John Wayne's .22 Rifle (designed by Jim Sullivan)
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- čas přidán 10. 01. 2015
- www.forgottenweapons.com
One of the many projects that AR-15 designer Jim Sullivan was involved in through his long career was a project to found the Wayne Repeating Arms Company (or WRA Co., not to be inadvertently confused with any other gun company with those initials). The company was backed financially by none other than John "the Duke" Wayne of movie fame, and its first product was to be a semiauto .22 rimfire rifle to compete with the Ruger 10/22. Sullivan designed the rifle and two prototypes were built in 1977 or thereabouts. Unfortunately, at this point Wayne had a falling out with his son-in-law (who was his business manager), and the new business manager who stepped in was not interested in the gun project. As a result, the funding ended and the project came to a rather abrupt end. However, Sullivan still has the two prototype rifles, and gave us a look at them. Frankly, I think they could have probably done pretty well against Ruger (especially with an association to John Wayne).
Theme music by Dylan Benson - dbproductioncompany.webs.com
"Of all sad words of tongue or pen the saddest are these- It might have been."
Just think about your favourite firearm and consider that it's a good thing that one did get made. Always cheers me up.
There's always an element of melancholy with this channel. The whole idea of the forgotten weapons brand basically seems to be "stuff that never quite made it". It's not so evident when they're talking about some long-dead German pistol manufacturer but when there's actually a bloke, right there, with what I must confess is a very attractive a presumably reasonably functional rifle, that didn't make it for reasons that were beyond his control, it just gets a bit... sad. But once again an excellent video, thanks for sharing.
Also, knowing as little as I do about the US gun market, I could see this being quite expensive to manufacture. Can't imagine it would have the wide market appeal that the 10/22 had
+FrankyBabes
Mmmyeah. But Jim Sullivan isn't really a sad case of a could've been.
He's counted as one of the designers for both the Ruger Mini-14 and the US military M16.
With any great inventor/designer, there is bound to be several constructs that didn't make it, for everyone that did make it.
It's just how development and design works.
He's probably got a few dozen more designs lying around, equally viable as this one, who never even made it to the prototype stage but only exists as a blueprint.
+Matan Pulverman
The best thing for the sight system would have been to be an early adopter of the rail-systems, which this design shows some signs of, with the references on the scope mountings that existed on both of them.
You create a simply hooded post at the front, that can be removed if it should interfere with mounting a scope, then do the goody goody stuff at the rear sight, including all adjustments for windage and the like (making the simple non-adjustable front sight work, no matter what rear sight you use). Then you let the user decide on what kind of rear sights he wants. If he wants a peep sight, a scope, a simple v-notch or whatever.
That also means you lower the cost of the weapon, by simply not including any sights but leave that to the buyer instead.
I really hate buying something that has features built in, costing extra, that I will never use.
As for aluminium receiver etc. Weight on a plinking gun isn't that easy imo. A heavier weapon has a lighter recoil (the recoil felt by the shooter if you wanna get technical about it) and is usually steadier to aim with, as long as it doesn't get so heavy or unbalanced that your hands start to shake because of that, althought not something that should be an issue on even a pretty heavy .22.
Very light .22 guns just feels cheap and plastic sometimes.
You kind of want some heft to it, especially since it's not really something you are going to carry around a lot, like a military weapon, so an extra pound or two doesn't make that much of a difference.
And if you do want to carry it with you when you go hiking, it's still a .22, so it still won't be all that heavy.
I saw the poor man shake at the beginning and felt so bad for him. But towards the end his muscle memory took over and he moved like the young designer he once was. Glad you could bring us these hidden bits of such an amazing designer.
This is a sad story. The rifle not only looks neat but it has quality written all over it. Assuming it is 100% reliable, someone should fund the mass production, in .17, .22lr and .22mag. Notwithstanding the 10/22, I reckon it would be a success in the small caliber market.
That's a cool rifle. The way the wood around the barrel looks is amazing looking.
