Bill Wilson or ULC

[DKR]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am looking for sage advice from this brain trust of Wilson owners.


I am in the process of getting a new carry gun, I now carry a Commander frame 1911 which I like but do not love. I had thought I would get a BWC and be done with it but I made the mistake of going to Jackson Armory in Dallas and looking at the ULC and now I can’t make up my mind. I think either would be an excellent decision but is one just slightly better and why?

Both guns have everything I desire so I am looking at what might be the negatives.

The BWC is smaller with one less round and a shorter sight picture.

The ULC is full size and might be a hair harder to conceal, it also has the alloy frame which I have researched extensively but still a little unsure of.

My question is if you were on a budget and could get only one which of these two would you choose? I have also left another option of other, if you pick this please elaborate.

Thank You

[CRT2]

Have you considered the Professional LW with Bobtail. Excellent carry pistol with 4" barrel and full size frame.

[mstusc]

Originally Posted by CRT2

Have you considered the Professional LW with Bobtail. Excellent carry pistol with 4" barrel and full size frame.

That's what I carry - have it in 38 super/9mm and love it!

[Northern 1911]

Personally I just got a U/L and love it after shooting a friends BW Carry I like it even more less recoil not as snappy and ALMOST as concealable. If you wanted the ultimate concealable buy the U/L Compact or the new U/L Professional. WIlson used to offer lightweight frames for the most of their guns not sure if they still do. Either way you can't go wrong

[westwood45]

Originally Posted by DKR

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am looking for sage advice from this brain trust of Wilson owners.


I am in the process of getting a new carry gun, I now carry a Commander frame 1911 which I like but do not love. I had thought I would get a BWC and be done with it but I made the mistake of going to Jackson Armory in Dallas and looking at the ULC and now I can’t make up my mind. I think either would be an excellent decision but is one just slightly better and why?

Both guns have everything I desire so I am looking at what might be the negatives.

The BWC is smaller with one less round and a shorter sight picture.

The ULC is full size and might be a hair harder to conceal, it also has the alloy frame which I have researched extensively but still a little unsure of.

My question is if you were on a budget and could get only one which of these two would you choose? I have also left another option of other, if you pick this please elaborate.

Thank You

What is it about the commander that you don't love? This will help the members here give you better advice on what you might like better.

[DKR]

My current 1911 is a well recognized brand that is very well known for a tight fit. It is the best pistol I have ever owned but I find it lacking in a few areas such a cycling and I’m tired of getting hit in the head with hot brass.

It is on an Officer frame with a Commander slide and the fit in my hand is what I find lacking most, I bought it as a carry weapon but I find myself looking at Wilson’s on a continuing basis, sadly budgetary constraints do not allow for a stable of Wilson’s.

[CRT2]

Originally Posted by DKR

My current 1911 is a well recognized brand that is very well known for a tight fit. It is the best pistol I have ever owned but I find it lacking in a few areas such a cycling and I’m tired of getting hit in the head with hot brass.

It is on an Officer frame with a Commander slide and the fit in my hand is what I find lacking most, I bought it as a carry weapon but I find myself looking at Wilson’s on a continuing basis, sadly budgetary constraints do not allow for a stable of Wilson’s.

With BW Carry you are getting the same size frame as the one you do not care for.

[duck54]

Make a detailed list of the things that you like and don't like with your current weapon. Call Wilson and they will work with you to give you the weapon of your dreams. Of course I am biased a bit, but I did this and am elated with the result.

[westwood45]

DKR,

Based on what you said I think you are going to want a full sized frame; that means either a professional model (full size frame, and 4" barrel) or simply a full sized 1911. Since you are planning on one Wilson at this time I'm going to assume that along with carrying it you will also be shooting it alot. So my suggestion would be go get the standard all steel package (not "ultra-light); it will last longer the be more conformable to shoot.

This is my 2 cents and is why I voted other.

Best of luck to you.

[JesseGPresley]

Have you fiddled with the extractor on your Baer? Hot brass hitting head can be remedied by some extractor tweaking.

