Wilson Combat eXperior Compact Lightweight

Wilson Combat traces back to 1977 in Berryville, Arkansas, when Bill Wilson, who trained as a watchmaker, started building custom 1911s. Every Wilson 1911 uses the company's Bullet Proof parts, machined from bar stock or forgings rather than cast or MIM parts. The eXperior line is Wilson's most fully optioned series, and the eXperior Compact Lightweight is the lighter-framed version of the eXperior Compact.

The rest of the package follows the eXperior Compact. It's offered in .45 ACP or 9mm with a 4-inch stainless match-grade cone barrel that's fluted, with a fluted chamber. The slide is carbon steel, and the frame has Wilson's WAVE cut rails, a high-grip modification and a Bullet Proof round-butt magazine well. It measures 7.6 inches long.

Wilson's TRAK texture covers the frontstrap and mainspring housing, with black G10 TRAK grips and pewter medallions. The slide has 30 lines-per-inch top serrations, wide cocking serrations, carry cuts, ball endmill cuts and a heavy chamfer. The sights pair Wilson's Battlesight with a red fiber optic front, and the trigger breaks at 3.5 to 4.5 pounds.

The appeal of a lightweight frame is simple: the same compact 1911, with less weight on your belt all day. For someone who carries daily, that difference adds up.

If you like the eXperior Compact but want it lighter for carry, this is the version to choose. It keeps the full eXperior feature set in a package that's easier to wear all day.