Are Wilson Combat shotguns worth the money?

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  • 10mmfan

    Sharpshooter
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    Mar 24, 2013
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    A friend of mine bought a 870 from wilson combat and it seems very nice but it is built on an express model not a police magnum and has a MIM extractor and the plastic triggerguard. I would have thought for that money it would be a police magnum as a foundation for a 1400.00 shotgun. Are they worth the money or is an 870 police with a surefire pump and speedfeed stock just as good for 700.00 less?
     

    rkwhyte2

    aka: Vinny
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    37   0   0
    Sep 26, 2012
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    Sheridan
    A friend of mine bought a 870 from wilson combat and it seems very nice but it is built on an express model not a police magnum and has a MIM extractor and the plastic triggerguard. I would have thought for that money it would be a police magnum as a foundation for a 1400.00 shotgun. Are they worth the money or is an 870 police with a surefire pump and speedfeed stock just as good for 700.00 less?
    Way over priced in my mind. People are buying the name.
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    Aug 25, 2018
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    I have a police magnum. Not familiar with the Wilson but it doesn't sound like a $400 improvement.
     
    Last edited:

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    For 1100 I would expect them to swap mim for machined and replace the trigger guard with metal. ( I would accept mim for that non critical part)
     

    Sigblitz

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    I looked. Extended aluminum tube. Stainless mag spring. Adjustable ar type stock. It's not up there with Police Magnum. But the review I read totally trashed the 870 Express, I mean trashed it, and talked about how wonderful the Wilson is it's based on.
    Lately I can't find any truth in reviews. They're about as fake as that rifle.
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    The police magnum has a longer, heavier magazine spring, heavier shell lifter spring, carrier dog spring, and trigger-sear spring for more reliable trigger pull. If you have an unextended, you won't have to modify the magazine tube to extend it. It has an aluminum trigger group and metal trigger guard. There's no integrated safety to delay firing. And it's completely deburred. All differences from the standard 870 the Wilson is based on.
     

    Disposable Heart

    Grandmaster
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    246   1   1
    Apr 18, 2008
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    Greenfield, IN
    If you buy an Express, add the alloy trigger assembly, Volq or Remington Police extractor, upgrade the springs, add a magazine tube and even do some significant barrel work (sights, backbore, cut for interchangeable chokes), you're still in the $600 range and apparently a FAR superior piece of weapon compared to the Wilson. Add about $50 for ammo, tons of cycling time in front of the TV to loosen/end user machine the parts together, you will still have a MUCH better piece of weapon.

    I have similar complaints about Zev: One can build a similar if not better Glock for literally a quarter of the price...
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    A friend of mine bought a 870 from wilson combat and it seems very nice but it is built on an express model not a police magnum and has a MIM extractor and the plastic triggerguard. I would have thought for that money it would be a police magnum as a foundation for a 1400.00 shotgun. Are they worth the money or is an 870 police with a surefire pump and speedfeed stock just as good for 700.00 less?

    "Worth" is subjective. This question can only be answered by you. It also depends on what you do and what niche (like a hand tool or golf club) you are looking to fill.

    I have 3 "Wilson" shotguns (they are all the old "FBI Model", 2 are Scattergun Technologies before Bill bought them out). They are worth it to me as they had what I wanted. I did not want to screw around with stuff and waste time and money. I prefer off the rack semi-custom as it is USUALLY what I need and none of the marketing horsefeathers that most guns have.

    I have had them a long time and while I have upgraded the lights and the sidesaddle, I do not like the prospective of continually playing Lego with a firearm.

    My training allows me to know what is important. I go buy the guns that have what I need. I then spend money on classes and ammo instead of the next gadget.
     

    drillsgt

    Grandmaster
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    108   0   0
    Nov 29, 2009
    9,627
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    Sioux Falls, SD
    A friend of mine bought a 870 from wilson combat and it seems very nice but it is built on an express model not a police magnum and has a MIM extractor and the plastic triggerguard. I would have thought for that money it would be a police magnum as a foundation for a 1400.00 shotgun. Are they worth the money or is an 870 police with a surefire pump and speedfeed stock just as good for 700.00 less?

    You're paying 375 for the light, 200 for the armor-tuff finish and almost 150.00 for the sights so it adds up quickly for just those three things.
     

    VERT

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Jan 4, 2009
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    Seymour
    :rockwoot:You would be paying a little extra for the name. I looked into purchasing a Wilson Border Patrol a couple of years ago. The deciding factor for me was that the Wilson retained the mim extractor and internals from the express model. Also a short stock was not an option at that time. But let’s add it up. A new express will cost what? $300. Then add TracLock sights, sight install, armor tuff finish, Speedfeed solid stock, Wilson mag extension and safety. The Wilson action is very very smooth so there is some hand fitting going on. Overall a nice $900 gun that they sell for $1100.

    I found an 870 Police with TracLoc and XS sights then added the Wilson parts and short stock myself. Cost about $200-$300 less.

    We had a gently used Border Patrol at the shop. I fondled it a lot. Lucky for me it sold, otherwise I would have bought it after the first of the year.

    I will agree with Kirk. If I needed an out of the box ready to go shotgun, my choice would be the Wilson.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    will agree with Kirk. If I needed an out of the box ready to go shotgun, my choice would be the Wilson.

    I have nothing against the gun tinkerers. If you want to dick around with the gun in the basement workshop, 'Murica!

    I want my guns ready to go. It is tough because my training will cause me to go way outside the mainstream, but I understand. Guns are marketed to the LCD for a reason.
     

    VERT

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Jan 4, 2009
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    Seymour
    I have nothing against the gun tinkerers. If you want to dick around with the gun in the basement workshop, 'Murica!

    I want my guns ready to go. It is tough because my training will cause me to go way outside the mainstream, but I understand. Guns are marketed to the LCD for a reason.

    To be fair changing stocks, adding a Wilson magazine and swapping a follower is not what I would consider gun tinkering. I mean you have to remove the magazine extension to maintain the gun anyway. Admittedly the Wilson Guns have been “tinkered” on more then a Stock Remington Express. I picked up my 870 Police as a closeout model because unfortunately Remington is to busy building guns for consumers instead for serious use. IMO the Police models are worth the extra $$$ compared to the Express line but they even manage to stick silly things on those guns.

    The gun under my bed my bed started its life as an express model. And to your point I had to tinker with it a lot to get it up and running correctly.
     

    Beowulf

    Master
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    66   0   0
    Mar 21, 2012
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    Pff, that's way too much for a pump. I paid $600 for a police trade in Benelli M1 with a Surefire fore end light. Add $40 for a Malkoff LED conversion kit and I've got an extremely solid HD shotgun. That M1 has cycled everything I've put through it, from cheapo field loads, to buckshot (standard and low recoil), and slugs. It even, mostly, cycled on the Nobel Sport 2" buckshot rounds, which surprised me (it didn't cycle well enough to use it for HD, but I was curious if it would even work).
     

    PUalum04

    Plinker
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    2   0   0
    Mar 9, 2010
    131
    18
    Hope
    If I was going to spend $1,400 on an hd shotgun, I'd look for a like new Beretta 1201fp that would shoot circles around any pump action Remington and use the money I had left over to buy ammo. So to answer your question, no, I don't think they're worth the money.
     
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