Ben thinking about picking up a nice Wilson CQB. It has been shot enough too work slick as a whistle.
The asking price is $1,800.00. I know what a new one costs, just curious if this is a reasonable secondary market price.
Sure fits my hand well!!

EZ

Having shot most of the mega-dollar 1911's on the market the last five or six years at IPSC matches, and looked at groups shot in a Ransom Rest, I am at a loss to figure out what justifies their exorbitant prices.
Unless you have shot your way into Master Class or at least "A", you are unlikely to be able to shoot it well enough to tell the difference between it and a well tuned stocker by Kimber.

Not to disparage you or your shooting skills; but 50% of the cost of a Wilson is laser-etching his name three or four places on the pistol. sticking a slurry of 1200 grit and LSA on the frame rails and racking the slide about 1000 cycles will smooth up a stocker almost as nice with a 4lb trigger.

Besides, you still have a single stack instead of a hi-cap defensive handgun, if self defence is your motivation.

If you ever need to use it, a stocker with about 3000 rounds of Major fired thru it at 50 rounds twice a week, will be more accurate than you need. Ask anybody on your local PD. I shot IPSC against people like Ross Seyfried, so I have been around the block once or twice.

Thanks for the insight. I bought a Kimber Pro CDP II 6-7 years ago and had some tuning done. Never had a problem with the gun and it shoots very good. I am not any type of expert pistol shot. The KImber is one of my favorite pistols along with my S&W 41's.
The Kimber has a 4" tube and I was looking to add 5" to my stable.
I will certainly take note of your recommendation.
No need to spend more than necessary.

EZ

ISS,
As usual, I agree with you 100% on this!

I talked to several people who have brought the new Ruger 1911 and heard very good things about them.

I have NEVER seen a Wilson 1911, regardless of calibre or model, that was not 100%, in regards to function or accuracy.

Never, and I have seen and shot a LOT of them.

They are kinda spendy, but when you buy one there is no "Drama"...

Buy any of the run-of-the-mill 1911's for under $750, send it to a good pistolsmith and spend $800 or so and have one just as good for half the cost. Or you could get one of the CZ Dan Wesson 1911's for $1200 - $1500 and forget you ever heard the name Wilson. The thing that gets me about Wilson is they stated for years that the lightweight framed 1911's were not reliable and you had to stick to the all-steel models to have reliability...then as sales moved more towards the lightweights and they could not sell many of their reliable all-steel models...they moved to the lightweights. Talk about hipocrisy....that's why I won't touch one, besides the fact they are overpriced. The CQB model went from $1600 4 years ago to $2600+ now as they rode the 1911 bandwagon.

If you read the Wilson sales propaganda, they mention they make all their parts from materials sourced in Arkansas or the USA. All parts are machined. No stamping (Clips????) or MIM. They probably buy the grips and sights & perhaps barrels.

They are probably not unlike a high end shotgun. I can kill just as many birds with a Remington 1100 as my Piotti King 1 but it is just not the same. Nothing like a fine gun; if you can afford them....
BTW; I have looked at the Dan Wessson Valors (Really nice pistols) however they are about $1,800.00 or the same as the CQB I have considered.

You can get a Dan Wesson Valor BOBTAIL for around $1500 at any Cabela's....thats where I got mine a few months ago. I think Gunbroker has similar opportunities. That DW Bobtail is one sweet handling and attractive gun with ZERO issues. I say let the Wilsons for the braggarts that paid $2600 for a $1600 pistol...just to say they have one. Good on them. There's one of them born every minute and Wilson appreciates it...matter of fact, they depend on it.

eezrider, you don't say to what purpose the gun will be put. If you plan on shooting competitions eg. IPSC, IDPA then there are probably plenty of others choices that would better serve you. If however you want a gun to keep in the safe and show your buddies at the range then this would probably be a good one. For self defense, as stated above, there is even less justification for this gun. At the end though it will be your gun and, if it is exactly what you want, then get it. I honestly see a very limited future for single stack 45 ACP guns for any purpose, but that's just me.
Peter.

Purpose?? I really just like shooting the 45's. No competition and 98% of my shooting is at my farm, not the range.
I do not carry a gun on me and do not have a concealed carry permit, just never seen the need. I try and be nice to folks and it is remarkable how people react; in kind. I have never felt threatened.
I keep a old 870 in the closet for any potential burglers with 3" #2's.
So no, it is not for competition, protection, bragging rights. Simply a 5" to compliment my 4" Kimber. It fit my hand very well and is not a pretty gun, a gun I can let bounce around in the pickup and not worry about it.
Not to big on bobtailed or carry guns. My hands are big and I like a full length grip; in fact I like the small extension a magwell provides.

I hope your trust in others don't betray you. There are bad people in this world and they can show up anywhere at any time. When you need a gun...you will need it really bad. I don't live on luck or trusting strangers. Besides all of that, you can still get a new DW Valor w/o the Bobtail for much less than even a used Wilson and have just as reliable/accurate a pistol. They also make very nice 5" Kimbers too....I have several and they all shoot well.

eez. I have 3 Kimbers: a target 45, a Pro Carry in 38 Super and, the most recent addition, a Target II 9mm. The 45 is my Bullseye gun (after some trigger work) alongside my Gold Cup. Kimbers are good guns. You should be able to buy a used one and still save $1K over the CQB. (I am not sure I would want to spend $1800 on a gun that is not pretty and that I am going to let bounce around in the pickup but that is just me!)
Good luck with your choice. It IS your money after all.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Purpose?? I really just like shooting the 45's. No competition and 98% of my shooting is at my farm, not the range.

So no, it is not for competition, protection, bragging rights. Simply a 5" to compliment my 4" Kimber. It fit my hand very well and is not a pretty gun, a gun I can let bounce around in the pickup and not worry about it.
Not to big on bobtailed or carry guns. My hands are big and I like a full length grip; in fact I like the small extension a magwell provides.

From what your intended purpose is, buy a Rock Island 1911 for about $450.00, get a good trigger job, and you will be more than pleased.....I have a few custom 1911s and when I got my RI for Cowboy Wild Bunch I was very pleasantly surprised.

I would buy it after checking on the price a bit more. Does not sound out of line. If you had a good gunsmith that you used before I may try the other mentioned routes. But I have not had much luck on with delivery times from gunsmiths.

@ Bill:

What was wrong with the trigger? I've read some reviews on the RIA 1911s and tactical compacts. I'm reading good reviews. No feed or ejection problems, no trigger or sight adjustments. The biggest complaints I'm seeing are about the grips being bulky. It seems like, for the price, many are expecting them to be poor quality but are pleasantly surprised how good they are.

quote:

Originally posted by NavyVet:
@ Bill:

What was wrong with the trigger? I've read some reviews on the RIA 1911s and tactical compacts. I'm reading good reviews. No feed or ejection problems, no trigger or sight adjustments. The biggest complaints I'm seeing are about the grips being bulky. It seems like, for the price, many are expecting them to be poor quality but are pleasantly surprised how good they are.

Nothing major with the trigger. I prefer my 1911's to have a 3 lb pull. One of my best pals is a gunsmith and that was easy to accomplish.
Frank also thought it would benefit from a "harder" trigger with that reduction so he replaced it. Would I buy one again? In a heartbeat. Would I recommend one without doing any trigger work...same answer.

Where is God's country? Anywhere close to Bariloche in Argentina?