I’m ready to move into a high end 1911, I’m looking for something that is very well made and as problem free as a 1911 can be, I’ve been down that path before and would like to avoid it. I’m a little out of touch with the 1911 world, namely the current top smiths but the one constant seems to be Wilson. I never hear anything bad about them, they seem to be a pretty safe bet.
So I guess my question is: Is there, in your opinion, a better way to part ways with ~3k in the 1911 world? Is there some smith out there with a decent wait time who could build a gun just as well for similar cost? Would a DW Valor be 80-90% as good a gun as a CQB for 50% the cost and leave ample money for upgrades, ammo, and perhaps a class? I would like some second opinions before making such a large purchase. Thanks!
If Wilson makes one exactly how you want it, and that pistol is in your budget - go with it.
High end 1911’s are the epitome of diminishing returns on performance, but quantifying the value of works of art is hard. The mindset of many buying those kinds of 1911’s is no longer about value, but whether it’s exactly what they want for the weight/space cost of carrying it.
I have never shot a Wilson but I have borrowed a buddy’s Valor several times.
The thing shoots amazingly well for a 1300 dollar 1911. Could a 3,000 dollar Wilson do better? Maybe. Probably but if I can shoot tight groups with the Valor and it is 100% reliable…does spending more to shrink my groups by maybe 1/4 to 1/2 in inch make sense?
This would be something for you to decide. I am sure a Wilson 1911 is wonderful. I am also sure a 200 grand Bentley rides like a dream. LOL
Me? I would be totally happy with the Valor but YMMV.
I have nothing at all against Wilson and have plenty of their mags and a few of their parts in my Combat Commander. I just have a kid going to college in 2 years and a 3 grand pistol is just not in the budget…sorry.
The outfits you mentioned (WC and GI) are the ones I answer with when asked your question. Neither is cheap but I think both are a great value especially when you don’t want to wait years, and both are well-stood-behind.
Wilson makes an great 1911. The work and detail that goes into it is what your paying for.
A good smith is makes a great 1911. There are quite a few now, but how much work you want done dictates the price. Usuall more expensive, long wait times.
The valor , a 1911 I have had the pleasure of shooting, is a good gun in its own right. Half the price, (my friends) grouped very good, and has a good look.
I’ve had my Wilson CQB for about 5 months now, and the only thing I regret is not going this route much, much sooner.
I have owned no fewer than a dozen Colts, some of which were full or partial custom jobs from EGW, Robar, John Harrison, Heinie and a few from the Colt Custom Shop. When I ordered my CQB from George at MI Gunslingers, I still was working up a few Colts for custom build projects. I wanted the CQB for a no-nonsense practical 1911 with the customer service to back them up. One thing you will note about all of the big-name, one-man shops is that they either have long lead times, are not accepting new work, or are silly expensive.
My Wilson took about 4 months as I ordered it in the Summer and it came in the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Granted, it’s not breath-takingly fancy, but it’s everything I needed, nothing I didn’t. As nice as some of my custom Colts were, my Wilson set a new standard and my CQB is now all that require from a 1911. All of my Colt show pony guns are gone, and I don’t regret it one bit.
What finally sold me on Wilson is their outstanding customer service rep. I wanted to go with someone that was going to be there to both address any issues I may have and do it in short order. Wilson is an industry standard, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon either.
FYI, I had never heard anything negative about Wilson either until I attended a 1911 specific class on the west coast last month and the instructor, a die hard 1911 guy, stated that he’d seen two different Wilsons suffer catastrophic damage in class within the last year. Both were Wilson Combat guns, not customer guns that were modded.
I don’t remember the exact details but IIRC he stated one had a slide fracture and separate and another had a barrel fracture. I believe he said one was shooting reloaded ammo, although I don’t remember which one or whether it had anything to do with the failure.
You can’t go wrong with a Wilson. In January I bought a used CQB that was built in 2002. Somewhere along the way, someone Tried to adjust the extractor & botched the job, so I was having an occasional feeding problem with my carry ammo.
I called Wilson & they said to send it in. They called me on a Monday telling me they received it & to verify the work I wanted done. That Thursday they called to tell me that it was done & being shipped back. They adjusted the extractor, polished the feed ramp, polished the breech face & chamfered the firing pin hole. All on warranty, on a 13 year old gun.
I have four 1911’s. This is my first Wilson, but I’ll be getting another soon. I just haven’t decided which one yet.
Wilson Combat CQB is the answer to the 1911 question. Perfectly finished and setup–with great service available if you need it. I have owned three, and every single on of them was perfect.
Thanks for the post…it’s an important topic and obviously one that stirs up deep rooted passions and biases. I think what TehLlama has accurately pointed out is that in this case, the idea of a “custom” gun is the most important factor for the OP. brickboy240 made some valid points but is not appropriately addressing the original issue/question. Group size/accuracy does not seem to be the point. Most of us are not slow fire target shooters, and even if we were, a tiny gain in accuracy can be made by simply replacing your stock 1911 barrel with a fitted match barrel. Reliability should always be the #1 factor with any 1911 that you will actually shoot (many just hang in the safe). But CRAFTSMANSHIP is where the game changes. I see no problem with somebody spending $3-4k on a 1911 that is exactly what they want…let’s be honest that’s why folks go to Wilson…because they offer the closest most of us will ever get to “custom” without having to wait 2+ years and/or spend $5k from a renowned 1911 gunsmith, which is a better option IMO if you can spare the extra time and $$.