The enfield/military style is so under appreciated
@@Edgar-dp5qu Yeah I always figured that, for an infantry rifle I imagine a mannlicher style stock to be more handy and durable, the slight front heaviness might be well placed for keeping the muzzle down and the wood will protect the gun from lots of dings as long it isn't vulnerable to moisture, also you get to use a traditional rifle with a c clamp grip lol
The way Jim Sullivan's words were butchered in under the gun was a travesty. He seems like an awesome guy.
At first i was like : " well it's a cool takedown semi-auto .22 "
And then a wild double stack magazine appeared...
Okay. That's really an amazing piece of work. Great job mister Sullivan !
braincowlol I though it was tube feed till that point then: hallelujah!
I feel so bad for the old man. Just the way his hands were shaking the entire disassembly process. I fear that when I get old I won't be able to shoot anymore because of parkinsons or arthritis. Scary thought.
you do better when you are starting with yoga-good food and healthy live instead of making such dark statements-if you ll going on with that-it will come so!
Somebody needs to get a kickstarter going...
Most definitely
biggrex lets do it...id love one.
+Agouti23 i'd call it the JW22
I’m in
I LOVE the side plate aspect, makes it really easy to disassemble, and to check that everything is working properly. Its like a Smith & Wesson revolver, or some of the early lever actions I believe.
Thanks to Jim Sullivan for letting Ian take a look at these. I am sincerely glad that these are documented and available to see.
That penny screw could be a pretty handy idea for a lot of different things.
It's far from unique to that rifle (I mean penny screws in general, not that particular screw).
I really like the design, I don't have much interest in a 10/22 but I would probably buy a Sullivan .22!
Hoooooly shit, the real Jim Sullivan? He looks to be in good shape! He was the gent that took Stoner's AR10 and trimmed it to the AR15 right?
Thanks for the awesome videos as always guys.
I would love to work with Jim Sullivan on any project. It would be a young engineer's dream come true.
Great vid, Ian. Wonderful that Mr. Sullivan is finally getting some proper and well deserved recognition for his design work over the past several decades...
The amount of patience and respect for both the designer and weapon is superb. Great work
i like the look of that rifle over the 10/22
Someone should fund this..
most modern hollywood types wouldn't want to be involved with guns.
Son of a Zombie
im sure Clint Eastwood might, isnt he into guns?
Megalixer84 I love Clint, but he is yesterday's news. To sell the gun culture to a new generation, a modern star has to believe in it.
+Son of a Zombie
Nah, Clint Eastwood is very much todays news but as a director rather than an actor.
His latest one was "American Sniper" about Chris Kyle.
And The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is still classed as one of the best westerns evers and even ranks high on list of best movies ever made. IMDB has it ranked at #8.
And I think his name would still sell for a plinking weapon aimed at teens. After all, it's not the teens that are buying the weapons, it's their parents.
And Clint Eastwoods opinions on gun ownership are pretty nice "I'm in favor of gun control, if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it", as well as his comments to Michael Moore.
If I was Mossberg or Ruger I would put this in production in a heartbeat...That is neat...
No reason for Ruger to do so maybe mossberg.
Or PSA (Palmetto State Armory) ...
You are digitally preserving amazing parts of firearms history that we wouldn't otherwise see, I think that's amazing.
That is a really cool .22 and some really cool design features. Ive never wanted a .22 rifle until now. Too bad he hasn't gotten a chance to have it made in any numbers, I'm sure an American designed and made high quality .22 would do fine in today's market.
Neat design with innovative features for the time. Great that u found Mr. Sullivan. I enjoyed the AR videos with him. One of the great minds of the firearms industry
I'd love to see more videos of old gun designers discussing their creations.
It's a shame it never saw the light of day as far as production. I have a small 22 rifle collection and would have been proud to add it to my collection.
Thank You Ian and Jim.
If that came to market, I'd keep my 10/22 and buy one of those to go with it. That is one of the cooler semi auto 22's I've seen in a long time.
looks so much better than the 10/22
I would buy one in a heartbeat.
I'd buy one. That's a pretty neat little rifle.
