.458 HAM'R, a new cartridge and two carbines from Wilson Combat

A close look of the Tactical Hunter carbine
A close look of the Tactical Hunter carbine.

Wilson Combat hits the market with a new cartridge, the  .458 HAM'R, and two AR-style rifles chambered for it. Advertised as “the hardest hitting, most powerful (practical size) AR platform carbine ever produced, exceeding the ballistics of the .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .500 Beowulf”, the .458 HAM'R cartridge should be capable of handling maximum pressures of 46,000 PSI while enabling it to exceed 3,000 foot pounds of energy from a short 18” (457 mm) barrel. 

According to Wilson Combat, “the .458 HAM’R is more than capable of cleanly killing any animal in North America, stopping a vehicle or blasting through a brick wall”.

The Tactical Hunter and the Ultimate Hunter: two versions available

The semi-auto rifles that accompany the new cartridge  -  better described as “carbines” by their manufacturer - use purpose designed “hybrid” length receivers and bolt carrier groups that are ¾” shorter than a standard AR10, feeding from a Lancer AR15 magazine.

Wilson Combat offers two versions, the Tactical Hunter (whose base price is 2,905 USD/2,415 Euro) and the Ultimate Hunter (base price: 3,055 USD/2,539 Euro). 

.458 HAM'R, a new cartridge and two carbines from Wilson Combat
The Tactical Hunter version sports a threaded muzzle with thread protector included, a Rogers/Wilson Super-Stoc, and Wilson Combat/BCM Starburst Gunfighter grip in black.
The left side of the Ultimate Hunter carbine from Wilson Combat
The Ultimate Hunter is the more expensive version, equipped with a Smoke Composite Carbon Fiber closed shoulder buttstock with limbsaver pad and a black Mission First Tactical pistol grip.

The two carbines has many features in common: both have a 18” match-grade fluted barrel with many possible configurations, a magazine capacity of 7 or 9 rounds, lightweight flat top billet upper and billet lower receiver, mid-length gas system with SLR Rifleworks adjustable gas block, M-LOK slots on the handguard, NP3 coated bolt carriers and Armor-Tuff Finish applied over Mil-Spec Hard Anodized Upper/Lower Receivers Green/Black are standard, while other colors and camo are optional). 

Wilson Combat Ultimate Hunter Carbine in .458 HAM'R.
The Wilson Combat Ultimate Hunter Carbine in .458 HAM'R.

The more expensive Ultimate Hunter adds to this some accessories like a Smoke Composite Carbon Fiber closed shoulder buttstock with limbsaver pad and a black Mission First Tactical pistol grip.

On the other hand, the cheaper Tactical Hunter is equipped with a threaded muzzle with thread protector included, a Rogers/Wilson Super-Stoc, and Wilson Combat/BCM Starburst Gunfighter grip in black.

For 590.00 USD more, both the Tactical and the Hunter can be factory supplemented with a Leupold VX-R 2-7×33 Firedot mounted in 30mm Ultralight AR scope rings.


For more information please visit Wilson Combat website.