[ccijp]

Happy Owner of an Ultra Light. I was going to mention that there is a compact version if you want to go down that road. I had some concerns about alloy as well and I was coming from a Lt. Weight Commander....I resolved those concerns. For me this UL is a perfect balance of the constant compromise juggling. And a dang nice shooter to boot! Good luck.

[DKR]

Originally Posted by JesseGPresley

Have you fiddled with the extractor on your Baer? Hot brass hitting head can be remedied by some extractor tweaking.

This is a great question, when I bought my current 1911 I was amazed at how much better it was that any other pistol I had ever owned.

With that said I had moved into an area of premium production gun builders of which there are but a hand full.

I guess what I’m trying to say is with a premium firearm should I need or have to fiddle with anything. Alas my frustration.

[Racerdj]

Excellent choices but I would at least consider the Professional. I have seem but not fired all three and they are lookers!

[Cowboy1629]

Based on what you said about not liking the officer size frame you should look at a professional. You wont like the Bill Wilson Carry because it has the officer's size frame and is heavier than what you have now since it is all steal. If you like the lightweight of your lightweight commander and it is your primary carry gun you might want to look at an alloy frame professional which is basically the same as what you have but .25" shorter.

[Audiotronics]

sorry to bring this back up, considering buying a Professional or Compact Ultra Light, just wanted to see how all of the alloy frames have held up, fine Im sure and if you own for carry do you like the size of professional or compact , again for carry purpose
thanks

[DKR]

I ended up with a full size ULC and a MS VM 2 which I am really happy with. My first choice would have been the Professional but my dealer had the ULC in stock.

I have had no issues with the gun and really enjoy the alloy when carrying. Personally the full size grip is my preference and I would strongly suggest you shoot or at least handle a compact and a full size frame before purchase.

[Nce]

I have had all 3. up until I stumbled across the bobbed lightweight professional the ULC was my EDC. The bobbed professionals prints less than the round butt ulc and IMO shoots just as well. The difference in slide lengths is noticeable when sitting but not at any other time. The BWC prints the least and and is a very soft shooter considering its size, probably due to it's weight. I have not carried the BWC as I am waiting for an ambi safety for it.

If the main purpose of this gun is concealed carry I would lean towards the BWC or a bobbed professional. That being said. I had 5000+ faultless rounds thru my ulc when I traded it and I only traded it to get the bobbed professional and a tactical Supergrade.

[chrysanthemum]

Glad this had a happy ending for you DKR !!

Either of your candidates is a winner. Personal choices would be the Stealth, Carry Comp, or Compact SG (not necessarily in this order), but all of these are outstanding selections ... can't go wrong with any of them.

[Audiotronics]

thanks for the good input

[cray]

Originally Posted by Audiotronics

sorry to bring this back up, considering buying a Professional or Compact Ultra Light, just wanted to see how all of the alloy frames have held up, fine Im sure and if you own for carry do you like the size of professional or compact , again for carry purpose
thanks

I have a LW Pro, and just checked and have right at 3k through it in less than 2 years. There are no significant signs of wear and it remains tight. It's my goal to shoot it so much, that it wears out prematurely, and then get a new gun from Wilson. But, I'm finding that 1.5k per year probably won't get the job done before I'm too old to enjoy a new gun.

I shoot much more than that each year, but I have other 1911s that are primarily range guns. This class of gun excels when it's carried a lot, and shot enough to insure proficiency and functionality. I prefer steel guns for 5K+ per year range work. Everyone's different ... and lots of practical experience here ... in the end, you have to decide your priorities and choose based on them. Good luck .... regardless what you decide to do, you'll love your Wilson.

Tony

[hodds]

Originally Posted by Audiotronics

sorry to bring this back up, considering buying a Professional or Compact Ultra Light, just wanted to see how all of the alloy frames have held up, fine Im sure and if you own for carry do you like the size of professional or compact , again for carry purpose
thanks

I have an ultra light carry compact if you want to check it out. It is my favorite carry gun!!!