The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “superlative” as follows:
a). surpassing all others, and
b). of very high quality
The new Wilson Combat Sentinel .38 Super 1911 fits the bill.
The .38 Super Round
Before I get into a description of the pistol, let me first discuss the .38 Super round, with which some of you younger readers might not be familiar. A friend and former police cadet of mine, Ron, who was a Sergeant Major and combat veteran in the Army and who is currently a lieutenant with a law enforcement agency, helped me run the Sentinel though an initial evaluation. Being quite a bit younger than me, he asked, “Is the .38 Super a new caliber?” The answer is no.
Introduced by Colt in 1929, the .38 Super was a “gangster fighting” round designed to penetrate the steel automobile bodies and primitive body armor of that era — something the .38 Special and .45 ACP couldn’t do. It would be six more years until another gangster fighting round — the famed .357 Magnum — appeared.
The .38 Super, which was a hopped-up version of the .38 ACP, launched a 130-grain full metal jacket bullet downrange at over 1300 feet per second from the Colt 1911. Until the .357 Magnum came along, it was the world’s most powerful handgun cartridge. Although it was capable of doing what it was designed to do, there was a problem.
For reasons lost to time, Colt had the .38 Super cartridge headspace in the barrel chamber on the cartridge rim rather than the cartridge mouth. This setup produced shoddy accuracy compared to the 1911 .45 ACP. Colt never bothered remedying the problem, and the .38 Super fell into obscurity. Eventually the problem was remedied by Irv Stone of Bar-Stone barrels in the 1970s and the .38 Super began to shine in IPSC shooting competitions.
In guns with proper barrels, the .38 Super is an outstanding round. It should be occupying the place that the 9mm occupies today as our primary military and police service round. More powerful than the 9mm, but less powerful than the .357 Magnum or .357 SIG, the .38 Super (with modern hollow-point loads) offers an ideal balance of controllability and stopping power. It was chambered in the SIG P226 in the 1980s and ‘90s and was used by the Secret Service until the .357 SIG came along.
The Wilson Combat .38 Super Sentinel Compact 1911
Today, the Wilson Combat Sentinel is the perfect launcher for the .38 Super in a compact handgun frame. Some of its key features include a compact frame and slide, constructed from carbon steel and with a slightly rounded butt; both the top and rear of the slide (and the rear sight) are serrated to cut reflection. The upswept beavertail grip safety is the Wilson Combat “Bulletproof” concealment type. The thumb safety is extended, and an ambidextrous option is available. The magazine well is contoured and the release button is Wilson’s Bulletproof Button. The front strap of the frame and the flat mainspring housing are finely checkered. Weight is 36.8 ounces, but it sure doesn’t feel that heavy. Width is only 1.3 inches. The 3.6-inch stainless-steel match-grade barrel and chamber are fluted, and the muzzle features a striking flush cut reverse crown.
Grips are G10 “Black Cherry” with a slant checkering pattern and the Wilson Combat medallion. The pattern provides a sure gripping surface without discomfort. The sights that came on my sample were Wilson’s Battlesights, with a plain black rear U-shaped notch and green fiber-optic front.
My sample is the all-black Sentinel model, coated with Wilson’s Armor Tuff finish, which should alleviate any concerns about the carbon steel frame and slide. According to the Wilson Combat website, “Armor Tuff Protective Firearms Finish was developed specifically for firearms use to provide a non-reflective tactical surface finish with optimum corrosion protection, abrasion resistance and enhanced lubricity. The low curing temperature prevents parts from damage — such as warping — during the finishing process. A firearm finished with Armor Tuff has the most durable, chemical and heat resistant, thermally cured firearm finish available.” I have never seen an Armor-Tuff-finished Wilson firearm with a worn finish. Calling the finish “matte” really doesn’t do it justice, as there is a certain sheen to it, almost like a deep, old-school blue without as much reflectivity. It gives the Sentinel a high-end, tactical appearance.
The single-stack Wilson Combat magazine holds seven rounds, and two were included with my sample. The Sentinel comes in a padded Wilson carry case, making it ready to head to the gun range. The hammer is a skeletonized commander-style with enough leverage to cock easily. The trigger is solid, and the trigger pull is, well, superlative, which helps make the match-grade accuracy possible.
Testing the .38 Super Sentinel Compact 1911 at the Gun Range
The Sentinel is a magnificent shooter and an absolutely perfect launcher for the .38 Super round. My normal shooting range was unavailable for the test, so I had to borrow the indoor police gun range at my former cadet’s law enforcement agency — and time was limited. There will be some more evaluation of the Sentinel down the road when the weather breaks.
Wilson Combat furnished two .38 Super loads from their custom ammunition line for testing. The first load was the Bill Wilson Signature Match loaded with a Hornady 125-grain HAP (Hornady Action Pistol) hollow-point bullet, which is designed for accuracy and reliability. Published muzzle velocity from a 5-inch barrel is 1100 feet per second. The HAP bullet looks a lot like the Hornady XTP and would likely make a good defensive load, although it runs nowhere near as fast as full-power .38 Super ammo. Wilson also included a box of their “Peerless Performance” Wilson Combat .38 Super +P self-defense ammo loaded with an all-copper 115-grain Barnes TAC-XP hollow-point. Muzzle velocity for this round is 1335 feet per second from a 5-inch barrel, and 1200 feet per second from the 3.6-inch Sentinel barrel. Energy yield at the muzzle is 368 FPE, which is pretty impressive from a short-barreled handgun.
This is one smooth-shooting handgun. Recoil from the 115-grain TAC-XP .38 Super load was more of a gentle push than a snap. Of course, the Bill Wilson Signature Match load was even smoother. In fact, the Sentinel shot so smoothly, it caused me to say “wow” at the end of the first magazine. At 30 feet, both Ron and I were dropping our rounds in less than 2-inch groups. The green fiber optic up front, combined with the serrated rear sight, made it very easy to quickly align the sights, even in the somewhat dimmed light conditions of the indoor gun range. Of course, there was no thought of malfunction. Like I said, this is a superlative handgun!
The price for quality like this doesn’t come cheap. Base price is $3750. Fortunately, Wilson Combat doesn’t require all the money up front. They offer an “easy and affordable” financing plan for their firearms.
The Sentinel is thus far my favorite handgun from the Wilson Combat line. It is an excellent self-defense handgun with a nearly perfect setup. Consider it if you are looking for a custom handgun that is a major cut above the rest.
