Bill Wilson's New Blaster

I've been meaning to post this, but my friend Charles Riggs over at Bloggo did a better job, so I'm just cribbing his:

So Bill is running a contest on their web site where you can suggest a name for the pistol and if your entry is selected you win one. Such a deal!

When I first found out about this I contacted Bill to get more info about the gun, since there weren't any specs on the web page, just a nice photo of what appeared to be a slick polymer 1911. I was curious to know if it was intended as a replacement for the KZ45 polymer framed .45 ACP that they sell. I reviewed a KZ45 a few years ago in an article in a Harris magazines publication. I took it with me to Gunsite for the GAS (Gunsite alumni shoot) and I liked it so much that I bought it after the review was done. While I was very positive about the one that I T&E'd, the gun hasn't been a big seller for Wilson Combat and has received mixed reviews in various quarters. It's a shame, because despite being a double stack it fits my hand well, more like a Browning Hi-Power than a 1911. 

It's also lightweight and gives you 10+1 rounds in the gun while incorporating all the major attributes of the classic 1911 platform in the design. If the one you have runs right, it's a fine pistol.

So the question was, is this the gun to replace the KZ45? I fired off a quick email and these are the answers that I got back from Bill.

First, it's a double stack pistol but it's chambered in 9X19mm, not .45 ACP. It has a magazine that's a completely new design and has a capacity of 17 rounds. The slide is narrower and lighter than a traditional 1911. The lock-up barrel-to-slide is like that of a Sig, but it retains the swinging link of the 1911 design. The frame is a new design and is made in the USA, unlike the KZ45 which is made under contract for Wilson Combat in the Republic of South Africa. (I forgot to ask whether this one is made of Kevlar and Zytel like the KZ45 is, so I'll have to get back to you on that.) The frame is smaller in diameter than the KZ45, which should make the folks who like slim guns happy.

Read the whole thing. Go to Bill's website to come up with a name for the new blaster. I always liked the KZ45...I thought it shot a lot better than people gave it credit for. His ADP is the absolute best of the breed little 9mm.

I think I would call the little gun Alice. Like "through the looking glass..."

And that is why I don't name guns!