Top-End Custom 1911s Sell Fast

posted on August 26, 2011
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ii2015_fs.jpg (3)

From our Go Figure Department comes word of record-setting sales in the most expensive custom pistols offered by legendary 1911 customizer Wilson Combat. “We’re back-ordered more than we’ve ever been,” founder Bill Wilson told the Insider. “It’s not our $2,000 guns that are selling, it’s our top-of-the-line $4,000 models like the Super Grade.”

It seems counter-intuitive that high-end custom handguns are in such high demand given the tempo of our economy, however, Wilson has a logical explanation. “Our customer base wants quality. Our typical customer might only buy one new gun a year, but when he does, he wants the very best,” the Arkansas-based entrepreneur said.

Bill added that the Wilson Combat custom line of AR rifles is also moving briskly. “We can’t keep up with those, either. It’s the same thing—our customer wants the best and is willing to pay for it.”

Fueling the desire to own high-quality guns might be caused by a demand for tangible investment instruments, which is pushing gold and silver to record highs. “People are scared,” Bill added. “They’ve seen their paper investments go to nothing while gold has risen. Guns are the same.”

Indeed, according to The S&A Digest—an investment newsletter—the stock of Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR) has out-paced gold for three-month, six-month, one-year, three-year and five-year periods. Ruger stock is up over 130 percent so far in 2011, a greater rise than gold itself.

High-grade guns like Wilson Combat custom 1911s and ARs hold their value just like precious metals, collectible art or vintage automobiles—stuff has value, paper does not.

Latest

Is 2025
Is 2025

Firearm Industry Companies Consolidate, Others Close Doors In 2025

This year has already seen some big changes in the firearm industry. They don’t quite reach the tectonic shift in 2020, when legendary firms owned by Remington Outdoor were auctioned off, but there have still been some notable shifts within the industry in 2025.

Preview: Uni-Loader

The easy-to-use Uni-Loader can save high-volume shooters a lot of time and finger pain.

CZ 600+ Introduces Switch-Barrel Capability

In 2025, CZ USA expanded its 600 series rifle lineup with the CZ 600+, a design that delivers on the company's promise of a switch-barrel platform.

Preview: Savior Equipment Specialist Double Rifle Case

The Specialist Double Rifle Case from Savior Equipment is, as its name suggests, a rifle bag capable of carrying a pair of longarms simultaneously ...

Gun Of The Week: Traditions Outfitter G3 Pro

Join American Rifleman staff in this video to get a close look at a single-shot rifle design oriented toward today’s modern hunter, particularly those in states where straight-wall cartridges have been legalized for hunting.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 12, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.