Wilson Combat: the custom-grade 1911 pistols

Wilson Combat was originally established in 1977 by Bill Wilson, in the town of Berryville (Arkansas), as a small custom gunsmithing activity collateral, and adjacent, to the family's jewelry shop, it expanded on both the American and international markets as the years went by, and is today known as one of the world's best providers of 1911-type custom-grade handguns.

Today, Wilson Combat also manufactures custom-grade tactical and sporting long guns – particularly AR-15 type rifles and carbines in several calibers, as well as variants of the 12-gauge Remington 870 pump-action shotgun under the Scattergun Technologies brand – but its core business is still in the field of 1911 variants; countless civilians, Police officers and military operators, particularly in the US, today trust their lives on Wilson Combat on a daily basis.

Today we are taking a look at a pick of the Wilson Combat production, each representing a specific line of the Company's 1911-type pistols selection: superlative firearms, available both in the US and abroad, with price tags that are definitely above the reach of the average shooter but perfectly on the level with the stellar quality and performance that Wilson Combat guarantees.

Wilson Combat Classic

The Wilson Combat Classic is the Company's "timeless" model, bringing the collective memory of the gun community back to the 1970s and 1980s – Bill Wilson's own heyday, when the 1911 pistol platform was just surpassing the rigid design of the military issued M1911-A1 model to adapt itself to more highly specialized tactical applications as well as to concealed carry, defensive shooting, and practical shooting competitions.

Feeding through standard 8-rounds single-stack magazines, the Wilson Combat Classic is available in .45 ACP, 9mm Luger, .40 Smith & Wesson, .38 Super Auto, and 10mm Auto; it is built on a blued, carbon steel slide and frame, and features a hand-fit 5" stainless steel Match grade barrel and bushing and a full-length guide rod.

The Cocobolo double diamond grips set adds a traditional taste to the Wilson Combat Classic, which the front and rear slide serrations can't distort. The Wilson Combat Classic is 22 cm / 8.7" long overall, weighs 1,16 kg / 41.2 oz empty, and offers a guaranteed accuracy of 1" groups at 25 yards (2,5 cm groups at approx. 20 meters).

Wilson Combat Classic

Wilson Combat CQB Lightrail

The Wilson Combat CQB Lightrail is a tactical and defensive semi-automatic pistol offering an 8-rounds capacity in .45 ACP, 9mm Luger and .38 Super Auto, designed specifically to be 60% lighter than a comparable steel frame pistol.

As such, the Wilson Combat CQB Lightrail is built around a lightweight, aircraft-grade aluminum alloy frame that features an integrally machined MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail for tactical lights or other accessories, as well as a set of G10 Starburst grips, a contoured magazine well, and optionally a Wilson Combat Bullet Proof ambidextrous thumb safety.

The Wilson Combat CQB Lightrail is 22 cm / 8.7" long overall, and comes with a hand-fit 5″ stainless Match Grade barrel and bushing, a 5" carbon steel slide with front and rear slide serrations, and a Battlesight set with fiber-optic front sights. Standing at 1,3 kg / 36.6 oz overall in weight when empty, the CQB Lightrail guarantees 1" groups at 25 yards (2,5 cm at approximately 20 mt).

Wilson Combat CQB Lightrail

Wilson Combat X-TAC

The Wilson Combat X-TAC pistol seamlessly blends a standard-length grip carbon steel grip with a compact slide to create a perfect concealed carry firearm. The X-TAC Professional feeds through standard 8-rounds single-stack 1911-type magazines and is available in .45 ACP, 9mm Luger, and .38 Super Auto.

The Wilson Combat X-TAC pistol features a wide array of machined steel parts for superior quality and service life, as well as a 4-inch Match-grade stainless steel cone barrel, a carbon steel slide with a black parkerized finish and a set of Battlesight sights – including a fiber-optic front sights – and a contoured magazine well for easier reloading.

Other features of the Wilson Combat X-TAC include a set of Wilson Combat Starburst G10 grips; a three-hole trigger with a crisp 3.½ - 4.½ lbs (1,5 to 2,5 kg) pull and a long length pad; and a bi-directional checkering pattern on the front grip strap and slide for enhanced grip and improved durability over traditional checkering in severe and hard-use environments.

The Wilson Combat X-TAC pistol is 19,3 cm / 7.6" long overall, weighs in at 1,1 kg / 39 oz reloaded, and offers an accuracy guarantee of 1.5" groups at 25 yards (3,8 cm groups at approximately 20 meters).

Wilson Combat X-TAC

Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite

The Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite is a semi-automatic pistol conceived and manufactured to withstand and perform excellently in practical applications, and to integrate the latest in Wilson Combat's tendencies in terms of design, features, and effectiveness.

Built around a carbon steel slide and frame, the Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite is available in .45 ACP, .38 Super Auto and 9mm Luger; features such as the unique X–TAC frontstrap and mainstpring housing treatment, the heavy chamfered frame bottom, the aggressive black G10 Starburst grips with Pewter medallions, and the carry and ball endmill cuts give it a big boost.

The Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite features a 5" stainless Match Grade barrel and bushing, a flush-cut reverse crown fluted chamber, and a countersunk slide stop 5" slide; it is 22 cm / 8.7" long overall, weighing in at 1,16 kg / 41 oz when empty, and offering an accuracy guarantee of 1" groups at 25 yards (2,5 cm groups at approx. 20 meters).

Wilson Combat X-TAC Elite

Wilson Combat Professional

The Wilson Combat Professional semi-automatic pistol is one of the Company's compact-sized service and defensive 1911 variants; it's made available in matte black and Flat Dark Earth versions, as well as with or without a Picatinny accessory rail machined on the carbon steel frame.

Feeding through standard 8-rounds single-stack 1911 pistol magazines and available in thee calibers – .45 ACP, 9mm Luger and .38 Super Auto – the Wilson Combat Profession pistol comes from factory with a set of G10 Starburst grips, a high-cut checkered front strap, a high-ride Bullet Proof beavertail grip safety and a Bullet Proof thumb safety.

Standing in at 19,3 cm / 7.6" in overall length, the Wilson Combat Professional features a hand-fit 4" stainless steel Match Grade cone barrel and a Battlesight set with a fiber optic front sight on the 4" carbon steel slide, bringing the overall weight to 1,08 kg / 38.2 oz when empty. The accuracy guarantee for the Wilson Combat Professional is 1.5" at 25 yards (3,8 cm at approx. 20 meters).