Winchester Wildcat 22
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 457 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.81 kg
- Introduced
- 2019
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Winchester Wildcat 22 is a lightweight polymer-chassis semi-automatic rimfire rifle introduced in 2019, chambered in .22 LR. Built around a striker-fired action rather than a traditional hammer, the Wildcat delivers a lighter, crisper trigger pull than most rimfire autoloaders. It feeds from a 10-round rotary magazine with metal feed lips, and critically, also accepts aftermarket Ruger 10/22 magazines, opening it to a vast aftermarket. The ambidextrous molded polymer stock features a reversible safety, dedicated slide-lock and bolt-release buttons, and a speed load/unload magazine system. Sights consist of a fully adjustable ghost-ring rear and a ramped-post front, while an integral Picatinny rail tops the receiver and a second rail sits under the forearm. A rear barrel cleaning access port allows breech-side cleaning without removing the action. At roughly four pounds, the Wildcat is a nimble plinker, trainer, and small-game rifle. The Wildcat SR and Sporter SR variants add a 1/2x28 TPI threaded muzzle for suppressor use.
Winchester broke with a century of lever- and bolt-action rimfire tradition when it designed the Wildcat from the ground up as a modern polymer striker-fired plinker, then made the contrarian decision to have it accept Ruger 10/22 magazines, the de facto standard of the rimfire world, ensuring buyers were never short of feed devices.
MSRP approximately $280-$330 depending on variant. Standard model ships with an 18-inch barrel (36.25 in overall, ~4 lb); the Sporter SR uses a 16.5-inch threaded barrel (34.75 in overall, ~4 lb 4 oz). Ruger 10/22 magazine compatibility is a major selling point. The chassis splits into upper and lower halves for cleaning. Twist rate is 1:16 inches (~406 mm).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2019
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 457 mm
- Overall length
- 921 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.81 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 100 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Rotary magazine metal feed lips
Ruger 10 22 magazine compatible
Ghost ring rear sight
Ramped post front sight
Integral picatinny top rail
Forearm underside picatinny rail
Ambidextrous stock
Reversible safety- Slide lock button
- Bolt release button
- Speed load unload magazine
Rear barrel cleaning access port
Button rifled barrel
Target crown- Molded sling eyelets
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 1.81 kg | 2.61 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 207 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 921 mm | 1016 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 228 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 457 mm | 547 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 231 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Winchester Wildcat 22
How much does the Winchester Wildcat 22 weigh?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 weighs 1.81 kg (4.00 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Winchester Wildcat 22?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Winchester Wildcat 22 hold?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 holds 10 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Winchester Wildcat 22?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 is 921 mm (36.3 in) long overall, with a 457 mm (18.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Winchester Wildcat 22?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 is made by Winchester Repeating Arms Company (United States).
When was the Winchester Wildcat 22 introduced?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 was introduced in 2019.
How does the Winchester Wildcat 22 operate?
The Winchester Wildcat 22 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/winchester-wildcat-22' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "winchester-wildcat-22", "name": "Winchester Wildcat 22", "manufacturer": { "id": "winchester", "name": "Winchester Repeating Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1866, "website": "https://www.winchesterguns.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "032f75658544de9d931ca09f772b9ab92b282bf53db67851bf4eb3f8c0612520" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2019, "barrel_length_mm": 457, "weight_empty_g": 1814, "action_type": "blowback"}