Les Baer or Wilson

N

Nifer

New member
I have sold off another chunk of my baseball card collection, and am in the market for a new gun(s). I am still debating between getting 2 or 3 lower priced (but not inferior quality)handguns or getting a nice custom 1911. I have really liked the Wilson's for a long time, but haven't really heard about Les Baer until the last year or so. I know both produce high quality products, but which one tends to hold the edge in $ value for what you get? Which one tends to have the upper hand on fit/finish?
Also, I know that Wilson prides itself on the best customer service in the industry, and was wanting to know how Les Baer's policy compared?
For now, I am leaning to the Wilson KZ45, mainly due to cost. I could spend more and get a CQB or Protector, but don't really want to drop that much cash on a handgun at this time. I really do want a custom 1911, so I will probably end up forking over teh cash to get one.
Also, any opinions or comments on the KZ45? I only know of one person who had one, and he absolutely loved it. He only sold it because a really close friend of his wanted it so bad. How do the KZ45s hold up in terms of longevity and reliability? Is it safe to say that if you fork over the money for a firearm that has the Baer or Wilson name stamped on it, that you simply can't go wrong?

JR
 
If you want to know about Baer support, call him. He is usually in his office late in the day (after 3:30 central time) and I have found him to be very open and friendly. I have 3 baer's and would not hesitate to buy a 4th. Excellent guns and extremely accurate. Especially ones with his 1.5" at 50 yard guarantee. My 10mm heavyweight monolith will easily go 1&1/4 inches at 50 yards with good ammo and a Ransom rest with someone who knows how to use it (not me!).
 
Baer may be slipping further down my list because of the complaints of poor customer service. When a maker is dropped from the pistol guild because of customer service, it immediately throws up a black flag in my mind. While their good pistols may be better then Wilson (ever so slightly) in the fit/finish department, Wilson will bend over backwards and drop what they are working on to fix it and make it right if you are not satisified. That just may make it worth it to me...
That being said, I am not ruling out Les Baer yet, I still need to do some more reading on the subject.

JR
 
No complaints from here.

Several Les Baers, TRSs. Sent one back over summer (operator error [big time]--do not ask). Fairly quick turnaround time (that's why you have one than one), but the good smiths are always busy so a wait does not distress me. In fact, I use the waiting as an excuse to buy more guns.

The CQBs I've seen hold up better through shooting and handling. The blue on the TRS wears, but since the guns go to those that know (excepting me) they are taken care of.

My Christmas wish is victory in our war, but a close second is a stainless TRS (holding breath now).
 
"I have sold off another chunk of my baseball card collection, and am in the market for a new [Les Baer or Wilson]."
Click to expand...

Boy, I obviously had the wrong hobbies as a child! :eek:
 
Tamera,

The majority of my collection was simply pure luck. I never did much buying of single cards, but was extremely lucky in pulling out valuable cards from packs. I never would have gotten autographed cards by Jordan or OJ Simpson or Dan Marino any other way.

My other hobby (besides firearms) is collecting knives. I have lost money on some and have made a massive profit at other times. I definately need some cheaper hobbies then any I have invested in.

Also, I recently had 6 football tickets to the Big 12 conference championship game, and when Nebreaska and OU lost, all the people going with me backed out... so I posted them on eBay for below face value just to get my money back and ended up making a $300 profit. I guess you just get lucky sometimes.

Anyways, I am still keeping all my options open as to what firearm will be my next purchase. I had sent in payment on a Glock over a month ago, and the deal fell through and I will be getting that cash back... the baseball card sells just helped push me over the top of the money to spend list.

JR
 
Preface: I've never owned or seen either one, and the general consensus is that both are extremely good.

Between the two, It seems that Wilson Combat has better customer service and gears their guns more towards reliability than sheer accuracy (1" at 25 yards is their typical guarantee). On the other hand, Baer builds tighter guns and will guarantee them for 1.5" at 50 yards for a few hundred bucks extra.

The semi-custom guns are generally superb, and if you get a standard model the wait for one won't be so long. On the other hand, it is worth considering having a reputable custom shop modify a base gun to your specifications. As long as you don't go overboard with extra hoo-has either a semi-custom or custom piece can be had for ~$1,500 and performance will probably be comparable. Of course, having somebody like Dane Burns work on your gun will probably entail a longer wait.

Choosing between the two I'd probably go with a Wilson Combat.
 
Easy...NEITHER!

If cost was not an issue, then I would consider one of these two.

However, as cost is an issue with you (and me too for that matter) I would buy a Kimber (I did!).

I would rather have my Kimber and one or two other guns than the Wilson or Baer alone.

My Kimbers have been utterly reliable, durable, and accurate, and the only thing I have changed are the grips.

I would recommend a base model rather than a Custom Shop model as they are just as good and you are not wasting money on needless extras. My two favorite Kimbers are the Classic Stainless full-size and the Pro Carry HD.

If you are dead set on a Wilson or Baer and have no interest in a Kimber, then kindly disregard my comments.
 
I had to offer one other comment.

Break down a Baer and look at the quality of the finish on the INSIDE of the pistol. Then look at the finish on the OUTSIDE of most the mainstream guns (Sig, Walther, Kimber). I think you will find them very comparable.

The point I wish to make is if they take that much care on the inside, consider the quality you are buying.
 
Count this as a vote for Baer. I bought a slightly used Premier II for a very good price. I'm happy to say that in some thousands of rounds, I've had exactly ZERO malfunctions of any sort. The pistol is more accurate than I am. FWIW, others in the local IDPA club seem to favor Baers over Wilsons by 3 or 4 to one.

I've only had limited exposure to Wilsons, but the few I've handled seemed to have a lot of rough edges all over which should have been gently rounded off. Not much of a factor in a low round-count match, but shoot 1000-2000 rounds in a class over a few days and you'll want gloves.
 
Easy, Baer

Baer is far better than Wilson in cosmetic appearance, reliability, and accuracy. I own a TRS and a Stinger. They are not for sale. I have a beautiful Wilson Protector, 98% finish, all steel parts (built in '98 before they started MIM). It is for sale.

Bob
 
between the two i would give the nod to the baer. if i were tempted to buy a wilson, i would buy a kimber instead and have a good smith make it everything i wanted it to be.

i also recommend the standard kimber...a good shooting gun to begin with, waiting to be tuned into a piece to be cherished
 
I don't own a Wilson but I do own a Baer Premiere II. I bought it slightly used for $1k. It is a fantastic gun and the price was below a new or even a used Wilson. Why do Wilsons cost $200-300 more for the same gun? It is extremely accurate and has been perfectly reliable. I'm not sure how you can improve upon that. The only changes I'm making are grips.
 
I was making the same choice back in March and went with the Baer. ABSOLUTELY the best handgun I own. It is a Concept 3 ,45 ACP. The Wilson was $400+ more for a similar model and was 5-6 weeks away. The Baer will shoot reduced handloads just as well and reliable as full power loads. I have seen the Wilsons act up with reduced loads during PPC matches.

The Kimbers I looked at all looked pretty good but, every one I picked up had different trigger pull and feel.

Buy the Baer and use the extra money to buy ammo!
 
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