You can’t have anything you want from Wilson, but you can select from a variety of options to get pretty darn close. Otherwise just search the EE forum and other sites to find a like new or slightly used Wilson or another high quality 1911 that will be reliable…you might save $500-1k, but most who are in the market for a 1911 that is truly their own will lay down the extra cash. I went through the same thing years ago when I bought my first brand new truck exactly how I wanted…why? Because I could, and I knew that years later after marriage, mortgage, bills, etc, that decision would not be as easy or flexible.
I also went through the same decision in regards to a custom 1911 purchase. I’ve ownded many and shot many for business and pleasure, although it’s still a drop in the bucket compared to previous generations and the true craftsmen who build them. Bottom line is I have never kept a modern day “stock” 1911…because they usually don’t work well under hard use…unless your definition of a stock 1911 is a semi-custom production offering from Springfield, Colt, DW, etc…which should work just fine out of the box. More often than not, even these will require some extractor tuning by someone who knows what they’re doing. So my stock 1911s have either been sold, traded, or gutted and rebuilt by a real 1911 gunsmith with quality parts…to this day my favorite .45acp shooter is a resurrected Springfield full size in which only the slide and frame are original.
Which brings me to my last point…IMO the only way to rival or even beat a Wilson in terms of getting your desired custom build within a reasonable price point and time window is to individually purchase components and parts and pay a legit 1911 gunsmith to build it to your specs. However this hinges on your ability to know or have acess to somebody who can do this and fit you in the calendar within 6-10 months. I was fortunate enough to get linked up with such a gunsmith through friends of friends, but if I didn’t have that option, I almost certainly would have gone to the Wilson Combat website to start an order. Not to mention their customer service will take care of you virtually forever. Oh and by the way, almost all the parts I used for my dream custom build are made by Wilson…
“IMO the only way to rival or even beat a Wilson in terms of getting your desired custom build within a reasonable price point and time window is to individually purchase components and parts and pay a legit 1911 gunsmith to build it to your specs”
A friend of mine, Joe Chambers, learned the 1911 Art from Bob Marvel himself, and has since been making a living out of producing some fine works of .45 ACP glory.
(of course, I might be a bit prejudiced)
Having a competent smith fit and finish your parts may be the best way to get what you want in the time you want it.
After owning a Kimber CDP that was a lemon, and a Springfield Loaded that ran like a champ that was sold to fund another AR, it was time to scratch my 1911 itch again. Initially I considered a Springfield TRP, Colt XSE, or Dan Wesson Valor. After some serious research and flashbacks of how awesome the semi-custom 1911’s were at Shot Show 2011, I started to consider spending more money on a 1911.
I looked at Les Baer, Nighthawk, Ed Brown, Springfield Custom, Guncrafter, and Wilson Combat. After comparing all of the options, I decided on a Wilson Combat CQB. Wilson has the reputation, options, warranty, and craftsmanship that fits my needs in a 1911. Bill Wilson is innovative and it seems like he is constantly evolving his 1911’s. I would buy another Wilson the next time I have 3K laying around.
Alex at GI is a friend of mine from since before he came from Denmark, so… full disclosure there. He’s a genius, I mean, really. I think he did WC a lot of good in his time there, and, of course, WC did him a lot of good in the experience he gained there.
I have no hook into WC, they don’t owe me anything and I don’t owe them anything. Same with GI other than Alex being a friend and authorized purveyor of my FRAG pattern in modified form, but I have to say that I kinda feel a sense of pride when I recommend them because I’m so sick and tired of crappy products and zero “give a damn” from companies within and without the gun industry, that it’s like, I know they’ll make me look good for counseling a guy to look there.
Probably some of the other outfits being talked about here are the same, but I don’t have the hands-on and face-to face with them that I’ve had with WC and GI.
I’ve had a CQB for approx. 8 years now and although it is not a full custom gun with every single little detail exactly how I would want it, it is a excellent pistol with a lot of great features that are very well executed. A lot has been said about their CS and I’ll say it is not over exaggerated. They are the “easy button” answer if you want a “higher end” 1911. I think mine is right around 10k rounds and I don’t think I’ll ever have a need for another 1911. As much as I would like to have a full house custom built on an original pre-war Colt…It’d just be to stick it in the safe and show off as a BBQ gun.
with all the money I have spent on 1911s I could have easily bought a few wilsons by now. I have been in search for my dream 1911 and found it finally in the Springfield Pro, but after handeling the Wilson CQB I have began to question if I have really found true love after all with the Springfield Pro. The new Bravo Company/Wilson 1911 looks like a dandy especially with the rail.
