Suppressing the 1911 with the Quell P-S

At this year’s Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous Event, Wilson Combat brought out some absolutely beautiful pistols, one of which was the Close Quarters Battle (CQB) Elite 1911. Not only that, but the gun was already upgraded to the suppressed ready package. Providing the best experience possible, it was set up with the Wilson Combat Quell pistol short suppressor.

The CQB Elite: Wilson Combat Quality

Wilson sent me the gun after the event for some quality one-on-one time with it and the suppressor. In this review, I’ll share my experience with the gun and suppressor. Likewise, I will discuss why you might want a suppressed 1911.

Before diving into the features of this gun, I have to mention the quality of a Wilson Combat pistol. Wilson Combat only uses 100% American-produced components to build its custom firearms. The 1911 handguns are made with parts CNC-precision-machined from bar stock or forgings.

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The gunsmiths behind these custom guns collaborate closely to craft each built-to-order handgun. And before a gun even leaves their facility, it is tested to ensure proper fit and functionality. If you’re in the market for a custom, hand-built 1911 that will last lifetimes and can be passed from generation to generation, a Wilson Combat is it.

Close Quarters Battle Elite Full-Size Suppressor Ready 1911

The full-size CQB Elite 1911 is the ultimate combat pistol, especially when topped off with a suppressor. The gun itself is built on a carbon steel frame and slide, and the upgraded suppressor-ready barrel is still match-grade. However, instead of five, it is six inches long and threaded. The rear Battlesight is blacked out, with a green fiber-optic front sight.

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It has your traditional 1911-style grip and thumb safety. While I reviewed the CQB Elite in 9mm, it can also be built in .45 ACP or 10mm.

The ergonomics of the Wilson Combat Elite pistol are designed to work with any hand size. The high-cut, checkered front strap gives perfect texture for a proper grip all the way up to the trigger guard. This checkering is most beneficial when shooting with either the strong hand or the weak hand only. The backstrap is also checkered, extending all the way up to the grip safety.

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The G10 Diagonal flat-bottom grips are the right amount of texture without being overly aggressive. In addition, the left grip panel has a tapered cut-out designed for easy access to the semi-extended magazine release button. The slide features serrations on both the front and rear to accommodate loading with a C-Clamp-style grip or with the web of your hand.

Armor-Tuff Custom Finish

Another upgrade on this specific pistol is the red and black Armor-Tuff finish. This finish was specifically designed to provide a non-reflective tactical surface finish with corrosion protection, abrasion resistance, and enhanced lubricity. It can withstand exposure to temperature extremes of  +1000 degrees F to -250 degrees Fahrenheit.

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For those using this gun in applications that require it, the finish will meet or exceed 24-hour immersion requirements in various fluids, including aviation gasoline, hydraulic fluid, paint removers, hydrogen peroxide, and more. It also isn’t affected by lubricating oils, gunpowder solvents, gun lubricants, and chemicals of that nature for cleaning and maintaining a pistol.

Wilson Combat offers a variety of single colors and color combinations.

Why Suppress a Pistol?

Any pistol that is intended for use in the defense of oneself or others should be suppressed if possible. I carry every single day, but my carry gun is not suppressed. It’s challenging to conceal a pistol and suppressor, let alone find a compatible holster.

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That said, my home defense pistol, my 9mm AR pistol, and my 300 BLK AR pistol are all suppressed and staged strategically in the house or accompany me when I travel.

Even one shot fired from an unsuppressed weapon can cause permanent hearing damage, no matter the caliber. A shot fired indoors can be amplified, making it even worse.

While a suppressor is valuable for noise reduction, it is also beneficial for reducing the signature. A suppressor can prevent muzzle flash, which can temporarily blind you or give away your position. This is especially helpful in the dark.

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Finally, a suppressor helps reduce felt recoil across any firearm platform. Handguns are much easier to shoot for a lot of people once you mount a suppressor on them.

One downside to a suppressor is that it adds length to whatever firearm you plan to suppress. You must be aware of this in close-quarters combat. That’s why a short pistol suppressor is ideal for use with handguns within a vehicle or home.

Another potential issue with a suppressor is its impact on the accuracy of a firearm. Sometimes it can decrease the accuracy of a gun or change the point of impact. A point of impact change is easy to remedy by adjusting your sights.

Quell P-S – Compact Suppressor

I haven’t had much experience with Wilson Combat suppressors. So, I was genuinely excited to learn more about the Quell line. Wilson makes a Quell P and Quell P-S for pistols.

The P is longer, heavier, and has more baffles, which therefore results in a quieter shooting experience. The P-S is more compact and ideal for use with the CQB Elite 9mm 1911. It weighs half a pound and adds almost 5 inches in length to the gun.

The Quell suppressors come with a ½ x 28 direct-thread piston pre-installed. So, they’re ready to go on ½ x 28 threaded pistols right out of the box.

The sound suppression of the Quell P-S was as expected from a smaller suppressor. While it doesn’t make the CQB Elite 1911 quiet, the noise reduction is enough to help save your hearing.

The signature and felt recoil reduction is what I found more impressive with the Quell suppressor. The felt recoil on a 9mm 1911 isn’t a lot to begin with. However, the Quell suppressor helped decrease muzzle rise. Likewise, because of how lightweight it is, it didn’t cause the muzzle to dip down when cycling.

Heavier suppressors can make a pistol feel unbalanced and cause the muzzle to drop down after it cycles a round. I think this suppressor is overall perfect for CQB due to its exceptional lightweight design and short length.

Shooting the CQB Elite with Quell P

I wanted to test both defensive and subsonic ammunition through the CBQ Elite pistol and Quell suppressor. I recommend using the XP or jacketed hollow point ammunition for self-defense ammo. Subsonic ammunition was used to assess the performance of the Quell suppressor more than anything. The tone of the suppressor sounded better with the subsonic ammunition, as it should, which was a good test of how quiet the Quell can be.

The accuracy of the Wilson Combat CBQ Elite pistol decreased slightly with the suppressor added. However, it was not enough to be a concern as a defensive weapon. The velocity of the subsonic ammunition was around 100 feet per second slower than that of the defensive ammunition. The subsonic ammunition also had a touch less felt recoil than the defensive ammunition. This also makes sense given the velocity difference.

Wilson Combat promotes the CQB Elite as a “must-work-every-time firearm,” and I must agree that the pistol performs as such. None of the ammunition malfunctioned, and both the gun and suppressor performed as expected.

It was an enjoyable gun to shoot, but also one that I could trust in any serious defensive scenario. I would recommend this combination and personally use it as a home defense firearm setup.

Wilson Combat CQB Elite Full-Size Suppressor Ready Specs

Wilson Combat Quell P-S Suppressor Specs

Performance