AZ Rapid WildKat
I've been showing you bits and pieces of the WildKat for a reason. But it's not totally to build the suspense. Now that it's "grown" on me I'll explain.
When I purchased this gun, I was really looking at a couple of Mike Abernethy stocked Rapids in 22. Mike does some beautiful work, uses some beautiful wood, and I love those Tyroleans! So when I got a laminated non-Tyrolean stock, I wasn't thrilled. To the credit of DaveG, I have been won over. The stock is a green/copper laminate with accents of undetermined wood (maybe walnut).
I was originally going to have the baffle for the shroud replaced by DaveG, the original gunsmith. In short after shipping it, he said I needed to purchase a complete new shroud. I knew that if I was going to replace the shroud with a new one, I wanted it slightly larger for 2 reasons. One was for a bit more bull barrel look, and the other was to close up the gap between the shroud and the FX tube. So, since it was already on the other side of the country, I decided that it would be better to send it directly to Allen instead. Here is the original look. I kind of felt the barrel looked pencil thin, with too much space between the barrel and FX air tube. (my opinion FWIW)
I told Allen I wanted to go the next size up in shrouds. He asked "How big" and I said "one size bigger than the shroud that is on it". His surprised me with "there's no shroud with it". I thought great, now I got to figure out what happened to it. The first gunsmith's reply was "I didn't know you wanted to keep the shroud, as it was 'no good'". Enough said, now I don't have anything to compare it to, but I do remember 1.25". So I call Allen and say I want to go up from 1.25". Here's where I made THE mistake. 1.25 inches was in my mind from earlier measurements. It turns out that's what I calculated that I WANTED, not what I had. Not having the shroud to measure, I messed up giving the wrong dimension to Allen. Wisely, AZ says "that's a big shroud, you sure?". I reply "yes" I want to close up the gap. Well it does close the gap.
So, I get my AZ WildKat that has been gone for 2 months with shipping (less than 2 weeks at AZ's) and I'm thrilled with how quiet it is. You can only hear the hammer. But, the shroud is HUGE (to me). I do admit it takes up the space between the FX cylinder, but I think the 1.25" would have looked the best. Balance is still very nice.
So, slightly embarrassed, here it is. It is starting to grow on me. But I really wish I had the 1.25". I also wanted only 6" beyond the barrel, but AZ suggested 8". I think in a few months, If I still feel this way, I'm going to make one myself in 1.25" and 6" stick-out and see how it looks and works. Opinions on the looks please?
One could barely get a piece of paper between the old shroud and the barrel, so I knew the larger shroud would need high mounts. So I had the receiver grooved for BKL high mounts to clear the shroud. AZ does a very nice job.
The AZ BDC (Bullet Drop Compensator) is a nice addition that a previous owner (?) added. I REALLY like it once I started to use it. I just might add this to my AA S310 shown below the WildKat.
I briefly mentioned the new Bolt handle for my Rapid in an earlier review. Now that I’ve had a chance to use it, here’s my feedback.
This bolt handle is terrific. First it is just as AZ described it “Warm to the touch and doesn't feel like an olive on a toothpick”. Made of Delrin it fits nicely in my large hands and gives a positive feel when working the action. It has the typical AZ flawless quality. I don’t have much to say other than I am really glad I have it.
If you're looking for a nice custom touch to your Rapid, that is functional, this is it,
In addition to all the visible features, AZ also made a De-Pinger to my specifications. The FX tube had a loud "Ping" when fired. It was significantly louder than the muzzle. When I mentioned to AZ that I was going to make a "De-Pinger", he asked what it was. When I told him the specifications, he volunteered to make and install one for Rapid. After he tried it he was as thrilled as I was on how quiet it made it. It was now very quiet. He made a "De-Pinger" for my AA S310 as well as (Both free!). Here is the before installation in my S310. Here is a video of the AA S310 Prior to installation of the "De-Pinger" , and here is a video after installation. Both these videos are large and take a bit of time to download. (Forget it if you have dial up)
One final note. It's was a real pleasure dealing with Allen. He works as if his boss was looking over his shoulder. When he gave a date, he stuck to it. He does excellent work. He was fair in his pricing (Especially for a guy with 6 kids) and threw in many freebies such as covering up the scratch on my FX tube and the de-pingers. Some freebies, such as tuning the action, lapping the choke, straightening and re-"o-ringing" valve, I was unaware of until weeks later when we'd speak on the phone.
I haven't Chrony-ed it yet. I'll post data as soon as I get a chance. Bottom line is I get at least 51 shots with CPH's at 920 FPS for 20 FPE.
"Big" Game Hunting with a .177 Rapid
The THRILL & Agony of the first kill (Graphic)
First Impressions of Rapid WildKat