What a shame these never saw production. Glad to see the man before he passed away.
That's so awesome that you got to speak to the designer I would definitely buy one and by the way I love your videos keep them coming
I would love to own one of these to marvel over. What a design.
The guy who present the guns must be teacher have a great way to make a presentation...I love watching this chanel
heck, i'd buy that over a 10/22 any day
it's a shame there's no kickstarter or gofundme page to try and bring these into production, patent it as the John Wayne .22 (since its tied to John Wayne), and the marketing would easily be there. little less that they look like fantastic .22lr rifles.
Brilliant design, i bet the balance and ergonomics are superb.
So awesome, love the ergonomics.
Much respect to mr.Sulivan,, his rifle is awsome,, i'd love to have one of them in 22magnum...
* hint, hint *
SOMEBODY BETTER GIVE THIS MAN THE FUNDING.....
Those are some of the best looking .22 auto's I've ever seen... the foregrip alone is beautiful....
KICKSTARTER!
Thats an amazing looking rifle, its a shame it never made it to the market
That field strip is a lot easier than a Ruger 10/22. If these came to market and the price was competitive with the Ruger 10/22, I would also buy one. Shame these never came out. It is not too late though if any investor sees this. I just do not have the capital.
I see a drafting table with a Vemco style drafting arm thingie. I used both of those things when I first started in consulting engineering back in 1989
Man, every time I watch this video I want these guns even more
What an absolutely cool gun. I would love to get my hands on one
Jim Sullivan is a national treasure.
That is a painfully cool prototype. Nice semi-pistol grip, surprisingly svelte military-style handguard and nose cap, nice target sights plus a rail, straightforward (for a 22) field strip via old-school side-plate, and it's a take-down with friggin' double-stack .22lr mags?!
This is worse than seeing some of the rare antiques that command astronomical price tags, since the price of these two is 'You can't have it.'
The worst part is it seems like that design would have been poised to realize some success in the rimfire game: between being absolutely loaded with features, designed by a (somewhat unsung) legend, and having some Old West and military flair with the name John Wayne attached would have sold a fair few rifles... I can only wistfully imagine being able to find one on GunJoker today!
That is a beautiful rifle. I would absolutely be in line to purchase one if they were ever offered!
Name it the John Wayne carbine and watch the $ role in.
It is really interesting to see the office Sullivan works out of. It's like a blast from the 60s or 70s.
Man I feel so sad looking at this old man while you mentioned the name of the channel, I love the look of the riffle and would totally buy one today.
Don’t worry. He will go down in history as of one of the designers of the AR 15 and I read elsewhere he worked on the mini 14 too
If he had a hand in designing the Mini-14, these could be marketed as the Mini-08, because they kind of look like a little Winchester 1908 semi auto. Super cool.
If these ever do end up on the market, tell us! I'd love to own one. :)
I like it because it would be so easy to clean. I would buy one if they start making them.
Man, that is a bummer, a REALLY cool design from what seems like a really cool and straight shootin' old school dude (no pun intended ;)... Would love to see them go into production and yeah, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Interesting AND nice-looking rifle.
If t was built to what appears in the video to be high quality, I'd totally buy one!
i like the 10/22 but its always nice to see other options on the market, hell if these were being sold today i think i'd buy one too, they look really nice and they seem very simple
That friend looks so good!
Stray03, most of what you say is true, but the 10/22 was hugely popular long before there were any aftermarket items for it. Today, that is a huge attraction. I bought my first 10/22 back in 1973, a sporter, and then the carbine in 1980. And what I can tell you is that compared to my 10/22 take down, they are by far better guns. I love the TD but it has alot of plastic on it. There was a long period of time when Ruger only made the carbine and the sporter. The trigger gaurds were metal, so was the barell band, the mag release the but plate and the charging handle. The stock on the sporter was walnut, not hardwood. But like everything else we find a way to ruin it and make it cheaper. Just to make more profit. The Marlin model 60 is just as good if not better a gun, has been made about as long and has sold as many if not more than the Ruger. But Marlin has done a better job of resisting the temptation to cheapen up the m 60. But yet you dont see even a fraction of a percent of aftermarket accessories for it. Why? There are a few reasons, but what I believe it all boils down to is that the Ruger has one very stong and popular item in it's favor. That wonderful piece of engineering in the form of their rotary magazine. What do you think?
