Wilson Combat 1911-Are they worth the $$$$

Rockrivr1

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So from time to time I hear people talking about how good a Wilson Combat 1911 is and how they are worth every dime they cost. Never really thought much about them until I just saw how much one is being sold for. Now I'm sure there is some MA markup involved but are they really worth $3-4K per gun? That seems extraordinary to me as that is more then my custom build with Derr Precision cost.

What's your thought on them and are they really that good?
 
I have one that I bought used for $1600. I think it is a very good gun. Mine has had a couple minor issues that Greg Derr fixed for me over time (loose front site and loose ejector), but that gun was used heavily by the previous owner and by me.

There are certainly diminishing returns when you look at these sorts of guns. Is it better than a Ruger or S&W 1911? Yes. Is it worth more than 4 times the cost? That is something only you can answer.

I don't know how it compares to a custom build from Greg Derr, as I've never shot one of his guns. There are more than a few gunsmiths who will build you a gun that costs far more than a Wilson and has a multi-year wait time. Are they better than a Wilson?
 
You can buy a STI or a Dan Wesson that is "mechanically just as good" for probably 65% of the price. The Wilson might be subtly better in the fit and finish department, though, their guns are pretty much perfect. Basically when you go EB, Wilson, Nighthawk, you're paying for the bling, but the guns can't really be shat upon much outside of the price tags.

A rich lawyer that I smoke cigars with from time to time keeps asking me what the best 1911 i, I keep telling him I'd take the money and buy two DWs or STIs instead of buying a Nighthawk or whatever. Of course there is SVI but that is like a whole other planet off by itself.

That's just a value judgement though, that you have to make on your own. Basically ff you want the Rolex, you buy the Rolex. On the other hand plenty of people have things like Tag Heuer's and like them just fine, too.

-Mike
 
Guns are worth whatever people are willing to pay for them. IF you are asking if there is any functional reason (where function = accuracy and reliability) that they are worth $4000 the answer is easy : No.

FYI - Wilson claims their guns are "Unsurpassed in reliability, accuracy, and detailing". So that is what they are selling on.
 
Yes and no. Are the parts they put in that much more superior to any match grade part you can buy off brownells no. Are they functional pieces of art hand fitted by a premier shop with an impeccable reputations as far as customer service. Yes. But if you have to ask no offense but you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a nice 1911 and a custom
 
My brother has an Ed Brown because he wanted it. It's a very nice gun for sure but I don't know if I'd buy one. I have not shot it and it doesn't look like he shots it much.

Then again I should keep my word hole shut... I have a couple of snake guns that just take up space in my safe because I wanted them and haven't put a round thru them.
 
They are top notch guns but for around the same price you can have a 1911 completely custom built to your needs with the best parts money can buy. Some of those parts will be WC and Ed Brown, but that depends on the builders opinion. Fit and finish would depend on how good the builder is.
 
For semi custom like Wilson. Probably not worth the cost. You can get full customs at the same price and be able to pick the parts you want. The benefit of high end custom is the fit. A custom gun will still lock up tight at 50K, a factory gun will long since gone to shit and definitely need to be replaced
 
My brother has an Ed Brown because he wanted it. It's a very nice gun for sure but I don't know if I'd buy one. I have not shot it and it doesn't look like he shots it much.

My Wilson was my competition gun for a number of years. It went into and out of a Kydex holster thousands of times. So it is scratched and worn, as a gun should be.
 
But if you have to ask no offense but you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a nice 1911 and a custom

You're partially right. Overall I easily see and feel the difference between my custom Derr build and the Norinco I pieced together with spare parts. Though when side by side with my Performance Center 1911 from S&W the differences get much smaller. Though I'm sure I could tell in a blindfold test. Price wise, I don't see the benefit. Though that's a personal preference.
 
Don't look at it as an investment either, because you will not get your money back out of it when you go to sell. Just like any other custom shop gun.

I haven't handled one before so I obviously can't speak to any specifics, but I just don't see how it can be so much nicer than any 1911 I've ever handled or shot to warrant what they charge ($3k to $5k).

I mean we're talking about a pistol model that has been commonplace for over 100 years -- there isn't any rocket science left in these things. A competent builder is a competent builder -- there are dozens and dozens of gunsmiths capable of producing identically perfect 1911s haha, at the same or for less money.
 
