This little pistol’s just dropped. It’s the compact version of Wilson Combat’s full-size X-TAC. [Click here for TTAG’s review.] No word on the pricing, although their “entry level” X-TAC clocks in at $2395. Availability may be another issue; Wilson’s got a 1700 pistol backlog. We also hear that the gunmaker’s about to release a new piston-driven AR. Except for the lack of cash afflicting many potential custom gun buyers, these are the good old days.

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20 COMMENTS

  3. What a beut. I’d buy one if I could afford it. Oh yeah, and if it were available in CA (thanks CA DOJ for the f*&%ing list).

  4. I don’t get why ARs and 1911s aren’t cheaper, every single brand it seems has one. I mean their cool, ill deff buy one eventually, but ill be getting something cheaper and more modern

  5. Maybe it’s just me but in terms of looks I think the classic 1911 look is the best. A springfield milspec is gorgeous to me although I’d probably get the version above it with better sights. Heck, it’s pretty hard to have a 1911 that isn’t pretty. How much better (we’ll define better as reliable for this purpose) is a $2400 vs a $1200 vs an $800 1911 model?

    • I don’t think reliability is the best yardstick for “measuring” the difference between a Wilson, Ed Brown or other custom gun against a well-made mass-market piece. A robot-built Mercedes is far more reliable than a Ferrari. Maranello’s hand-crafted cars are infinitely more desirable.

      Which is not to say that a Wilson is as reliable as a Ferrari. Good God no. But Wilson’s guns are just as sexy. IMHO.

      • I get that reliability isn’t the only metric for testing but was just curious how much of the premium is due to better shooting vs. better styling. I guess I just happen to be one of the people who prefers the traditional look.

        BTW. Miss you over at TTAC and I’m glad I found this site. Cars and guns, you can’t get much better tastes than that.

  8. Seriously, I am a practical man. I am also a tradesman. I ran my business for several years out of a well-used 1994 Ford F-250 that I bought for $2000. It did everything I needed and more. And I could pick the kids up from school in it.

    I want the Wilson company to prosper. But I also want them to put the crack pipe down. They build a really, really nice gun. But not $2300 nice. There are too many 1911s that can be tuned up for far less. A base 1911 is in every pawn shop and hunting store and much more accessible price. A nice barrel, a Duracoat finish, good grips, and you have money for bullets.

    I tell my customers that quality costs 15%. Meaning, cutting corners is a good way to devalue their investment but spending the little extra up front is a good way to increase the value. But I seriously think Wilson has priced this gun way too high. They are a good company and I respect their work. But not that much.

    And I love 1911s.

    • “I also want them to put the crack pipe down.”

      They’re selling every overpriced but well-made and oh-so-sexy pistol that they make. So I guess that the buyers are the ones who are on the pipe.

  9. The price is, as everyone has said, absurd. I have a few shooting buddies that have Wilson(and Ed Brown, Les Baer, and Nighthawk guns. And more than a few customs). They are very very nice guns. But they do not shoot two or three times as well as my Kimber. Or hell, 6 or 7 times a Taurus 1911. I broke down and bought a Taurus 9mm 1911 last week. And with me shooting it, it shoots playing card sized groups at 30 yards. It cost $469. There is no reason that a Wilson should cost $3000+

  10. Nice gun. I always wanted a 1911 but not for 1000.00+ when I can get one for 500.00. Can’t I just upgrade the parts on a 500.00 1911 and it be just as good as the 2400.00 one? Anyone with 1911 expertise answer, thanks.

  11. If you’ve never fired a Wilson then it’s hard to understand the attraction. Most 1911s look the same on the outside but a custom built Wilson is a work of art. These things fit together perfectly and the performance & reliability is superb. They are the Ferrari of custom 1911s and with backlog of over 1500 guns many folks seem to agree. I love my Kimbers but I still lust after Bill Wilson’s 1911s.

  14. It’s quite possible to put a $40,000 paint job on a car. Does a $40K paint job drive any better? Nope, that’s not the appeal. If you can’t see the difference between a $4,000 paint job and a $40,000 paint job, don’t get the $40,000 job. It’s a waste of money for you.

    Meanwhile, other people won’t be satisfied with anything but the $40,000 job and can even find flaws in it. They’re just fussy that way, and they’re willing to back up their pursuit of perfection with their wallets.

  15. For those who love the 1911 platform and prefer to use it for concealed carry or home defense, like me, should be most concerned about reliability/function. I, personally, own 2 semi-custom guns (Wilson Combat and a Nighthawk) as well as several “over the counter” 1911s. If I am to trust my life, and that of my family, on a handgun the extra cost of a Wilson Combat is more than worth it–reliability with my semi-custom guns have be impeccable—all my “over the counter” 1911s have gone to Wilson Combat for gunsmithing to make them 100% reliable (as they are rarely “bet your life on it” reliable out of the box). By the time you are done paying for the extra reliability work/parts you might as well just buy a complete gun from Wilson or Nighthawk–I would much rather have one 1911 that is 100% reliable (and a work of art to boot) than two mediocre 1911s—I will never cheap out on my family. X-Tac is what I’m trading up for next.

  16. The price is fine. Why? Because we’re talking about an AMERICAN made product, first of all. Second, a Wilson 1911 will last a lifetime and be passed down to other generations. Third, I’m sure that operating such a fine instrument is in and of itself a pleasure. Fourth, I’m sure they are reliable, accurate, and among the finest of their kind. All of this is saying A LOT, especially when most of you will spend about the same amount on computers, laptops, and cell phones which will be recycled every couple of years.

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