Project: Break my Wilson Combat CQB Elite
Hello gents,
Well, it is time for me to start another shooting log. After looking for quite a while I picked up a Wilson Combat CQB Elite sans forward serrations from Gunbroker. It arrived on thursday and I took it out and shot it yesterday. My plan is to shoot it, at least 150 but hopefully 200 rounds a week with minimal maintenance and give you my impressions here. Basically, my maintenance routine is to drag a bore snake (and occasionally a brass brush on an otis cable)and spray rem oil in the gun. When the exterior gets dirty enough to be a problem I will wipe it up with some paper towels and gun oil. If the gun starts malfunctioning I will take it apart and clean it.
I am a long time 1911 fan who hasn't had one since the gun panic. I had planned on picking up a Wiley Clapp full size but I cannot stand the fact that Colt won't dehorn their guns. Basically, I would have had to buy the gun, and then waited 6 months or more for Colt to dehorn and reblue the gun, or find a competent gunsmith and possibly wait even longer. So, I decided that Wilson Combat is either the best or, at the very least, among the top 1911 makers. So I started trolling for a gun that met my tastes. I am pretty old school, but I wanted a gun with a mag funnel if at all possible. I wanted the gun to have checkering on the gripstrap. Obviously it needed to have a beavertail grip and good sights.
Impressions so far.
Fit and finish.
Excellent. At the price it should be. The gun feels solid but not absurd tight like some 1911s I have picked up. They have mastered the art of having no play in the slide without it being screechy tight. All the surfaces are properly dehorned. The checkering is excellent and soft on the hands. Honestly, I prefer blueing, but the WC black finish is pretty in that modern HK black.
Aesthetics. Excellent. I hate goofy names and flashy "EXECUTOR OF LIBERTY 1000" billboards on the side of guns. Wilson does a great job here with a low-key font that blends nicely with the rest of the gun. I absolutely hate forward serrations. It is just a pet peeve of mine. I use an armorer's grip (rear serrations) to check my chamber, and I don't have an optic mounted on the top so forward serration are noting but an ugly, holster damaging nuisance to me. So when I saw this gun available without them I jumped at the chance.
This gun has serrations on the top and rear of the slide. This is a sort of take it or leave it thing with me. I understand it might reduce glare, but I think it is largely gilding the lilly. They are beautifully done and I certainly like having them. This gun also has a fluted exterior on the barrel hood. I probably would prefer the gun not have this, but I don't care. It is pretty.
Sights. Excellent. The Wilson rear sight is badass. It U-notch but the sloping exterior sides of the sight draw your eye to the center nicely. The front sight is fiber optic. This is a potential compromise. It is unquestionably king of daytime shooting. You can't help but focus on the from sight with that green "GO" light in your face. But it is basically like having steel sights in low light. Since this gun has flat-bottomed grip panels and CT doesn't make laser grips for this configuration (that I am aware of) I am basically night blind with this gun. I may send it back for a tritium front blade.
Trigger. Duh, perfect.
Grip and thumb safety function. To me, this is one of the places where you pay for quality. Every cold I have every gotten my hands on has had too much play, r at least ugly gaps in their grip safeties. Even REALLY expensive guns like the Wiley Clapp have this issue. The only guns I have ever seen them do right are some of the Willey clap commanders and Talo CCO's which leads me to believe their aluminum guy is more skilled than their steel guys. Every Springfield, sort of a Professional also needs work here. The Wilson is absolutely perfect. The thumb safety is also perfect. With just the right amount of force and click in both directions. Love it!
More thoughts later....
Let those who are fond of blaming and finding fault, while they sit safely at home, ask, ‘Why did you not do thus and so?’I wish they were on this voyage; I well believe that another voyage of a different kind awaits them.”
Christopher Columbus
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Originally Posted by rushca01
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