How are the PC Sw1911's? I have a SW 1911 with scandium frame and absolutely love it, prob 4000 rounds and not one malfunction. If it helps I can get SW's at a nice discount, prob a PC 1911 at $800 ish
 
My Wilson was my competition gun for a number of years. It went into and out of a Kydex holster thousands of times. So it is scratched and worn, as a gun should be.

Exactly. I bought a S&W 1911 Pro Series in December. Beautiful gun, 2 color finish and wood grips. Guess what? I am shooting the crap out of it in IDPA and USPSA. Guns even when they are beautiful are meant to be shot.
 
You can insert the words Cadilac, Rolex, BMW, and many others where you used Wilson.

If you can aford it, yes.

Bob

Basically this.

I have a Les Baer and it's a fantastic 1911. Locks up tighter than a ticks ass, and is definitely more accurate than I am (probably). It eats everything I've thrown at it, clean, dirty, or anywhere in between.

Is it $1000 better than my buddies Dan Wesson CBOB? Or a PC S&W? Probably not. But I'd always wanted a "nice" 1911, and Wifey was kind enough to give me the go ahead to buy one.

WC, EB, NH, et. al. are a very nice guns. But it's akin to owning a special version of something common. Like a Hellcat Challenger. Most people see a Challenger, where as "Car guys" will know what it's about. Gun guys will know the names.

I always ask folks at the range (Westford) if they want to shoot it if they comment on it / ask about it.
 
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How are the PC Sw1911's? I have a SW 1911 with scandium frame and absolutely love it, prob 4000 rounds and not one malfunction. If it helps I can get SW's at a nice discount, prob a PC 1911 at $800 ish

I ordered the 1911 Pro Series with the 3" barrel the last week in Feb. The list is $1229 and I got 35% off for working the IDPA Indoor Nationals at S&W in Feb. With the 35% off and then add sales tax and shipping it was around $860 and I thought that was a really good deal. If you can get a real PC and not a Pro Series for $800 ish I would jump all over that.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-sw1911-pro-series
 
Absolutely worth it. Got mine for only $2,995. Thank you Bass Pro Shop.

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Look, I totally get the price jump from $600 1911s to $1500 guns. I've owned both. I get why race 2011s start at $2000. I understand how you could drop $3000 on a custom built 1911, where every single thing is hand fitted and the milling and finish are done to your liking. I'm just having trouble imagining how a catalog gun that costs more than that is somehow even better [wink]
 
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I like the whole watch analogy that's been used in a few posts. There is a certain perception of quality that comes along with premium goods that aren't just assembly line made. I have many expensive watches and have had this same debate with guys that have never owned one. The usual comment is "My Timex" cost $30 and keeps perfect time, why would you pay that much for just a watch?" I totally get it, but it's akin to why someone would buy handcrafted dining room set versus going to Bob's, Raymore, etc. Heck they all make tables you can eat on, and chairs you can sit on, right? It comes down to what YOU value in any item, and your perception of quality. High end items are never bought with resale value in mind, unless you are buying at a steal second hand. Is a $3-$4K 1911 worth it? I would say probably not to most average range shooters.
 
^ +1 said it better than I could. Worth it to me? No. Worth it to you?


I also drive a corolla and buy clothes from clearance. I'll gladly pay for functionality and reliability, but paying a premium for a name just doesn't appeal to me.
 
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I like the whole watch analogy that's been used in a few posts. There is a certain perception of quality that comes along with premium goods that aren't just assembly line made. I have many expensive watches and have had this same debate with guys that have never owned one. The usual comment is "My Timex" cost $30 and keeps perfect time, why would you pay that much for just a watch?" I totally get it, but it's akin to why someone would buy handcrafted dining room set versus going to Bob's, Raymore, etc. Heck they all make tables you can eat on, and chairs you can sit on, right? It comes down to what YOU value in any item, and your perception of quality. High end items are never bought with resale value in mind, unless you are buying at a steal second hand. Is a $3-$4K 1911 worth it? I would say probably not to most average range shooters.

Will your expensive watch tell accurate time longer than a $30 timex?
 
I've wrestled with this issue a bit. I have an Sti Trojan 9mm and would like a .45 1911. The comparable to next level guns are DW, TRP, Baer maybe. I have looked at Ed Brown, Nighthawk, Wilson, etc. It seems to me that the next thousand bucks pays for a little more finish work but no more utility. Is there snob appeal or prestige? Sure, they exude quality. But will they function better or last longer? Doubtful.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
Has anyone here put 50K+ thru one 1911?

