I had begun to write a little "thought piece" on Trumpian foreign policy, when a phone call from my favorite gun store, Backwater Guns, interrupted my line of so-called thinking. The Diplowife is on one of her jaunts to Spain with our two oldest sons, so I have been left to my own devices--not good. Two days ago I walked into Backwater, and ordered a Wilson Combat CQB1911 chambered in the greatest caliber of them all, the venerable .45. I had heard that it would take 3-6 months to get my hands on this gun given the great demand for them . . . but I got the call! Backwater told me it had arrived! Yes, in two days from the factory in Arkansas! They happened to have a cancelled sale of a gun with my exact specs. Off I went, no Jeep has ever driven faster (it's in the Guinness Book, honest) laid my money down, and came home with this magnificent piece of American design and engineering.
Today I went over to a little gun range here in Wilmington. I conducted another of my highly scientific comparison tests. I took my new Wilson, my Dan Wesson 1911, and my S&W 1911, and a large load of different types of .45 cal rounds.
Three high-priced irons; which would receive the coveted Diplomad Award? The suspense is a killer.
In short, at ten yards, I ranked them in terms of accuracy (3) the S&W (shorter barrel); (2) the Wesson, and Numero Uno the Wilson. The differences were very slight and how much was due to my hand and eye getting tired, or just happenstance, I don't know. My testing "machines" are not calibrated for such fine distinctions. At seven yards, I could find no appreciable difference. All three shot very accurately and very tight groupings. I put about 150 rounds though each gun and had only one failure, a stovepipe in the S&W on the very last round fired. To be fair to the S&W, the round made an odd, muted noise, so it might have been a bit underpowered.
My conclusion? I don't know. Is the Wilson worth about three times the money of the S&W or the Wesson? It, without doubt, is a superbly made weapon, with very tight tolerances, and--best of all--it gives you the bragging rights of saying you have a relatively rare gun. The other two are also superbly well-made, with the Wesson being slightly better than the S&W but the S&W having a neater retro look, and is a bit more concealable than the other two.
OK, I will write something a bit more serious. Not allowed to have fun in our brutal dystopian world where everything is politics and wokeness.
Dang Dip, 'spect you 'woke' the 'topside watch' with that 450 rds of barkin .45s! I remember a young seaman on the graveyard shift, he was found sound asleep by the Skipper, with a field stripped 1911 Colt in his lap -- He got off easy at Captains Mast though -- restricted to the Boat for a month -- In his defense, said he got sleepy in the dark, and took his weapon apart to stay woke-up!
ReplyDeleteAnother awoken memory, was running the crew through 1911 and Thompson drills, shooting bobbing coffee cans from the Bridge in the MED, a fine time was always had by all!
A, not so aWake event, was a trigger happy Ensign firing a magazine from his Tommygun at a overly curious Cuban Fishing boat - the fun part tho, was watching them haul'n ass, due South, making turns 80/90!
On Watch~~~
sharing my woken'ss }:~>
Super premium firearms only make a difference if the shooter can operate at a level that mechanical efficiencies and improvements can be noted. Sadly for most of us, we don't have skill at that level.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Was told it would take ten years to achieve competition level. Took 9. By the time I could medal in military competition, a match grade weapon and Lake City ammo made some difference in my scores.
DeleteSuspect today's good stuff is far beyond trying 20 .45's for a decent trigger and then whining a match armorer into cleaning up the trigger pull a little more.
Our tight match weapons were fussy, though, and nothing a sane person would use tactically.
Keep the faith, Diplo.
V/R JW
One thing you can spend money on and obtain almost guaranteed accuracy improvement is to put a red dot sight on.
DeleteDo you have one with a dancing horse on it?
ReplyDeleteI do, indeed.
DeleteSplendid! Or, perhaps, BULLY!
DeleteMy dad years ago bought a Wilson Combat .45 as his CC pistol. In the mid-90s when I was in grade school two teenagers tried breaking in our house. They saw my dad in stance with his pistol and decided to rob another house.
ReplyDeleteI've shot many pistols and own several. The Wilson Combat is the finest I've ever shot. Its trigger is like glass breaking. The tritium sights are innovative too. Good choice, Dip!
I really like 1911s.
ReplyDeleteI have an STI Trojan in 9mm.
Very nice.
STI! Wow! That's the top of the top.
DeleteYes, but I think for me a Wilson would be the ne plus ultra, for perhaps not logical reasons, but obvious ones.
Delete;)
For all of you dear dedicated shootists and target busters out there, here's a timely topical round-up and reminder from our berthmates at Chant du De'part[In a Black Mood]:
ReplyDelete"All the news of political maneuvers by divers and idiot wannabe statesmen (and at least two women) have left me in no fit state for polite company. I've written of the "coming storm" before... Why are Progressive Elements in this country so intent upon dismantling the Constitution, or at least the parts they don't agree with? Because they think they know what's best for the rest of us.
Beware America. Once your 2nd Amendment rights are taken away, the rest won't be far behind.
Say goodbye to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of worship, freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances, freedom to peaceably assemble, in short, say goodbye to the United States. You might as well learn how to speak Chinese. You'll need it when the new rulers take over."
On Watch~~~
...Fire When Ready...
http://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2019/09/in-bit-of-black-mood.html
The golden rules of gun purchase: 1, your wife likes it. Trumps all. 2, you have the money 3, it makes you happy.
ReplyDeleteTwo out of three?
Delete" Joe served as Obama's "point man" on Ukraine and China. Not clear why (except perhaps as a way to make Joe rich), but he was "point man" on two countries of which he has no particular knowledge." For the same reason that The Godfather sent Lucca Brossi to do his dirty work. Lucca was expendable, as is Joe.
ReplyDelete