Israel Military Industries, .50 Action Express and Springfield Armory. Upon first glance, it might not seem like those three things — two companies and one cartridge — have anything in common. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that they do indeed share common bonds. Or at least an uncommon gun — the IMI Timber Wolf.
Around 1989, Evan Whildin, a former ATF agent and designer of the .50 Action Express cartridge fired by the Desert Eagle, designed this pump-action pistol caliber carbine known as the Timber Wolf. Chambered in either .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum, the Timber Wolf was a companion carbine that was produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and imported into the United States by Springfield Armory.
The unique heritage of the Timber Wolf is proudly displayed on the receiver. On the right side, you’ll find IMI’s name and “MADE IN ISRAEL.” On the left side, you’ll see Springfield Armory and “GENESEO, IL.”
Conceptually, the gun was similar to the Colt Lightning pump-action rifle from 100 years earlier. It, too, was chambered for pistol cartridges, as it was designed to be a companion to the Colt Single Action Army. In that same vein, the Timber Wolf was designed to be a companion to any number of revolvers chambered in two of the most popular and powerful cartridges of its day.
Rare But Available
The gun was an interesting entry in the market. However, not many were imported into the U.S. The exact number is unknown. However, the best estimate is that less than 1,000 IMI Timber Wolf carbines were imported in 1990 and 1991.
The Timber Wolf in the October Collection is in new old stock condition. That is, the gun appears exactly as it did when it was imported more than 30 years ago. The gun itself is in mint condition. It also comes in its original matching cardboard box with the original hang tag, instruction manual and plastic bag.
This example is chambered in .44 Magnum, and the tubular magazine holds 10 rounds. It’s got an 18.5-inch barrel and is 37 inches in overall length, which is just an inch over three feet. Empty, it weighs just 6.1 pounds. This makes it a handy gun for knocking about in the woods or having fun on the range.
Outfitted with iron sights from the factory. However, you could also mount a scope to it with the integral rail on the top of the receiver. This is what makes the Timber Wolf was an interesting gun. Instead of having to figure out which height scope rings you’d need — low, medium, or high — you could adjust the drop of the comb with just a standard screwdriver and an Allen key.
The stock was removed from the receiver with a screwdriver and one screw. Then, the stock base could be adjusted to lock it into the position that best suited the shooter and the type of sights they were using. Speaking of sights, the adjustable rear sight is graduated out to 275 yards — a lofty goal with .44 Magnum.
If you’re the winning bidder, whether you choose to keep this scarce IMI Timber Wolf in new old stock condition as a reminder of an interesting collaboration between companies or take it out and use it like it was intended is entirely up to you. Whichever you choose to do, one thing is certain; people around you have likely never seen one before, let alone one in such great shape.
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