A modern American collectible: the Wickliffe Rifle was an elegant, but short lived single shot

Guns Magazine, Jan, 2009 by John Johnston

This story really started about 30-years ago when I was a young police sergeant in Austin, Texas, with a wife and two small children. My funds for hunting were limited, but I had managed to save enough from overtime to purchase a new deer rifle. I have always had a love for single shot rifles. The Ruger No. 1 had been out for a few years and so had the Browning B-78, praised by the writers of most of the shooting mags. But there was a new kid on the block called the "Wickliffe" rifle. A falling block design, it was featured in several magazines, including the January 1979 issue of GUNS. Initial reports praised its accuracy, fit and finish.

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I went to the largest gun store in Austin, a family-run store called McBride's. Shouldering each of the three single-shot rifles gave me an idea of how they would handle. I really wanted the Wickliffe, but my limited budget would only let me consider the Ruger No. 1 and I bought one. Ever since then I have regretted not getting a Wickliffe. By the time I could afford one, the Wickliffe Company had closed. For many years I searched gun shows in Texas and even had my friends looking for a Wickliffe to no avail.

Found!

Presently retired, I have plenty of time to check all the gun Web sites each day and found a Wickliffe for sale by a dealer in Ohio. The description said they were selling it for one of the original owners of Wickliffe, Tom Kocis. This was a double bonus day. I acquired it and the dealer got Mr. Kocis to give me a letter of provenience stating it was indeed his personal rifle.

The rifle came set up just like it had been for many years with a 6X Burris scope on Burris tings and mounts. It was a .222 Magnum, which I later found out was the only Wickliffe made in this caliber. The serial number included Mr. Kocis' initials. Now for the big test. I cleaned the barrel and went to the range on a day with hardly any wind. My 5-shot group, after a fouling shot, were all touching. The group would most likely be smaller if I used a high-power target scope, but I would not even consider the thought. The rifle would remain just as Mr. Kocis had set it up.

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I really wanted to talk with Tom Kocis and he agreed to an email interview. In the 1960's he worked for a company called Triple S, a development/engineering company in Wickliffe, Ohio. Tom Kocis had always been a hunter, shooter and amateur gunsmith. He first designed and patented the "Choke-Matic"--an automatic acting shotgun choke.

Wickliffe Born

Next he decided to try his hand at designing a rifle. He started by developing a modernized and beefed up version of the Stevens 44-1/2 action, most of which was in appearance only. After hand making a couple of prototypes, he sent it off to a casting company to make a couple of actions, Tom took an action to the SHOT Show where Elmer Keith checked it over. After encouragement from Keith and J.D. Jones, Tom applied for and received 14 patents for the action and rifle. Production started in 1976. The barrels were made by E.R. Shaw and the stocks were from Fajen or Bishop.

The rifles were guaranteed to shoot 1" or better from the factory. Tom attributed their accuracy to a few features. First, they used premium stress-free barrels to prevent warping as they heated up. Second, the barrels were tightly headspaced. Third, the forearm was attached to the barrel with just one screw and two roll pins into the action, but left a bit shy of fitting tightly to the receiver. Finally, the scope was mounted to the barrel, not to the action.

In 1979 the Wickliffe Rifle Company and the parent company, Triple S Development closed their doors and filed for bankruptcy. This really had nothing to do with the rifle but more to do with management problems. Overall there were about 2,500 Wickliffe rifles manufactured. When the plant closed, some of the parts were purchased and sold as kits. There is really no way to tell these kit rifles apart from the originals by way of serial numbers.

The original Wickliffe was a fine rifle and it's a shame the company had to close. I have to wonder where it would have gone if it had stayed with us over the last 30 years.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tom Kocis hunts with Elmer Keith.

(The Wickliffe Company invited Elmer Keith and Bob Steindler to the YO Ranch in Texas to video a hunt for exotics with production rifles. Tom Kocis tells the following story.)

"Elmer didn't make it out the first day, so Bob and I took the rifles to the ranch's range and sighted them in to print 2-1/2" high at 100 yards. Then the video crew and I headed out with guide Tommy Thompson to try to find a nice blackbuck for Bob. He eventually took one at around 125 yards with a single shot, which we got on video.

"Elmer arrived the next morning, just t in time to get out hunting. The guides kept insisting he take the rifle to the ' range and sight it in himself. He turned to me and asked, 'How was it shooting?' I explained it was 2-1/2" high at 100 yards and printed a 3/4" group. He told the guide, 'That's good enough for me. Let's go hunting.'