic, as I only needed to fire 15 rounds in total. On the last stage, by the way, the targets were three paper silhouettes, and my penalty was for not shooting them in the required order (near to far). Whoops!
We will definitely be bringing this Linda back again, in a context better suited to it’s magazine capacity and overall not-crummy performance!
You should have gotten a perm for the match.
It works!!
I bet you were the only one at the range with such a handgun too 🙂
Ian’s backup gun: the Wilkinson Arms Linda
Ian’s primary gun: https://www.guns.com/news/2012/02/17/the-pfeifer-zeliska-the-revolver-in-600-nitro-express
(Yes, I know the Zeliska is “old news”, but it’s about the only handgun big enough to have the Linda as a backup.)
” Zeliska is “old news”, but it’s about the only handgun big enough to have the Linda as a backup.”
What about Gasser M1870 http://hungariae.com/Gass70.htm
it is big enough for this purpose or not?
In my mind the primary gun has to be as ridiculously big as the Linda is as a backup gun for the joke to be consistent, and the Gasser M1870 isn’t quite that, in other words it’s too practical despite its considerable size. The same goes in my opinion for the other possible “practical” handguns such as the Desert Eagle in .50 AE and the .500 S&W Magnum revolvers.
Do the ROs have a pool going on what you are going to bring to the BUG match next?
I have one of those same gun cases.
Missed a good opportunity for a «Color of Money» quote . When the RO asked «What’s in the box « Ian should have smiled and answered «Doom»
Been one of those at the local gun shows with a “brace” on it, if you can believe that. And the gun, and the sight, are products of the ’70s. I’m old enough to remember…………….
Wow!!! What a blog. The way you explain it the way you use this word is mind-blowing. I just love this. Thanks for spread this knowledge to us.
Loved it! Any chance of you ever doing a bio on Ian V Hogg? I can’t think of anyone who has done more for our hobby.
What is most surprising to me is that the Linda as well as the Calico are still in production. I would have thought that they had disappeared sometime in the early 1990ies, when neon lights and hairspray went out of fashion. 😉
Although Tim from Military Arms Channel also made a video about a new produciton Linda about 3 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYO2XYV1HzI
Somebody starts making the Sites Spectre again soon I bet. The 80ies revival is rolling. 😉
“Among the two disputants, always, one is a fool and the other is a scumbag.” (C) 😉
Forget it.
Almost no modern weapons factory has enough competent small arms engineers to do this.
Look at the “novelties” over the past 30 years.
It will be luck to find, among all this garbage, really worthy products that would be enough for at least the fingers of one hand to count.
I seem to recall that the Weaver Qwik-Point was also meant for shotgun use as well. (not sure about that tho) In the interest of spending money on out of date gear, is anyone repairing the Weaver Qwik-Point these days? I found one at a yardsale that was abused.