Something interesting is going on over at Wilson Combat. Those of us who have been in the business for a while recognize that Wilson Combat, as a firearms company, has transcended the standard 1911 business model.
Over the years, they have researched, designed, tested, and released a whole series of guns and parts that were improvements over the standard way of doing things:
-Fully machined “Bullet Proof” 1911 parts.
-Full custom 1911’s.
-In-house red dot mounting and plate systems.
-Custom work and parts for Beretta 92’s. Glocks, SIG P320’s.
-Custom shotguns – Scattergun Technologies.
-In-house suppressor designs and manufacturing.
-Custom AR-15 rifles.
-Light weight bolt action, hunting rifles.
-Custom ammunition loadings and calibers.
-Custom bullet designs.
-Completely in-house designed pistols known as the EDC X9.
This list isn’t by any means complete, but should give the reader a broad appreciation of the breadth and depth of talent that exists within the Wilson Combat organization. They come up with ideas. Try things. Test them out. Evaluate. Specify changes. Machine new iterations. Rinse and repeat.
But who directs that exactly? Apparently this group is called Division 77.
Wanting to know more, I reached out to a contact over there and asked some questions:
What is Division 77? Philosophy? Who runs & designs for it? And where is it located?
Division 77 is the program that we have developed here at Wilson Combat in Berryville, AR to design a series of revolutionary guns that provide our R&D division with the latitude to push innovational boundaries, paying homage to the standards that Bill Wilson pioneered with 1911 design in 1977.
Division 77 firearms will be crafted in limited quantities, showcasing how far we can transcend the limits of Wilson Combat’s legendary weapon design and functionality. You can expect each Project to challenge what was originally thought to be possible and allow the shooter to experience a noticeable leap forward in functionality, shoot-ability, design, and technology.
Division 77 is our proving ground.
Is it associated with the WC shooting team?
Shooting team members have been involved in T&E and provided feedback.
Who tests the designs?
Various individuals are used in the T&E process including but not limited to employees, industry experts, and WC Shooting Team members
Future plans for it?
Stay tuned…..
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Wilson’s first gun out of Division 77 is called Project 01. We will have more on that gun shortly.
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
- Wilson Combat – Project 01 – First Impressions - December 7, 2024
- POTD – Wilson Combat Project 01 - December 7, 2024
- Division 77 – Bill Wilson’s Skunk Works - December 5, 2024
