Today I’m reposting part of an interview I did with L James “Jim” Sullivan back in 2014. Aside from being one of the two men who did the conversion of the AR-10 into the AR-15, one of Sullivan’s many projects was an attempt to found the Wayne Repeating Arms Company (or WRA Co., not to be inadvertently confused with any other gun company with those initials). Sullivan envisioned John Wayne as the financial backer, and designed a very nice .22 self-loading commercial rifle for the company to produce, but it all came to naught. Depending on which story you trust, there was either a falling-out between business managers, or a mishap with an Ingram M10 SMG demonstration curtailed Wayne’s interest in firearms investments…
Conversion
Springfield’s SAR-4800 FAL…in 5.56mm
In the early 1990s, the Brazilian Imbel factory made a small run of FAL rifles converted to 5.56mm using AR magazines. They used standard FAL receivers and bolt carriers, with a boltface cut for 5.56x45mm […]
Heavy MGs
Ma Deuce: The Venerable Browning M2 .50 Caliber HMG
The M2 Browning machine gun was first conceived in 1918, as a request by General John Pershing of the AEF for a large-caliber antiaircraft and antitank machine gun. John Browning scaled his M1917 water-cooled .30 […]
Single-shot Pistol
Bobbie Ford’s Romantic Derringer (NSFW – Happy Valentine’s Day!)
This surprising derringer was commissioned in the 1970s by Walther Buhl Ford III for his wife Bobbie Ford, and hand crafted by Alvin White, Colt’s renowned master engraver. Bobbie Ford was a collector of Western […]
The magazine on that rifle seems also interesting: a double column magazine for a small rimmed cartridge.
And 50-60 years before KelTec suddenly made that a thing….
A very nice double feed magazine.
It probably works as well
The view of the inside of the receiver looks very involved. I don’t see how this could compete with the 10/22 in simplicity and in the same price range (around $50 at the time).
Ian, The Duke used a MAC on the Bad Guys in his 1974 film “McQ”.
Many thanks for pointing that out to him, as if he didnt put a photo of him out of that movie, as a half of this video thumbnail.
I was in Beirut in june 1974 and huge posters of Wayne with the MAC 10 were everywhere I actually went and saw the film and each time the MAC was fired the male audience cheered. The lebenese certainly liked their guns in those days.
Why is the MAC10 connected to Lebanon?
As they do now.
I like it, and would certainly consider buying one. The fire control group definitely looks easier to disassemble and clean (and do a trigger job on)than that in the 10-22.
That is a .22 that should have been made. The perfect blend of early 20c style, modern features and decent sights. Hear me Ruger? Decent sights. They have DECENT SIGHTS. Henry or someone should look at that. Heck, I need another .22 rifle like Alex Baldwin needs more bad publicity, but I would go in to crowdfund that, as long as Jim got a fair share.
I believe Jim is gone now? But yes…I would LOVE to help get that gun produced.
He’s still alive, but idk what his condition is now being 88 y.old. I would like to see more on that magazines
I looked into https://patents.justia.com/inventor/leroy-james-sullivan
and it shows his most recent patent to be
Filed: September 13, 2019
That is a gun I would buy in a heartbeat if it were being produced. The way the hand guard is relieved around the barrel reminds me of the Remington Nylon 66. A 25 round mag that isn’t a banana? That’s a win. If it were available with various types of barrels (threaded, heavy target, etc) that could be easily swapped out, it would be great. CZ 455’s and 457’s have that ability, but not as easy as this one. I think it is a GREAT design.
Interesting,
and this is the same Jim?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/AR7_Internal_Parts.jpg
At first glance, it looks like…
A very interesting and controversial author.
Competent and talented specialist, but (IMHO) with an excessive passion for overcomplication.
Which ultimately prevents his creations from being perfect.
Based on this interview, he didnt design ar7
https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/L__James_Sullivan_Interview/123-594646/
The interview begs the question, why they used other powder instead of ball in designing ar15, when army had so many millions of ball powder .223 ammo. Why ball p. wasnt first choice in design??
As Ian says…” I would buy one”. For sure. Nice design. Receiver side plate with internal parts reminds me of the AR-7.