Wilson Combat EDC X9L Review

Is this the best defensive gun on the market?

The Wilson EDC X9 was an excellent EDC firearm, but Wilson have outdone themselves and brought out a full sized, accurate, and powerful defensive handgun… the Wilson Combat EDC X9L.

Who are Wilson

I am sure you already know but Wilson are one of top custom firearm companies in America today.

The wily Bill Wilson a skilled watchmaker, combined this knowledge with his passion for guns. Too form what is still a highly respected firearms company.

They are renowned as been one of the most innovative gun companies around, and pride themselves on the craftmanship and reliability of their guns. They are especially well known for their custom 1911 handguns and tactical long guns.

Due to these principles Wilson supply many law enforcement agencies and military in the USA, as well as agencies and military around the world.

What does EDC mean?

EDC stands for Everyday Carry. It is a collection of items that you carry around with you every day, either in your pockets or in a bag usually. Think of it as a mini version of a Bug Out Bag which you always have close by.

Everyday items are a combination of things you use everyday like your phone and wallet, to things you might need to help you on a semi regular basis like a mini screwdriver, to things that you will need in an emergency like a fire-starting kit or an emergency bivvy.

So, whatever life throws at you… your EDC will help you deal with it.

Why are guns an everyday carry?

Your EDC should not just be a little credit card multitool, to tighten your glasses now and again. Your everyday carry is about covering you in possible survival situations too.

This means you made need weapons to protect yourself, protect others, and protect your property for instance.

I always have an EDC bag with me, and it contains 3 ways with which I can protect myself.

• Baton: this is my non-lethal weapon of choice and is a great deterrent but also highly effective when used.

• Knife: I have a tactical combat knife, which needs to be easily accessible and quick to lock out in the open position.

• Tactical Gloves: These are really versatile, and one of the things they are good for is protecting the hands if you get drawn into hand-to-hand combat.

I also carry the Wilson Combat EDC X9L, but I do not keep it in my bag obviously as that would reduce its effectiveness and safety. I keep it in a holster on me, hidden from view.

Obviously having a handgun as an everyday carry depends on the rules and laws of where you live, but if you are allowed to have an EDC gun then in my opinion you should carry one.

It is better to have it and not need it, than you need it and not to have it. That is how I view the debate anyway.

Pros and cons of a concealed carry

Pros

• Preparedness: When you wake up in the morning, you may think you have an idea what is going to happen. But there a million ways in which that might change, and it is a simple fact of life that things might happen where having a gun close at hand is advantageous.

• Protect: You obviously want to protect yourself, and your family. But having an EDC gun also helps you protect your community and country as a law-abiding citizen.

• Awareness: Carrying a concealed weapon gives you the responsibility to use it correctly and not to tarnish other EDC carriers with your bad behaviour. Concealed carriers in my opinion are more likely to be mindful and aware of their surroundings and look for civil ways to handle stressful situations because they know they have a lethal weapon on them.

 Cons

• Comfort: There are a huge range of holsters nowadays, and a lot of them are very good but they can be uncomfortable especially when you first start wearing one. They can also leave rashes and can lead to back and nerve pain. This is all very unlikely; I am just trying to desperately think of 3 cons ha-ha.

• People being people: No matter how well trained you are, no matter how much you take your license to carry a conceal weapon seriously, there will always people who don’t agree with the fact that you can carry an EDC gun. And they will likely tell you very loudly, just nod politely and move on. They think they have all the facts, but we know they don’t.

• Time: Having a concealed gun is not just about passing some test, getting a gun, and walking around with it for the rest of your life without a second thought. You have to make sure you are abiding with the law, all the time. And on top of that you need to practise using and handling your weapon all the time, and you need to make sure it is always in good condition. A gun is obviously a dangerous lethal weapon, but it is even more dangerous if it is in the hands of someone who doesn’t respect the gun and the procedures involved in the rights to own and carry a gun.

Wilson Combat EDC X9L review

With any good review, you need to know what you are buying so let’s have a look at the specs.

Specifications

• Action: the Wilson Combat EDC X9L is a recoil operated semi-automatic handgun

• Barrel: it is 5 inches long

• Capacity: is 15 or 18 with one in the chamber

• Calber: it is a 9mm

• Finish: Wilson uses their trademarked Armor-Tuff finish

• Frame: made from aluminium which keeps the weight down

• Grips: the G10 grips are renowned for being lightweight, but with great grip in a wide range of conditions

• Overall length: a handy 8.4 inches and comes with a height of 5.25 inches

• Price: you will find this gun for around the $3000 mark

• Safety: yes, manual thumb lever

• Slide: made from 416R stainless steel

• Sights: battlesights in the rear and the front has fiber-optic sights.

