New CQB/with NHC and Brown

[SVTNate]

I have received the first of three Wilson Combat 1911's that I have purchased. This particular gun, a new production CQB, is the only one of the 3 that is "off the shelf".

I put that in quotes, because it is a well optioned gun - but spec'ed by my friend and enabler George Talia at Gunslingers in Michigan. Not by myself, like the other CQB and Professional that I have on order currently.

This particular CQB was completed in January 2013.

This gun was spec'ed with the following options -

WILSON COMBAT CQB 5 INCH 45 ACP
Bull Barrel
Black Armor Tuff
Omit Slide Markings
Keep Wilson Combat logo at rear of slide
"Wilson Combat" on dust cover, in script
Omit front cocking serrations
Flush cut/Reverse Barrel Crown
Flat wire spring upgrade
Speed chute magwell
Counter sunk slide stop
Gold bead front sight
Ball endmill cuts
Bullet Proof tactical thumb safety
Bullet Proof beavertail grip safety
Hex head grip screws, black Armor Tuff
Black G10 grips with medallions, flat bottom for magwell

These pics are oily, straight from the packaging. I didn't think to wipe the gun down first.



Bull barrel reverse crown. Looks nice.





Personally I would have opted for heavy machine chamfer on the bottom of the slide, and a medium length solid trigger in black... but otherwise this is nearly perfect for my tastes.

[SVTNate]

Initial thoughts on some other items...

1. Wilson Combat includes two of their very nice 8-round ETM mags with the gun. Ed Brown gives you one 7 round mag, and Nighthawk gives you a couple mags but they are mix/match mags. One is blue, one is stainless. It seems a little ghetto to me.

2. Wilson Combat has the best packaging. All 3 brands ship the gun in a high quality nylon range bag, but Wilson's is the biggest with the most pockets and even stitched-in mag storage for 7 mags under the front Velcro flap. The gun ships with a DVD (I haven't watched it), and even a sheet you can mail in for a complimentary 1-year membership to the NRA. I will be taking advantage of this, in fact I've already filled out the form and put it in an envelope. Thanks, Wilson Combat!

a) I have not shot the Wilson yet. It may be the best gun in the world, or a total POS. These are my impressions of design, detail, quality, etc. handling the guns side by side.

b) I have shot the Brown (actually I own four of them) and the Nighthawk. They run very, very well. I would trust any one of them as a defensive weapon.

[SVTNate]

SLIDE TO FRAME FIT - This is what most 1911 n00bs focus on, because it's very easy to get a grasp of what that interface should be like. Of course there is zero play in any of these guns, and all operate butter-smooth. It's difficult to really say there is a winner here.

FINISH EDGES, BEVEL EDGES - Wilson Combat is the winner. Even, sharp, tastefully done bevel surfaces all over the gun. The Nighthawk and Ed Brown are nicely done, but put next to the Wilson you can see the difference. I wish I had a real camera to show you guys what I'm talking about. The "stepped" bevel lines on the dust cover are superior, and in other areas of the gun you notice these details.

TRIGGER - Tough. Wilson is the best on dry fire. It is the lightest, with the smoothest take up. The Nighthawk has a shorter takeup, but it's a bit gritty by comparison. Again, if you didn't have all 3 next to each other, you'd be impressed with any of them. We are splitting hairs here.

HAND CONTROLS - Wilson, again. Their Bullet Proof parts (and this gun is full Bullet Proof) are top notch. They feel great, and are blended/fit to operate and feel perfectly. It's tough to see, but the way the frame tangs blend into the Wilson beavertail (as viewed from either side of the gun) is a nice taper and very elegant. Superior to the other two in this regard. The Nighthawk thumb safety at the bottom, where it meets the beavertail/frame tangs, is not perfectly blended to run along the contour of the frame. The other two guns are better in this regard. The Nighthawk thumb safety is too large for my tastes, as is the slide stop lever pad. They feel like copies of the Wilson parts, machined and fitted well, but without that eye for detail and elegance. Again, we are splitting hairs. I compare these two guns because of the relationship between the companies, and the parts are closer in design than the more traditionally styled Ed Brown. The Wilson mag release is Bullet Proof of course, and longer than the other two. I like it. NOTE - my other two Wilsons on order will feature the Bullet Proof MSH/magwell. This gun has their standard 2-piece design, which is nice and blended perfectly to the frame.

