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For nearly half a century, Wilson Combat has been building handguns based on the basic pistol design John Browning developed and that was adopted by our military in 1911. In fact, during that time, Wilson Combat has created some of the best pistols ever made that rely on the 1911’s linked barrel system. The new Bulwark from Wilson Combat is a different animal. It shares some design features of a 1911, but it is not a 1911. This pistol is Wilson Combat’s attempt to offer a more affordable production pistol that performs at a custom level, and that is also ideally adapted for personal protection and law enforcement use. I recently put the new Bulwark through its paces on my home range. Here’s how it fared.
Quick Overview
Wilson Combat Bulwark Handgun
Pros
- Extremely low muzzle rise
- Versatile optics mounting system
- Fantastic trigger
- High capacity
Specs
- Chambering: 9mm Luger
- Action: Hammer fired single-action semi-automatic
- Sights: Dovetailed front and rear sights, optics cut, cover plate w/pin system
- Barrel: 4.0 inches
- Length: 7.5 inches
- Weight: 33.3 ounces
- Frame: Aluminum, anodized
- Slide: Stainless steel, Nitride coated
- Trigger: 2.75 pounds (as tested)
- Capacity: 15+1
- Accessories: Two magazines, carry bag, related tools, slave pin for complete disassembly
- MSRP: $1,899
Related: Dan Wesson Kodiak Handgun Review—Expert Tested
A Closer Look at the Wilson Combat Bulwark
The Bulwark has an aluminum grip frame, but it also has a stainless-steel fire control group that is serialized and modular. This means that down the road you could swap it out with another grip frame. The grip angle is the same as Wilson Combat’s EDC pistols, and it takes the same magazines. It also has robust brick patterned checkering. Unlike a 1911, there is no manual thumb safety. Instead, and in addition to two internal safeties, the pistol has two external safeties—a grip safety and a trigger safety. The grip frame also has a reversable magazine release, and field stripping is similar to a 1911, but there is no barrel bushing.
There is also no exposed hammer on the Bulwark. It is hidden inside the frame, and it operates like a single-action 1911 hammer with a tunable straight pull trigger. A separate and removable breach block is fitted to the inside of the slide. On the exterior of the slide, you’ll find dovetailed front and rear sights and an optics cut with a plate cover. Optics mounting is achieved with two screws and a unique pin system that allows for a wide range of compatibility. The slide also has deep cocking serrations on the front and rear, and except for the front of the accessory rail, the pistol is devoid of sharp edges.
Where the pistol radically departs from a 1911 is the link-less barrel. Instead of a pivoting link on the barrel, Wilson Combat engineered an unusual recoil spring guide rod that interfaces with the barrel. The takedown lever passes through the head of this guide rod, and all this engineering is what sets the barrel axis in this pistol so low—about a half-inch lower than a 1911. Once the pistol is field stripped, you can remove one other pin and separate the modular fire control group from the grip frame.
Related: Springfield-Armory Echelon 4.0FC COA Handgun Review—Expert Tested
Wilson Combat Bulwark Test Results
All the bench-rest shooting for record with this pistol was conducted with the factory open sights. But the versatile optics mounting system on the Bulwark begs for reflex sight installation. After recording the precision results listed below, I mounted a Leupold Delta Point on the pistol and fired an additional five, five-shot groups with the Wilson Combat load for an overall average group size of 0.79 inches. This was no surprise, years of testing has shown that I generally shoot about 30% more precisely from a solid rest with a dot sight compared with open sights, and you could expect the group sizes for the other two loads to reduce proportionately if a dot sight was used.
Great precision instills confidence in any firearm, but practically speaking any pistol that will group five-shots inside 2 inches at 10 yards is sufficient for self-defense applications. The real test of a carry gun is subjecting it to practical drills that test grip acquisition during the draw, grip retention during multi-round engagements, and the gun’s ability to quickly deliver shots where they are aimed—all without stoppages. This is where the Bulwark shined. It ran flawlessly and in fact, for me, it performed better on several drills than any other handgun, even some Wilson Combat pistols costing twice a much.
This better performance occurred because of the pistol’s weight-to-recoil impulse and its extremely low bore axis. During rapid fire, the muzzle seems to barely rise at all, and my split times—times between shots—with the Bulwark at engagement distances of 15 yards and further were very, very fast. In short, this pistol gets back on target quicker than any pistol of similar size I have ever fired. Admittedly, the Bulwark is a few ounces heavier than a comparably sized polymer-framed striker-fired pistol, and without a compensator, they cannot compete with the Bulwark’s shootability or excellent trigger.
Related: The 10 Most Powerful Handguns in the World
Final Thoughts on the New Bulwark Pistol
Wilson Combat pistols are some of the most trusted and sought-after pistols in the world, but they have traditionally been out of the price range for many shooters. The Wilson Combat Bulwark is the least expensive pistol the brand has offered in more than 15 years. Granted, this is a new design, and it is a production pistol that receives limited gunsmith attention, but it is also largely based on design principles Wilson Combat has been following for almost a half century.
Though some—including me—might balk at a single-action pistol without a manual safety, the Bulwark incorporates four safeties. And, while it might be a few ounces heavier than polymer framed pistols of the same size and capacity, all those pistols will have more jarring recoil and more muzzle rise from shot to shot. You can buy two striker-fired polymer pistols for the price of a single Bulwark, but their triggers won’t be as good, they won’t shoot as soft, and they won’t be a Wilson Combat. All this makes the Bulwark the best EDC handgun we’ve tested this year.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
Editor’s Note: Richard Mann’s new book, Rifle Cartridges for the Hunter: A Hunting Journal Spanning a Half-Century details 50 rifle cartridges through real hunts, practical insight, and hard-earned lessons. It is essential reading for serious hunters and riflemen who appreciate ballistic science and authentic outdoor adventure.
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