History
In 2016, Bill Wilson decided he wanted to make himself the ultimate carry gun. A legend in the custom 1911 world, Wilson had in-depth knowledge of the platform and knew all its strengths and weaknesses. He redesigned the 1911 to make it ideal for modern carry, creating the EDC X9.
This series 70 4-inch bull-barreled 1911 featured an external extractor and a proprietary double-stack magazine that reduces grip size and increases capacity. The amazing 1911 trigger was kept, but the grip safety was removed.
Does this setup sound familiar? Maybe like the new 2024 Staccato C? Bill Wilson did it eight years earlier.
The EDC X9 was popular and spawned several different variants, among them the SFT9 we’re examining today.
Key Features
The SFT9 modifies the original X9 in two ways. First, it adopts the Wilson Combat Solid Frame concept from the SFX9. Basically, to reduce the grip size even further, the grip panels were removed, making the frame a solid, one-piece aluminum design.
Secondly, the SFT9 returned to some of the classic features of a 1911. These include a bushing barrel, internal extractor, Commander-length 4.25-inch barrel, round slide, and traditional pattern serrations, all of which appeal to nostalgic 1911 enthusiasts that love the classic features.
The first thing I noticed about this gun was the striking look. It has the feel of something modern and a classic. The DLC slide makes it stand out and is just beautiful, but also extremely resistant to wear.
In hand, the fit and finish is what you would expect from a high-end custom shop like Wilson Combat. The action is smooth. The slide-to-frame fit is tight, and the barrel lockup is good. The single-action trigger is crisp and breaks at around 4 pounds by design, because this is supposed to be a carry pistol.
Solid Grip Frame
The grip is the real standout feature, though. For a double-stack 1911, it is incredibly thin and short. It’s about the same feel as a SIG XMacro and is easy to conceal. I believe it has an overall smaller grip than the Staccato CS.
The grip texture is Wilson Combat’s TRAK pattern and is what the “T” in the SFT9 model name denotes. It’s excellent – just aggressive enough to secure your hand but not so rough as to abrade your body when you wear it against your skin. The gun feels natural in the hand.
Specs
Here are some basic specs for the SFT9:
- Caliber: 9mm
- Magazine Capacity: 15 rounds
- Barrel Length: 4.25 inches
- Overall Length: 7.85 inches
- Sight Radius: 5.95 inches
- Height: 5.25 inches
- Width: 1.15 inches
- Weight Empty: 29.8 ounces
- Weight Loaded: 36.5 ounces
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Accuracy Guarantee: 1.5 inches at 25 yards
On the Range
Shooting the SFT9 feels great. The recoil impulse is very controllable for such a small gun. It transitions well from target to target, and follow-up shots are easy. I think the grip is even better than on a traditional 1911.
This Certified Used gun came with a factory optics cut, which I appreciate because I prefer red dots. I don’t know why the previous owner put on a low-end optic on a $3,000-plus gun, but it worked fine.
Accuracy was fantastic, and I shot some outstanding groups at 15 yards.
Reliability
I did run into some functioning problems, as the SFT9 did not like my cheap Wolf ammo. The slide moved sluggishly, as if a recoil spring needed to be replaced, but I believe it was because the original owner replaced the recoil spring.
Normally, Wilson Combat uses a premium flat wire recoil spring that vastly increases the service life of the spring, but the spring in this gun is a traditional round wire. I’m guessing the original owner switched the spring to reduce felt recoil on the load he was shooting, but that makes it less reliable with different ammunition. The problem with testing used guns is that you never know the history of a firearm.
Either way, upon inspection, the gun’s inner workings looked fine, and a little bit of maintenance would fix it right up. Also, Wilson Combat has a fantastic reputation, and I’m sure the company would do whatever is necessary to get it running well.
Wrapping Up
