Wilson Combat Protector 1911

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 Protector was a full-size 1911 in Wilson's lineup, model number PTR-FS-45. Wilson no longer makes it.

It's chambered in .45 ACP with a 5-inch stainless match-grade barrel, and it holds eight rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber. It's built entirely of stainless steel, with an overall length of about 8.7 inches and a weight of about 39 ounces.

The Protector was set up as a practical carry and duty pistol. It has 3-dot tritium night sights, a Bullet Proof ambidextrous thumb safety, a 30 lines-per-inch checkered front strap and cocking serrations on the front and rear of the slide. It also has a full-length guide rod, Wilson's blended Speed-Chute magazine well and a full dehorn, so the edges won't catch on clothing or hands.

The grips are G10 in Wilson's Starburst pattern, though some California-compliant units were sold with cocobolo wood grips instead. It shipped with two 8-round magazines.

One naming point matters. In 2019 Wilson reused the Protector name for a line of AR-pattern rifles and pistols, and there was also a separate Protector Elite 1911. This is the original full-size Protector 1911.

If you want a stainless Wilson 1911 with night sights and an ambidextrous safety, built for carry rather than competition, the Protector is a solid choice that's no longer made new.