FINISH - The Nighthawk's Diamond Black finish is perfectly applied, very smooth, just excellent. Oil always shows through the gun though, and never looks "clean". Ed Brown's Gen 3 finish is nice, smooth and evenly applied, as is Wilson's newest matte Armor Tuff. However, the Armor Tuff reflects less light, and is more "matte". I prefer it to Gen 3, but the Diamond Black on the Nighthawk is a very expensive and now-discontinued finish that I happen to think is the best of the three. Armor-Tuff has improved quite a bit though, and it's a close call. I really, really like Armor-Tuff these days, as all colors are darker and more matte than before. They are also perfectly applied, which cannot be said for the old version of Armor-Tuff. I had a CQB circa 2004 and the Armor-Tuff back then was not nearly as nice as it is today. Nice job, Wilson Combat.

IS WILSON COMBAT THE BEST OF THE BUNCH?

Yes. All three have high levels of fit and finish, reliability, accuracy, etc. To say one is "best" you really do have to put them side by side and spend 20-30 minutes looking at all the little details. Is this important? If you say "no", maybe a Les Baer is for you. A nice 1911 that is reliable, accurate, tightly fitted, and shoots great - without all the fit/finish at a much reduced price. If you want to appreciate all those hand crafted details, then in my opinion the Wilson Combat is best and worth the small premium over Nighthawk (and slightly larger premium over Ed Brown). It really is a little bit better in several areas.

Now of course this is all based on finger f'ing these guns, as I haven't shot the Wilson yet. That said, I am very happy with the gun and from here on out all of my 1911's will likely be Wilson Combat.

[SVTNate]

I will say that for a traditionally styled 1911, the Ed Brown is great. I like Ed Brown 1911's very much. I will keep the Special Forces pictured here, and a matte stainless Kobra that I love. They feel great, and are nicely put together.

The Nighthawk is a very good gun. It is well made, shoots great, reliable, I honestly have no complaints. That said, I'm selling it.

Why? To fund more Wilsons.

See, here is the problem with Nighthawk. They are born of Wilson employees, so the feel, small parts, overall look is very similar. Ed Brown kind of does their own thing. My Nighthawk, while a great gun, feels like a 95% copy of the CQB. The thumb safety, the slide lock lever, they are similar in quality and feel just a little too wide, not quite as nicely contoured and fitted. It's nice, but in my left hand with a new CQB in the right hand it's tough to feel any love for the Nighthawk. It's better than almost any gun out there, it really is, but it's trying to be a Wilson Combat and just isn't quite there. And that's just impressed on the feel and look of the gun - even NHC fans will probably admit that Wilson's service is the best around, and the packaging is just best in the businesses... I don't really care but coming with the *best* mags and in the *best* travel bag/range bag is pretty cool. They just add to the overall favorable impression I get from the CQB.

And again, let's put this into perspective. We are making mountains out of molehills here. All 3 are great guns, and the small differences can really only be appreciated when you have 20-30 minutes to sit down with the guns and compare them with a highly critical eye. I never found the takeup on the Nighthawk's trigger to be "gritty" until I dry fired it half a second after the CQB that was in my other hand. Let's remember that a lot of those boils down to my personal opinion, and to a lesser degree the particular 3 examples shown above.

What I want to finish with is this - Wilson Combat has made noticeable strides to improve the quality of their products. I owned a CQB many years ago, and this 2013 gun is so much nicer. I'm really happy with the level of refinement and attention to detail here. Nice job, Wilson Combat... nice job.

I will report back after the break-in range session.

[JimF4M1s]

Good report. Now sit back and have a couple glasses of Scotch.

[JMWilliams]

nice review...what year was your nighthawk made?

[hitteam]

Very nice.

[SVTNate]

I would have to double check, but I think the NHC was built in late 2011 or early 2012.