I miss that intro :)
great concept, really old school ..... i think most people now days want a more streamline look
I really want one of those. Imagine that gun with a nice scope or a red dot!
pair of really nice 22 rifles
Damn, what a shame that this never took off! Way better "looking" than the 10/22. I would much rather own this style over the 10/22, any day. Nice design, sir!
Sweet looking design.
what a cool gun!! so simple and witha precis barrel for precision shooting , id by it!!
Interesting! Good looing gun too.
Imagine how quick and deft he was in his youth.
Thanks for the video. It would have been great to see more of the trigger group and how it is working. Anyway thumps up.
i wuld love this gun it such a neat design
Someone should license that aperture sight design as an aftermarket add-on for current .22 rifles. So many bad notch sights sit on current ones.
Nodresiak, Its not quite that simple. If you examine a 22 tube fed rifle and look at how the cartridges feed from the tube to the cartridge lifter you would see that there is a feeding transition between them. The mag tube goes into this transition at its forward end, and the tail of the cartridge lifter goes into it at the rear. Therefore, it would not be possible to place multiple mag tubes together so they would rotate, as the rear end of the tube is essentially anchored to provide reliable feeding. The revolving cylinder design on a rifle has been used before, but there are much more reliable and mechanically sound concepts out there.
You are very lucky to play with firearms, good job.
It reminds me of the class of the auto 5 and simple elegance of the rifle
Very kool...thanks!
Id totaly buy this!
Interesting design. To put it into production today would probably be the work of a custom shop. Large scale manufacture would be expensive, with the alternative being cost cutting measures that would spoil it.
I would buy one for sure
man, jim reminds me of my great grandpa
This gun has a really cool 60's space age military style to it.
What a cool rifle if it went into production i would so buy one
The removable side plate and barrel sure would make maintenance a snap on the rifle. If it would have been produced commercially I guarantee I'd own 1 or 2
If I try really hard to look on the bright side, I could say maybe it's a good thing these didn't go into production, because as a Canadian we just did away with the penny so I would have no way to take it apart?
That didn't make me feel better.
Evan Whitelaw If they make this. I’ll send you a penny...next day air insured!😂
@@damiangrouse4564
I concur
If these were made and sold here in Canada I would get one for sure. I've been looking for a good semi-auto taketown rifle that doesn't look or feel like a toy. Ruger got close with the take down 10/22, but this rifle seems far superior.
Neat!
I like the looks of these guns more than the Ruger 10-22
I like the dissassembly portion aside from the barrel take down. It would have definitely been a good contender against the Ruger. Shame it never took off.
Oh please may someone decide to ask to put this into production, I would much rather buy that rifle, over a 10 22.
Really like my 10/22, but that thing has a cool factor that would make me stretch my budget without a second thought. Looks like an Anschutz fore-end. Beautiful, regardless.
What a shame that it didn't get produced. Probably too costly then and way to costly now.
this is too cool
I'm most impressed by the penny-screw
very nice looking bit of kit if they ever go into production put me down for two
very cool
Nice rifle.
They should consider making them in .17HMR, and/or .22 magnum. Given the ease you can change the barrel, they perhaps could produce kits with a barrel and bolt matching the different calibers, in order for the shooter to swap between calibers without changing the whole rifle.
This is a good idea and that's what I'd do too.
I WOULD BUY ONE IN A HEARTBEAT, BUT THE RECEIVER HAS TO BE MADE OF STEEL.
Mr. Sullivan wears a Certina Watche, excellent choice
I would buy one of them they look cool. And that’s the one thing I would need a 22 I got a 270 12 gauge pellet guns bows but no 22
I would buy both.
I'd buy one of these in a hart beat over the 10 / 22