Wilson Combat has a winner on their hands. The gunmaker tells TTAG that their new $2985 EDC 9mm semi-automatic 1911-style pistol is back-ordered to January. As Wilson’s pushing out just 200 copies a month, I make that at least 1600 buyers who’ve ponied-up for the sleek carry gun, pretty much sight unseen.

Wilson Combat’s Guy Joubert’s tour through the EDC is convincing stuff. The highlight for me: the 15+1 capacity, interchangeable backstrap and panels, and a 12-pound recoil spring — which makes racking the EDC a blessing for the hand strength impaired.

Here’s a look inside the ballistic jewel via the breakdown process.

No question: the Wilson Combat EDC is a genuinely innovative firearm in a sea of GLOCK-a-likes and standard-issue 1911s. I practically begged Wilson to send us one. Stand by for JT’s no-holds-barred review.

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58 COMMENTS

  1. Nice.. Not 3k nice.. Insane.
    Backorder? lots of people with more money than brains…

  3. The custom 1911 market is just too rich for my blood. I’m sure the gun is great, but nearly $3,000 for one handgun is not something I could ever justify to myself.

      • I don’t shoot them, I throw them like boomerangs that don’t come back. Damn Taurus for making defective boomerangs. 😉

        • I have 2 Millennium Pros. They both shit the bed in less than 6 months, and getting replacement parts from Taurus proved an insurmountable task. After pestering them for a full year, they sent 1 part, but it was for the wrong gun. I pretty much gave up at that point and just settled on bad mouthing Taurus at every opportunity. I agree with the above poster: defective boomerangs.

  5. OK, here’s a challenge for you. Prove to us why, other than wow factor or penis envy, why this $2,985 gun is any better than my new $429 EDC Canik TP9SF Elite. Well, actually, from a practical POV, it should be 6.958 times better, but I doubt that.

    • Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for wow factor and really nice things. But, as an EDC, I’m looking for reliability, reliability, reliability. I don’t holster guns that expensive, ever. Why? Because I can’t afford very many and most have really nice old Colt bluing. When it comes to EDC, which this is marketed for, most of us can’t afford $3K for a gun that we know is going to get beat up.

      • “most of us can’t afford…”
        Wilson’s market isn’t most people. Bill and Ryan Wilson know that, and they’ve made a profitable company out of staying out of the “most of us” market. There is a long and growing list of firearms companies failing while they catered to the common demoninator.

        • The list of companies that tried to make a truly different mousetrap, and were soundly rejected by the market, isn’t small either. (Dardick, anyone? Gyro-Jet?)

          Seems to me Wilson’s done a pretty savvy job of walking the line between same-old boring and too-different weird as well.

          And they do make nice magazines … which is the only Wilson product I can routinely afford. 🙂

        • So it is a winner for those on the far side (from my perspective) of the great divide between the rich and the poor. From my side, it is just overpriced bling. A status symbol, like a Mercedes, Porsche or 7 Series BMW. And there is a market for that, just as there is a broad market for reasonably priced and reliable 9mm EDCs that the owner doesn’t have to worry about never getting back if the police seize it after an dgu. In fact, there are a heck of a lot more reasonably priced 9mm handguns that high end ones.

    • I have a Canik TP9SFX and I love it. Two problems though. After about the 500 round count, the slide quit locking back after the last round. And two, my Canik doesn’t like underpowered rounds like my Ruger ARX polymer defense rounds. For the price, it’s incredibly tough to beat. It’s a tack driver with a nice trigger.

      • WRT slide lock, are you sure it isn’t your grip? Are you riding the release lever? This happens to me all the time because I have a very high grip. As for the ARX ammo, it is not underpowered, and that is likely not the problem. The bullet weight is very low and hence muzzle velocity is very high (1500+). This effectively lowers felt recoil since the bullet is outtahere so fast. Recoil springs are designed for the most common range of ammo loads and bullet weights, yet one spring cannot fit all load types. I suggest a lighter spring if that is going to be your round of choice. Me, I flow the other way. I don’ t like the high velocity low weight rounds. I use the heavy rounds as defense.

  6. Any firearm is better in 9mm than if it were made in .45acp. That’s the truth about guns.

    • Now now, I’ve heard from dozens and dozens of people that a .45 will knock someone down assuming it doesn’t literally throw them across the room. Plus, I’m pretty sure a 9mm just bounces off a badguy.

  8. And I’m just over here thinking about all of the cool shit I could but for three grand.

    • 13,700 rounds of 115gr 9mm FMJ from Freedom Munitions.
      11,286 rounds of 165gr .40 S&W RNFP from Freedom Munitions.
      9,133 rounds of 230gr .45 Auto JHP from Freedom Munitions.

      Well actually, that’s $2,466 not $3k. I subtracted the cost of my EDC first and then ran amok.

      • I am pretty much done with those guys.

        A bunch of .45s that were set back too far.

        A .222 Rem mixed up in a box of .223 for no reason. I mean, WTF guys?

        9mm suffering case head separation.

        .44 Mag that is really more like .44 Special.