I'm sure somebody has. The closest I have is around 20,000. That is through the first run Smith and Wesson 1911 that they produced. The gun is still solid and functioning fine so I'm sure I could get at least another 10 to 20,000 at this point. Though that would just be a guess on my part.
 
Has anyone here put 50K+ thru one 1911?

No. But I put 30k rounds through a $600 G34.

I agree with your point when it comes to strictly 1911s.

My Baer has over 15K rounds through it and I keep thinking I need to put a new extractor in it, just because I used to have to do that with other 1911s. I realized 15K isn't much to a lot of people. But to even more people, its a lifetime of use.

I've owned Nighthawks and Wilsons. They are meticulously finished works of art that also happen to be exceptional firearms.
I didn't pay more than $2k for either back in 2008 when the economy was in the toilet and people were desperate. If you can buy right, they ARE good investments. But if you buy a Wilson for $4k new you are SPENDING, not investing.

I don't own either the Nighthawk or the Wilson anymore. Mainly because I wasn't shooting either of them much. But also because when I moved to MA people wanted to pay ridiculous money for them and I mostly shoot my .45 Baer and my Dan Wesson Pointman 9.

Both guns are 90% of what a Nighthawk or Wilson is. The Baer was $1300 used, 3 months old, the DW was purchased for $1200 on CZs firearms instructor discount program.

The other reason I wouldn't carry my Nighthawk, which was a Talon II lightweight, so a decent carry gun, is that it had a replacement cost of $3600. I shoot my G19 just as well, it has a replacement cost of $500, holds 2x as many rounds and weighs less.

One other thing. Back in 2008, I was also able to "steal" a Brazos custom 2011 limited gun in .40. It is truly ART.
Its also so nicely put together it makes the Wilson, Baer, Nighthawk, and DW look like garbage.

I've only shot it a little because I don't reload for .40. I really need to sell it, but every time I take it out of the safe, I just can't bring myself to do so.

Don

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Has anyone here put 50K+ thru one 1911?

No. But I put 30k rounds through a $600 G34.

I agree with your point when it comes to strictly 1911s.

My Baer has over 15K rounds through it and I keep thinking I need to put a new extractor in it, just because I used to have to do that with other 1911s. I realized 15K isn't much to a lot of people. But to even more people, its a lifetime of use.

I've owned Nighthawks and Wilsons. They are meticulously finished works of art that also happen to be exceptional firearms.
I didn't pay more than $2k for either back in 2008 when the economy was in the toilet and people were desperate. If you can buy right, they ARE good investments. But if you buy a Wilson for $4k new you are SPENDING, not investing.

I don't own either the Nighthawk or the Wilson anymore. Mainly because I wasn't shooting either of them much. But also because when I moved to MA people wanted to pay ridiculous money for them and I mostly shoot my .45 Baer and my Dan Wesson Pointman 9.

Both guns are 90% of what a Nighthawk or Wilson is. The Baer was $1300 used, 3 months old, the DW was purchased for $1200 on CZs firearms instructor discount program.

The other reason I wouldn't carry my Nighthawk, which was a Talon II lightweight, so a decent carry gun, is that it had a replacement cost of $3600. I shoot my G19 just as well, it has a replacement cost of $500, holds 2x as many rounds and weighs less.

One other thing. Back in 2008, I was also able to "steal" a Brazos custom 2011 limited gun in .40. It is truly ART.
Its also so nicely put together it makes the Wilson, Baer, Nighthawk, and DW look like garbage.

I've only shot it a little because I don't reload for .40. I really need to sell it, but every time I take it out of the safe, I just can't bring myself to do so. Its got a hard chrome finish, a Dawson Precision ICE magwell, and an upgraded trigger with an honest-to-god zero creep 2.1 lb upgraded trigger by Bob Londrigan.

Don

1730316_01_brazos_custom_sc_series_limite_640.jpg
 
One other thing. Back in 2008, I was also able to "steal" a Brazos custom 2011 limited gun in .40. It is truly ART.
Its also so nicely put together it makes the Wilson, Baer, Nighthawk, and DW look like garbage.

I've only shot it a little because I don't reload for .40. I really need to sell it, but every time I take it out of the safe, I just can't bring myself to do so. Its got a hard chrome finish, a Dawson Precision ICE magwell, and an upgraded trigger with an honest-to-god zero creep 2.1 lb upgraded trigger by Bob Londrigan.

Don

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gimme dis [smile]
 
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