• Trigger: is 8oz

• Weight: a decent 31oz when empty

Now let’s have a look to see what I think of the Wilson Combat EDC X9L.

Accuracy

Every gun I have had from Wilson have done exactly what Wilson will say it will do. The accuracy of every Wilson gun I have had has matched my expectations. If they have an accuracy guarantee of 1.5” at 25 yards.

Then this will be able to be achieved. And I have achieved it myself.

The accuracy is very impressive at 25 yards, but the great thing is the gun will probably never have to perform that well at such a “long” distance.

It is primarily a defensive gun, so you will have to probably hit an assailant that is moving towards you quickly at a short distance.

And believe me this gun is tremendous at short range, at 10-15 yards you can basically just continue shooting through the first hole.

I find this gun slightly more accurate at 25 years than the EDC 9 but it is barely noticeable. And at 10-15 yards there is no difference whatsoever and they will both stop an attacker at close range, I have no doubts about that.

So, it is really down to personal preference on if you want a full-sized X9L or the short 4” barrel of the X9. I would have confidence in both if I were in a defensive situation.

Therefore, to me the decision comes down to what I like to practise with more, and with that in mind I do prefer the X9L.

Build

This is a premium EDC gun, and it comes at a premium price. It is a lot more expensive than what you could buy for your EDC kit.

But I do not like to scrimp with my guns, especially a gun that is designed to protect me in an emergency survival situation.

I want a gun I can trust, one that doesn’t jam, one that is easy to load, one that has a consistent trigger, and one that is built to last. And the X9L ticks every box I am looking for. It is functional and it works so well it almost purrs.

Capacity

Anyone looking for a concealed carry with a lot of capacity then the Wilson Combat EDC X9L is hard to beat with its capacity of 15 or 18 +1 rounds.

I had the original EDC 9 which has 10+1 capacity, whilst I loved that version, I was happy the X9L improved on this and I quickly went out and bought it.

The X9L comes with witness holes which allow you to keep track of how many rounds you have left, which is a feature I always like to have present in a gun I own.

You do get an 18 round option also, but to be fair I normally find myself using the 15. I don’t know the reason for this, it is just the one I gravitate to.

Full-sized

I am not a giant of a man, but I am above average, and even though I liked the Wilson Combat EDC 9. I sometimes feel like the smaller concealed carries just seem like toys in my hands, and I just simply prefer full-sized guns.

And that is why I upgraded from the EDC 9 to the EDC X9L, I just like something bigger and heavier in my hands. However, even though the X9L is full-sized it is still easy to conceal.

I much prefer the new 5-inch barrels over the original 4 inches, and they have added a bit more weight to the front of the gun to stop the muzzle jerk.

Grip

I own a few Wilson guns, and I have always been impressed with the G10 grips with their trademark medallions and stippling’s.

Practising with your guns in indoor shooting ranges is all well and good, but an everyday carry gun is likely to be used outdoors in stressful situations.

So, I try to practise with it outdoors and in unfavourable weather conditions when I can. And I must say the grip holds up just as well in driving rain as it does on a summer’s day.

There is no grip safety which I prefer, the design and shape of the gun allows for a high hand grip anyway. So, this is a positive for me, some may disagree, and it is down to personal preference.

Recoil

This is such a good gun; it is a full-sized gun but is light for its size and is very easy to handle. I have shot thousands of rounds with this gun, and I have had no issues with hand fatigue or injuries.

Sights

The sights on small compact guns like the Ruger LCP are limited to say the least, and this is another reason I like to have a fuller sized firearm as my concealed carry.

The sights are great on the X9L, and they are easily adjustable with a couple of turns of a screw so you can factor in wind and elevation for example. But let’s be honest this is more about your ego on the shooting range.

The PROS of an EDC or LCP should come down to if it can stop a person from harming you, usually at close quarters.

Conclusion

In my opinion you should carry a concealed weapon if you are lawfully allowed to do so.

If you are used to using full-sized 1911 style guns, then I think the Wilson Combat EDC X9L would be an excellent everyday carry gun for you to try, and you should always try before you buy.

If you are not used to full-sized guns then maybe the Wilson Combat EDC 9 would be a better choice, or something even more compact like the Ruger LCP 380.

I do believe the Wilson Combat EDC X9L is a near perfect EDC gun, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to family and friends… and of course you the reader.

But you just have to realise reviews are just opinions, you should let them guide you but at the end of the day you are best trying out a range of guns and see which on suits you the best.