        OK, during the drought they were practically the only thing available for a while but now? Forget it.

        • I’ve had dud .380 and 9mm issues with them, also.

          And from their supposedly new ammo, not remanufactured.

          It’s too bad, I want to like them.

  9. It sure looks cool….but all else being equal, I’d rather have a single-stack.

  10. Looks nice but…

    How much does a 1911 build class cost? I think if I’m going to spend $3k on a 1911 variant, I’d rather wind up with a less pretty one that I built myself. More personal meaning. But that’s just me.

  11. “back-ordered to January” This statement only matters if we know what production capacity is. If it’s five guns per week, big deal. If it’s 100 guns per week, now we have something to talk about. Then there’s that whole Sandy Hook back order label. Remember when some manufacturers told us they were back-ordered for years only to have ARs stacking up in inventory a few months later when the panic buying stopped?

    Now, if Wilson has taken full payment for guns ordered that’s something worth talking about. But, heck, any new Keltec is back-ordered for year before it even comes out. So what does that say?

    • “As Wilson’s pushing out just 200 copies a month, I make that at least 1600 buyers who’ve ponied-up for the sleek carry gun, pretty much sight unseen.”

      And assuming they maintain that rate of production.

  12. Looks like a really nice gun…if had that kind of scratch laying around, I would certainly be looking at something like this. If I could easily afford this, I wouldn’t be worrying about the holster rash it would get after a while either.

  13. I don’t even care about people spending $3k on a pistol, but why this pistol?

    I saw nothing particularly innovative or rare about it.

    The only thing that differentiates it from other, similar pistols costing a third of the price is the name, and if you’re paying $2,000 for a name brand gun, you are occupying the same strata as the $400 permanently dirty jeans buyers.

    • “The only thing that differentiates it from other, similar pistols costing a third of the price is the name,”
      That may be true with this gun, but I don’t know because I haven’t shot it yet. But there is certainly a real and tangible performance difference between some guns that cost more than lesser priced guns. In the extreme, is there a difference between a $6,000 Tim Thompson 1911 and a $700 Metro Arms? You bet there is, both in accuracy and reliably, as well as ease of fire. A massive difference where anyone who fires the two will immediately recognize. Is there a difference between my almost $3,000 custom Wilson CQB Tactical-LE and my $900 stock Colt Combat Elite? In terms of accuracy, yes, about 30% more accurate on the Wilson, but reliability? Probably not, as practical reliability is beyond what even avid shooters will ever experience. Speed of aim and fire, comfort in long strings, speed and ease or reloads, are other tangible, mostly recordable differences that make the Wilson stand out over the Colt. That’s all real stuff that makes the more expensive pistol better, aside from appearance and name.

      • Well… as long as you’re happy.

        I haven’t fired any of the guns you mention, so I can’t comment beyond speculation and opinion.

        I personally don’t see a $3000 concealed carry piece ever being high on my Maslow hierarchy, but that’s me, and I respect you (or at least the you I know through your writing here) and your choices.

        To quote the philosopher Macklemore; “That’s fifty dollars for a t-shirt…”

      • Any factory pistol, even, is more accurate than you need in a defense situation. Look up all the youtube vids of people doing 100+ meter shots with a standard Glock.

        I personally don’t see the value in this, and I could afford to buy one once a month if I wanted. Almost everyone would be better off with a standard pistol and $2,500 in training and ammo. These guns for the most part are for people that think gear can replace skill. I’m sure they are fine weapons, the build quality isn’t up for debate. I’ve shot a few custom 1911’s in my time, only in the mid 2k range, nothing super high end, but ultimately, they didn’t do anything better that my $500 beater EDC pistol does. In fact, worse, as they have half the magazine capacity.

        I might get one if I made a few hundred grand a year, but even then, there are plenty of better things out there for the same money.

        But to each his own, people can buy what they want, I just don’t see any value in it at all.

  14. “$2985” “EDC” These two terms don’t go together for me.

    Does EDC stand for Economically Draining Centerfire?

    Because carrying around a $3,000 gun everyday over a functionally equivalent $400 gun, either of which I may need to use, seems nuts.

    Then again I don’t go around everyday showing off my carry gun to people so maybe I’m not the target audience.

    • Amen to that. If you can afford to tote a $3000 gun in your waistband every day, your real ‘EDC’ is the big, burly dude with the neck that looks like a tree-trunk who carries a PS90 under his jacket. Us mere mortals have to get by with EDC’ing a $400 used Glock Brand Glock…

  15. Are that guys hands exceptionally large or what? glad he’s not my proctologist.

  16. If I could afford a Wilson I would buy it in a minute, take it out and look at every now and again and pass it on to my daughter when I drop dead. I do own a WC owb holster for my 92A1 which I like. In the meantime just paid $600 for a Aerex Zero 1 and it is crazy accurate.

  17. These threads kill me. Everyone always poor mouthing what they can’t afford or obtain due to the cost. There is obviously a market for high end whatever here in the good old USA…problem is those commenting here are most likely not in that demographic. Just shut up and be happy with your Taurus, Glock, M&P or whatever. In life there will always be someone who has nicer shit than you do….deal with it.

