| Impulse Research Wildebeest | |
| Origin: | Australia |
| Type: | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Designer: | Bernard Besselink |
| Design Date: | 2022 |
| Manufacturer: | Impulse Research, Australia |
| Weight: | 601NaN1 (unloaded) |
| Length: | 10.11NaN1 |
| Part Length: | 6.21NaN1 |
| Width: | 1.21NaN1 |
| Height: | 5.81NaN1 |
| Caliber: | .357 Magnum |
| Action: | Short recoil operated, locked breech |
| Rate: | Semi-automatic |
| Feed: | 9-round box magazine (.357 Magnum) |
The Wildebeest pistol is the only semi-automatic pistol combining a low bore axis with a magnum cartridge. The Wildebeest operates using a patented system (US Patent 11,402,165) that reduces felt recoil by having the barrel axis below the top of the magazine and where the barrel tilts upwards for loading and extraction.
In the Wildebeest pistol, the breech face is not part of the slide unlike typical semi-automatic pistols. In the Wildebeest, the slide that is manipulated to load a round is best described as a “feed slide”. This feed slide does not have to hold the cartridge case in the chamber nor need to withstand combustion forces.
The barrel is carried in a separate cradle below the feed slide: somewhat like a traditional slide, but inverted. This cradle has the breech face and locking lugs. However, the barrel never separates from the cradle: it pivots at the muzzle end and is rotated upwards after firing to expose the chamber - somewhat like a break action shotgun. [1]
An animation of the operation of the Wildebeest pistol shows its unique features.[2]