The bolt is linked to the slide via one of the bolt lugs. The bolt locks into the aft barrel extension. The Wildey uses a fixed-barrel, three-lug, rotating-bolt design. Another advantage of a gas-operated system is that it often reduces felt recoil. The valve is adjusted by way of turning the gas-regulating collar at the base of the barrel. A further advantage of the Wildey's gas operated system is that it allows for the reliable operation of heavy and light loads for each cartridge type, by manually adjusting the gas-regulator valve to tune the system for different loads. This piston forces the slide rearward, initiating the cycling of the pistol'. Moore described the Wildey patented gas system as an 'air-hydraulic piston powered by the firing gases through six small holes in the barrel. The Wildey employs a unique short-stroke gas operation which allows the pistol to be adapted to fire several high pressure cartridges ranging from the 9mm Winchester Magnum to the. The Wildey was the first gas-operated double action semi-automatic pistol. The pistol is built to withstand breech pressures of over 48,000 PSI associated with Moore's lines of proprietary cartridges. The Wildey was purpose-designed to be a hunting firearm.
