Thoughts on Wilson Combat Ultralight Carry Compact 9mm

[Mr. Goodtimes]

About a week after I started thinking of purchasing one of these we get one in where I work part time, almost like The All Mighty is sending me a message. I'm pretty much sold on purchasing one as an AIWB carry piece now that I've handled it. It's lightweight, 9mm (so recoil should be mild) and made by Wilson so, I tend to think it will run well; the grip length is also perfect for my hand, I can just barely get all my fingers on the grip with nothing hanging over. I won't be buying the one in the store, however as I was going to order one with a Armor Tough grey frame/black slide, delete the reverse crown barrel for a regular bull barrel and no slide markings.

I'd like to hear what pf.com has to say about this pistol as a carry gun, mostly in regards to reliability. Seeing as I can carry a P30 well, I tend to think that carried AIWB this pistol would literally disappear under a t shirt due to it's thinness and short grip.

[TCinVA]

Reliability is always going to be an open question with a pistol like that. Of the possible options on the market, one from Wilson Combat is probably more likely to work than most similar guns.

[Default.mp3]

Gents as many of you know I am not a fan of the compact 1911- I have seen way too many reliability issues with the Commander and Officers Model platforms; my attitude has been to stay away from them

I must report a significant change in that situation; I recently made a trip to Wilson Combat and filmed an episode for TacTV- not only was I EXTREMELY impressed with Wilson's quality and approach to building a 1911 ( I always have been a fan of Wilson Combat 1911's but I am even more of one now) but after I got the rundown of everything they have done to make a compact 1911 more reliable I can state beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you like to carry compact 1911 style pistols you need to be carrying a current Wilson product. Bill and the crew have made significant changes ( like the introduction of a flat wire spring) that allow for dramatically more slide travel which leads to more dwell time for the next round in the magazine to be pushed up into position for feeding. This is all a byproduct of Bill carrying a compact 1911 style pistol for years and really putting the time into it to optimize the platform.

I'm not saying a small format 1911 is for everybody but what I am saying is if you prefer one for CCW duties the current Wilson guns are the Gold standard - no doubt about it.

Hope this info helps some of you make an informed decision

Sincerely

LAV

Source: http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=105795

Not sure how much of that carries over to an ultralight 9mm, but certainly a very good endorsement of a similar platform from the same vendor.

[JAD]

I would not be as concerned about a 4" gun vs. 3.5". I think that would be a lovely pistol to carry.

[SecondsCount]

My wife carries a custom built Caspian in 9mm that has similar dimensions- Officer sized frame with a 4.25" (Commander) slide. It has been very reliable and she shoots it quite a bit.

Dan Wesson has the ECO models (http://cz-usa.com/products/view/dan-wesson-eco/) in 9mm and while they are not a Wilson, I would trust them.

[ADKilla]

I've owned a WC CQB Compact LW that I used for AIWB. Recommend looking at the concealed carry beaver tail grip safety option and round butt treatment to the MSH. Normal BTGS tended to poke me in the stomach when bending over, and the normal MSH can print.

[Jason Burton]

The shorter OAL of the 9mm and its position in the magazine helps to make up for the loss of slide travel (and consequently dwell time).

Commander sized 1911s chambered in 9mm are also very nice to shoot. Even though the Wilson is a 4" barrel (vs. 4.25" of a true Commander) not much should change in this regard.

Much of my concern with smaller pistols comes from the combination of shortening both the slide travel and the magazine length. You now have a gun that has a shorter cycle length, thus requiring the magazine work faster and harder, and also a magazine that has a reduced operating length. Although this being a 9mm helps make up for that as well.

[tomr]

http://blog.wilsoncombat.com/1911/a-reliable-compact-1911-by-bill-wilson/