Wilson Combat has long been known for its custom work within the 1911 world, but the company has branched out into other designs, including developing some of its own, such as the X9 series of guns. One of Wilson's latest in-house creations is the Bulwark, which is featured in our latest "Gun of the Week" episode above.
"Wilson, you know, they're known for admittedly, some pretty high-end custom style of guns. They, you know, they do a lot of really great different projects in the custom gun marketplace, but those can be inaccessible for some folks," American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. "So the Bulwark was designed to be a little bit more of an accessible platform that still packed in a lot of features that Wilson Combat is known for. So to start with, one of the things you'll notice is the profile of this kind of fits your, you know, typical striker-fired, polymer-frame, semi-auto that you see today. But this is none of those things."
Instead of a striker-fired arrangement, the Wilson Combat Bulwark uses an internal hammer-fired operating system, which allows for a cleaner, more crisp trigger pull compared to most striker-fired guns on the market. Another standout feature is the use of an aluminum grip frame rather than the popular polymer grip frame used on most handguns of this size and type.
"There are a lot of folks out there that, they prefer something that has a little more meat to it, a little more weight to it. They want metal, and this is all metal," Brune said. "Now, what that means, though, is it is a little heavier than some of your polymer-framed guns. This is about 33 ounces, unloaded, which is a little on the heavy side, but not unreasonable for a carry-oriented firearm."
The Bulwark is equipped with a 4-inch barrel and is chambered for 9 mm Luger. It uses a grip safety, as well as a bladed trigger safety, and the design accepts Wilson's X9 series of magazines. The external profile of the Bulwark also means it will fit in most holsters designed for the Glock 19.
"You know, you really do have to try the trigger on this thing," Brune said. "It is really nice, which is something that Wilson Combat’s known for."
For more details on the Wilson Combat Bulwark, visit the Wilson Combat website here.