[Birdy]

Very interesting and detailled report. Thank you!

A side note: if you buy a Brown with a Maxi-well, it's not going to be blended to the frame.

[shadow77phl]

Dang Nate, you have an impeccable taste in firearms! and obviously the means to make the intangible tangible!

[WilsonCombatRep]

Thanks for the insightful review.

[locsmb]

Originally Posted by WilsonCombatRep

Thanks for the insightful review.

+1

Helps put some perspective and I agree that the fine details while there to be discerned can very much be so fine as to be splitting hairs. I appreciate it nonetheless as gives folks like me who are just beginning their collection, and don't have chance to have their hands on a wide assortment due to their rarity in my neck of the woods, the opportunity to make decisions on what to buy.

[freq18hz]

Well in my case, I had to purchase examples from each of the big three. I think Brown makes a very nice 1911. Very nice. I don't think they sit in the same class as a Wilson though. Wilson's are all about the nuanced details, until you shoot one. When you field strip it for cleaning, and realize that it shoots even better than it looks, and that the best part of the fit and finish is on the inside of the gun, you'll wonder why you own anything but a Wilson. It sounds cheesy, and folks that haven't owned all three are skeptical like I was...but it's so true.

Hell I have even thought about buying another CQB full size just to sit in my safe as a collectors item.

-Freq

[66Park]

In my opinion, if one is going to spend as much as any of these guns cost, the details are very important. If you know what you are looking at, you can see how the quality and fit of the parts, the nice, straight lines of the frame, and overall meticulous attention to small details that Wilson pays attention to add up to a much nicer gun. This, combined with the options available, greatly contributed to my decision to order one.

[Merkey]

Great review! Cant wait to see what you think after you shoot it.

[gunluver]

Thanks for the insightful report!
Basically echoes my experience (although much more limited). My shooting buddy was very happy with his Kimbers and Springfield and couldn't understand why I would want to spend so much money on a Wilson......until I got it. Then a lightbulb went on for him and he rushed out and bought a Nighthawk. His Nighthawk is a very nice gun, but as we compared closely with my Wilson we came to the same conclusion. As nice as it is, it falls just short of the Wilson. Things you see when you really compare side by side.
That being said, I still would like a Briwn and Baer in my stable to go along with my Wilson, and more Wilson's to come!

[scw2]

SVTNate,

That is a beautiful new Wilson. I really liked the way George spec'd the gun out,,,lots of nice touches.

Thanks also for the reviews.

Craig

[RCND82]

Clearly, Wilson Combat .......... unless, of course, you want to shoot suppressed, then AAC Nighthawk.......

RCND82

[TX4t5fan]

Originally Posted by freq18hz

Well in my case, I had to purchase examples from each of the big three. I think Brown makes a very nice 1911. Very nice. I don't think they sit in the same class as a Wilson though. Wilson's are all about the nuanced details, until you shoot one. When you field strip it for cleaning, and realize that it shoots even better than it looks, and that the best part of the fit and finish is on the inside of the gun, you'll wonder why you own anything but a Wilson. It sounds cheesy, and folks that haven't owned all three are skeptical like I was...but it's so true.
-Freq

Ditto...
Ditto...
Ditto...

[TRSOtto]

As an owner of all 3 as well, I would agree with the OP's assessment in every area except 1. I ain't sellin my NHC.

[AlchemyCustom]

I have to say after working on every one of them many times and being able to get all their clothes off, take measurements, and compare fitment...I like them all. If you have to buy only one, you won't be disappointed in any of them.

[Grandpas50AE]

SVTNate, thanks for taking the time to evaluate the differences, and then the time to post them. It was because of comparative reviews like this one that helped me make my decision last August to order a Wilson as my first high-end 1911. I did a lot of reading and research, as this price point would suggest, and the efforts of folks like you to help the rest of us make well-informed decisions is greatly apperciated.

Oh, and very nice CQB.

[BYJO4]

Nice report and I agree on Wilson being at the top.

[1toughdog]

Great review, thanks for your effort and all the super information!

[William R Clark]

Very Nice Report On Three Fine Handguns

Thanks Bill