In the mid to late 1980’s, if you were shooting IPSC at a high level, there was exactly one gun to have, which was a compensated .38 Super with adjustable sights. Back in the day, Wilson Combat was turning out some of the best of the best of these guns – there was a time period when Wilson guns were used to win pretty much every major championship. Robbie Leatham, Brian Enos, Jerry Barnhart, and a host of top level shooters used custom built Wilson guns to win a whole stack of titles. In fact, one of the Wilson guns, the Accu-Comp LE, the L stood for Leatham and the E for Enos.
That’s why, when I was browsing Gunbroker the other day and breaking the 10th Commandment, I saw an auction for a pretty customized .38 Super. I looked over it, and then noticed that the picture of the barrel said “Wilson .38 Super.” Then I noticed other details. The front of the triggerguard was checkered. The top of the slide was lightly checkered. The back of the slide was lined to match the Wichita sights on the gun. Oh yeah, and the compensator was the Wilson dual port .38 Super compensator. I would have paid the asking price of $550 for a non-customized .38 Super from Auto-Ordnance (the original manufacturer of the gun), so I immediately snatched this gun up. Yesterday, my Christmas present showed up, smelling of old metal and oil.
It’s been shot, obviously, but the condition of it makes it appear to have spent the last several years sitting in a safe gathering dust, which is a shame. This is a gun that demands to be taken to the range and used to murder bowling pins. The grip is aggressively checkered, and I need to replace the grips on it, as the previous owner saw fit to cut a chunk out of the left grip panel to get his (presumably) larger than mine thumbs onto the magazine release that much faster.
The gun is in need of a good cleaning and oiling, some parts need to be scrubbed, but it shoots, and my gunsmith gave it a clean bill of health. This gun looks great, and sits well in the hand – I need to get some .38 Super ammo and take it out.
Very, VERY cool!
I have some 147 grain rounds on order – this thing is going to MURDER bowling pins.
Finally, I’ve been waiting to see what the whole gun looks like. Very fine looking piece, and I can’t believe you picked it up for only $550. What is that under the compensator entending from the dust cover? Is that part of the guide rod?
Congrats on the new acquisition. I hope it shoots as well as it looks.
Dan – that is the guide rod under the comp. It’s an extended, full length, two piece guide rod.
I’ve got some stocks (what you kids call “grips” 😉 ) for you to try.
If my vague at best rememberances of 1911 go-fast technology is right, at one time there was a magazine release which was large, checkered, flat, and extended backwards into the grip in just the way your King of Raceguns’ grip seems to be relieved. They always seemed kind of silly to me, but then again I never shot IPSC.