Re: Wilson Spec-Ops 9
I shot the Spec-Ops 9 last week for the first time. Shoots as good as it looks. Very accurate. Polymer composite grip size felt a tiny bit larger than a single stack 1911, but fit my smaller hand just fine, especially considering there are (16) 9mm rounds in the clip. The texture and ribbing gave me excellent control without any discomfort like some stock grips.
I shot nearly as well as the impressive target that came with the gun in my first outing. The reduced recoil on this 9mm makes for improved accuracy for me, and probably others as well. The trigger is excellent, as all Wilson 1911's are, that I have shot. The slimmer rail on this redesigned Spec-Ops 9mm, looks and feels great. It was redesigned from the previous KZ-9mm.
The size, length, balance, and weight felt perfect for the 9, movement to target was smooth and fast, and I liked the shorter 4.5" barrel and the tritium sights. Because of the successful slide redesign, the gun does not feel like a 1911 .45acp with a retrofitted 9mm barrel. The redesign from the ground up was very smart, and worth the wait,....and ultimately the price. The only down side to all this redesign from scratch, and the thoughtful improvements by Wilson, is that Wilsons' cost to bring this gun to market obviously came at a price. Re-tooling is very expensive, ESPECIALLY when it is done right, and done right here in the USA. Several folks have complained at the $1,995 list price. (plus another $28.00 if you want the ambi-safety for weak-hand shooting which I recommend). We all hoped (me included) that it would be around the same price as the KZ-9mm, ~$1,500, maybe $1,600 at most. The additional $400.00 to $500.00 was a little painful at first, HOWEVER, after admiring the workmanship and then firing the first 300 rounds through the gun, I forgot all about the price. Most of the guns that folks are trying to compare to this "expensive" 1911 9mm Wilson, are not custom hand made in the US of A. Someone told me they would rather have 4 Glocks for this price if they wanted a polymer handgun. Everyone is different,.....if someone gave me 4 Glocks, I would sell them and buy this Wilson 9mm. (since I already have one of Wilsons 45's.)
I submitted "Surgical Defense 1911-9" for it's new name. I thought for sure I was going to win that free gun with that name. I still like my name better than Spec-Ops 9, but apparently Bill Wilson did not agree with me. Too bad for me. Without a picatinny light rail, this gun will most likely not see Special Ops work as many of you have stated, but I prefer to hand-hold something like a Surefire E2D LED Defender flashlight (200 lumens!) when cleaning a room anyway.
As for holsters, this 1911 Spec-Ops 9mm fit all 4 of my 1911 holsters perfect! My favorite holster for this gun is a BLACKHAWK.com (made in Italy) leather holster Model; Compact Askins Leather Concealment Colt Gov't/Comm Size 01 that I purchased from Wholesale Sports in Oregon for $60.00.
It is a very nice soft Italian leather that fits the Spec-Ops 9 as if I had sent them the gun for 2 weeks to design a holster. And, even though my KZ-45acp has a slightly wider slide, this holster also fits that gun like a glove.
I am also enjoying the less expensive 9mm ammo while still shooting with a single action 1911 gun using the same muscle memory as my 1911 45acp's.
