Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! When California tinkerer Ray Wilkinson first dreamed up his svelte blowback 9mm in the swinging ‘60s, he turned to a neighbor for help: renowned gunsmith Robert Penny of National Ordnance. Their child bore the futuristic moniker “Model 68.” Thwarted by 1968’s Gun Control Act, Wilkinson rebranded his telescoping bolt, fixed barrel breechloader “Linda” after his daughter when sales relaunched in the 1980s. Despite the pistol’s curvaceous lines and marketing, Wilkinson’s ingenious mechanics made it a hidden gem. Its hefty, largely forward-placed bolt mass tames recoil in an alloy frame while locking the barrel and sights together accuracy. Though alas, market success eluded Linda again. Wilkinson passed the torch before his namesake factory closed up shop in rural Idaho in 2005. But the company resurged, reborn to supply eager owners the parts and mags to keep these tack-driving kitsch classics shooting. Linda’s innovative spirit lives on thanks to devotees who recognize quality endures behind the fickle tides of fashion.
“Manufacturer: Wilkinson Arms Co
Model: Linda
Type: Pistol
Gauge: 9 mm
Barrel: 8 1/2 inch round
Finish: black
Grip: plastic”
Lot 466: Two Wilkinson Arms Linda Semi-Automatic Pistol. (n.d.-l). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved December 14, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/2029/466/two-wilkinson-arms-linda-semiautomatic-pistol.
