Wilson Combat P1
The first Division 77 gun.
I don’t usually bring review guns to deer camp unless I plan to deer hunt with them. However, Wilson Combat’s new pistol, which is the first firearm from their Division 77 line of guns, arrived at my dealer the day before I left for deer camp. This is only the second P1 to leave the Wilson Combat factory, and after I mounted a Trijicon RMR, I was so impressed with it, I threw it and some ammo in the truck.
Division 77 firearms from Wilson Combat are only offered in limited quantities and they are engineered to push the boundaries set by anything comparably available, and anything Wilson Combat has produced before. The number “77” comes from when Bill Wilson started customizing 1911 pistols in 1977, which is when the Wilson Combat legacy began.
The P1 is only available in 9mm and comes with three 18-round magazines. It has a five-inch barrel and an overall length of 8.7 inches. Empty, it only weighs 33 ounces and fully loaded it tips the scales at only 41 ounces. By comparison, a fully loaded G34 Gen5 MOS, with a fully loaded magazine containing 17 rounds, weighs 34.5 ounces. But, the shooter interface, function, and feel of the P1 far outclasses the G34, in your hand and on the target. The P1 comes with an accuracy guarantee of one-inch at 25 yards.
For some more detail, the P1 has an Aluminum X-frame with reliability enhanced frame rails and an accessory rail. The front and back strap have the Wilson Combat TRAK Texture, and the pistol has black G10 TRAK starburst grips with black medallions. The flat trigger is nothing short of phenomenal and breaks between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds with no drag or creep, and the reset is unbelievably short. To house those 18 round magazines and make them easy to insert, the P1 has a new and integral Project 1 magwell.
The slide is stainless steel with a tri-top contour and unique cocking serrations. It also has an external extractor. Now, here is where things get really cool. The slide has an optics cut and the cover is fitted with a Wilson Combat Battlesight rear sight. But when you remover this cover the slide is machined to work with a wide variety of reflex sight footprints, which is possible through Wilson Combat’s Project 1 pin technology.
Other features include a 5-inch stainless steel bull barrel with a reliability enhancing lockup and a flush cut. The barrel and slide are ported and the pistol delivers a surprising 42% reduction in recoil. You can put this pistol on target and just hammer the hell out of it with minimal muzzle rise — it’s like shooting a 380 Auto.
The P1 also has a fluted chamber and barrel, 30 lpi slide top serrations and 40 lpi serrations on the rear of the slide. It is finished in black Armor-tuff with a copper PVD barrel, barrel link, barrel link pin, slide stop, magazine release, grip screws, and ambidextrous thumb safety. Of course the bad news is that Wilson Combat is not giving the P1 away, and they are only offered in limited quantities. Its also priced like you would expect perfection to be priced. The P1 is $3995 and if you get the very cool metal gun box — which is just as cool as this pistol — it’ll set you back another 300 bucks.
So what is the P1 for? Clearly for shooting a lot of ammo in a short time period. But as for the exact application, let me relay a story. Sometime back I was training at TacPro with Bill Davison. Bill spent 14 years with the British Special Forces and for a time his England based Compnay — made up of former special forces personnel — specialized in VIP protection for heads of state and ruling families. Bill told me he once got into a gun battle during a protection assignment and he was armed with a single stack 1911. Afterwards, he traded up to a Browning HiPower because he realized he needed a higher capacity pistol. Another incident proved that 13 rounds was not enough either, so he had a double-stack 1911 built.
The P1 might be a bit large for some folks for everyday carry, but it is not under capacity. The pistol, especially with its three magazines, should get you through just about any scenario you might imagine — counting the one in the chamber that’s 55 rounds. Whether it be the end of times, mass rioting, a military invasion, or a zombi apocalypse, the P1 is ready to deal out life changing projectiles with speed and precision. Once you start pulling this pistol’s trigger, its hard to stop. It kind of reminds me of that potato chip commercial that says you can’t eat just one.
This pistol might not be for everyone, and everyone cannot afford a P1. But, if this is the type gun you like, I’d strongly urge you to not settle for a similar — lesser — pistol. (It’s always a good idea to limit life regrets, whether it be with guns, friends, or women.) Put one on layaway, start pinching pennies, layoff the pay-per view UFC fights, and quit drinking five-dollar coffees. And in about 12 months, a P1 will be yours.
December 11, 2024 UPDATE
It’s still cold here, it’s still snowing, and the wind is still blowing. However, today I shot this pistol without the reflex sight — with the supplied fixed sight — and I’ve got to say I like it even more now. There’s something about having 19 rounds in a carry gun that’ll hit a quarter at 25 yards that’s very comforting. The above photo is also very indicative of how well the ports work to control muzzle rise. Notice, the empty is in the air and the gun is already steady and back on target.
A full review of the WilsonCombat Division 77 P1 is coming in Gun Digest.
Wow! That’s a helluva pistol.