Wilson Combat's new, fully-featured Protector series

For shooters who just want “the works” from Wilson Combat. (Photo: Wilson)

Wilson Combat has just announced the new Protector series, a high-end set of railed 1911s for everyday carry in 9mm Luger and .45 ACP. Wilson’s launching with three Protector models in their Full-Size, Professional and Compact configurations.

The Protector series is semi-custom, bringing a host of modern updates to the platform, offered with the choice of stainless steel or alloy aluminum frames. The Protector series includes a lot of the most popular Wilson Combat upgrades and is tailored for shooters looking for something with “the works.”

Wilson’s Full-Size configuration is a standard Government profile, while the Professional is a full-size grip with a 4-inch slide and shortened dust cover. The Compact is a 4-inch slide with a compact-length grip.

As you’d expect from Wilson Combat, the Protector series is loaded with features from top to bottom, equipped with their in-house Battlesights with a green fiber-optic sight up front, narrow cut forward and rear slide serrations, a countersunk slide stop, recessed crowned, fluted bull barrel, fluted chamber, custom grips and flared, extended Bullet Proof magwell. The magwell is their round butt design for enhanced concealability.

The Protector series includes some fairly standard Wilson tweaks including fine, 30 line-per-inch checkering on the frontstrap and mainspring housing, a tuned 3- to 3.5-pound trigger and serrated topstrap and slide rear to eliminate glare.

All three models are offered in 9mm and .45 including the Compact Protector, although the Compact is only offered with the lighter alloy frame. All frame options are railed for accessories like laser sights and weaponlights.

In 9mm the full-size grip models have an 10+1 capacity and 8+1 in .45 while the shorter grip model is down two to 8+1 in 9mm and 6+1 in .45. The full-size Protector weight just over 40 ounces with the stainless frame and 36 ounces with the alloy frame. The Professional is a little lighter at 37.5 ounces steel and 28.5 ounces alloy and the Compact is the lightest by a hair at 28.2 ounces.

These guns are made to order and of course some things can be tweaked on request, including different sight options and slide serration configurations. The base price of the Protector series is $3,875 in .45 and a little more at $3,985.

For many shooters, those prices would put the new Protector series out of their price range, however, Wilson Combat’s new payments plans make these guns much more accessible to shooters. Wilson Combat has introduced a financing package that lets people make payments on custom guns worth up to $5,000.