First Look: Wilson Combat .458 HAM'R Tactical Hunter

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posted on January 6, 2018
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Built as the hardest-hitting, most powerful AR-platform rifle on the market today, the Wilson Combat .458 HAM'R Tactical Hunter was built from the ground up by a team of dedicated designers and engineers at the company.

The .458 HAM'R cartridge features a rebated rim that fits a standard AR-10-size bolt, but the hybrid receiver design allows for the use of a bolt-carrier group that's 0.75-inch shorter than a standard AR-10 bolt, and the rifle feeds using standard AR-15 magazines from Lancer Systems.

Designed exclusively by Bill Wilson and the Wilson Combat staff, the .458 HAM'R produces up to 46,000 PSI and more than 3,000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy out of an 18-inch barrel, exceeding the energy produced by other big-bore AR cartridges like the .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and the .50 Beowulf. The energy produced by the round enables it to be used easily to hunt all big-game animals in North America and in tactical applications.

Wilson Combat released two rifles chambered in the new cartridge, both with similar specifications: the Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter and the Ultimate Hunter. The Tactical Hunter is built with an 18-inch fluted barrel complete with a threaded muzzle and features a billet upper and lower receiver, the upper receiver providing a flattop Picatinny-rail section for optics mounting. With the stock collapsed, the gun measures 34.25 inches long and weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

The rifle users a mid-length gas system controlled by an SLR Rifleworks adjustable gas block. The barrel and gas tube are surrounded by Wilson Combat's own 14.6-inch M-Lok accessory rail and comes with three Ergo Grips rail covers. Other furniture provided on the rifle includes a Rogers/Wilson Super-Stoc and a Wilson Combat/BCM Starburst Gunfighter pistol grip.

Finish-wise, the rifle comes with the company's durable green-and-black Armor-Tuff finish. Other finish options are available at an additional charge. The bolt-carrier group features a durable, low-friction NP3 coating, and the gun is equipped with the Wilson Combat Tactical Trigger Unit. The suggested retail price on the Tactical Hunter starts at $2,905.


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