    • I don’t really see a lot of that in the thread.

      I see a lot of people looking at a $600-$1000 handgun and saying “OK, what does that extra $2000-$2400 buy me in the real world?”.

      A problem with high end pistols is that they’re not like high end clothing or cars. Cars you can test drive. Clothes you can try on. You can see and feel the difference between them and the competition and, for a lot of people, that wins them over. Pistols like this… well I’ve never seen a range renting WC or Cabot pistols for people to try before they buy. That’s a detriment to the brand IMHO because there is no way, other than to know someone who has one, to try it and say “Wow, this really is a step up, I’ll drop the coin for one of these because it’s awesome!”.

      Personally, I have no problem with guns that cost multiple thousands of dollars and I own more guns like that then I’d really care to think about. That said, I see some serious diminishing returns on investment with a pistol like this, especially as a carry piece. I’ve shot a few WC pistols and to me they’re really, really nice guns but when you get to the price tag my opinion on them becomes “Meh” because I personally don’t think that the upgrades they give them are worth the price that the work demands.

      • I agree with your points and probably wouldn’t spend that on this pistol. To each his own though. Some people see the value. If you have the cash I say go for it. My disdain was mainly for the incessant poor mouthing on this site by those who don’t seem to want to spend more than $500 on a quality firearm and then rail on people who do.

        • You should meet my neighbor.

          He buys expensive guns like it’s his job but complains when he has to get batteries for his smoke detectors.

          Priorities. Some people have them while others have an interesting interpretation of the word.

        • Yeah…well….driving a Ferrari but then defaulting on your mortgage is just stupid.

  18. Why does everyone seem to feel the need to say that because it’s expensive, it must only be for those who want to show off? I cannot afford a $3k piece, but if I had that kind of expendable income, I would consider it if it functioned well. People don’t just spend money because they want to brag. Some people, if not most, enjoy the finer things because they do function/perform better. Ever driven a 7-series BMW or any other high-end vehicle? Yes they’ll take you the same places as a Yugo, but if you enjoy driving, you might just enjoy the 7 a lot more. Same with a quality firearm, in many cases. There’s always an exception to everything. There are some days I would take my XD over a Kimber, but there are others where I find a Christenson Arms performs much better than a Savage Axis. There’s nothing wrong with wanting or owning nice things. I apologize for the rant, just had to get that out.

    • But most of the high end guns are not a BMW 7 series, but a modified and completely refinished Honda Accord. This one, they at least removed the grip safety.

    • I work on BMWs. Most of the new ones are garbage. But the 7 series has been for a while. They kept all the ones they took in on trade so they wouldn’t have to keep working on them after the timing chain recall debacle. Speaking of which. I’m not paying three grand for anything without a motor

  19. I get that it’s a niche market firearm but for 3k you can fill a safe with many different types of defensive weapons. I like High end things too but this doesn’t do it for me personally.

  20. Damn!

    And I just bought a Glock 43. If I hadn’t and added about $2350, I could have had one of these.

    LMAO.

    Nice pistol with a LOT of innovative features.

    I am not their market. By a long shot.

    The will sell a butt-load of them.

  21. I’m devastated. I had this $2985 just burning a hole in my pocket. Oh well, maybe I will actually send my damn kid to college instead. Little brat kid. Cost me a WC

    • You got six hands to fire those six Glocks?

      I’m not busting on you at all, just pointing out to all of those who prefer to have a lot of polymer guns that most folks only shoot one gun at a time. Most folks who have the money to spend on a Wilson / Ed Brown / Les Baer / Nighthawk / STI caliber gun spend most of their time earning the money. When they take time off to shoot, they want to shoot something nice and maybe even have something nice to pass down for a few generations.

      Or maybe they really are collectors or maybe they are really rich and are trying to store the wealth in something which will endure. Who knows?

      • If you haven’t tried shooting two pistols at once at some point in your life then you’re just doing the whole “life” thing wrong.

  24. This new Wilson EDC is not “too expensive”—-it is only “too expensive” for those of us who can’t (or won’t) afford it !!

  26. ” Combat has a winner on their hands. The gunmaker tells TTAG that their new $2985 EDC 9mm semi-automatic 1911-style pistol…”
    That’s about as far as I got.
    $3,000 for a 1911 in 9mm?
    I am a POTG, not a POTM.

    • Not really, they just don’t do much better practically than a Glock or XD will get you, with half the magazine capacity to boot. I wouldn’t buy one if I was wealthy, just because the value isn’t there. What does it do that a “regular” pistol won’t?

      Factory handguns are plenty accurate enough farther than you will ever need to shoot one. I’d personally rather spend the same amount on ammo and training and a “regular” handgun. Same reason I’d buy a Honda over a BMW, they both do the exact same thing, and the Honda is more reliable.

      If someone wants to own and shoot one, fine, I’ve shot all kinds of weapons, from high end to beaters, and they were always fun. I tend to lean toward practicality when it comes to a weapon I might need to defend my life with, though.

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