POTD: Quite The Fortress Gun – The Fort Ellis XR86 Experimental Rifle
Sam.S 10.02.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a rifle worthy of defending a fort. This Experimental Fort Ellis XR86 rifle was a one-of-a-kind creation hand-built in 1986 by hobbyist gunsmith Wilfred Ellis purely for his own enjoyment. He cleverly combined components from various military firearms into a unique custom hybrid. Starting from the muzzle, it has an M60 flash hider, M14 gas piston system, AR-15 charging handle welded to an op rod, and M16 furniture, along with a pistol-derived trigger. Despite its backyard origins and improvised design, testing showed it could fire around 900 rounds before malfunctioning. While just a personal project with no further development, the Fort Ellis XR86 exemplifies the innovation and skills of devoted amateur gunsmiths. Blending mix-and-match military parts into a working rifle was an impressive feat of homemade engineering and customization.
“Designed and manufactured in 1986 by Wilfred Ellis at his home shop commonly referred to by him as Fort Ellis. Ellis was a career police officer and master gunsmith from Abington, Pennsylvania. This truly unique rifle features components from a number of different firearms including the AR15 and M14. Manufactured without sights and with M60 style slotted flash hider, M14 type gas piston assembly, vented round steel handguard, AR15 style barrel nut, fixed Picatinny rail carry handle, right side charging handle (fabricated from an AR15 trigger), AR15 style bolt carrier group, magazine well marked “CAL 5.56M/M FORT ELLIS/ABINGTON PA 3-15/1986/XR86 NO.0001″ checkered M16 style pistol grip, wide trigger designed for 1911 double action conversions, and fixed buttstock with AR15 style buffer tube. The operation is similar to that of an AR15 type rifle except rotated 90 degrees clockwise, with round feeding from the left, spent cartridges ejected from the bottom, and the trigger engaging the sear via a transverse transfer bar. Includes a Colt AR-15 magazine.”
Lot 699: Wilfred Ellis “Fort Ellis” XR86 Experimental Rifle Number 0001. (n.d.-k). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/78/699/wilfred-ellis-%22fort-ellis%22-xr86-experimental-rifle-number-0001.
