In Memoriam: Wiley Clapp

“Wiley Clapp started writing for American Rifleman nearly 30 years ago. He was a field editor for more than two decades and brought a fresh perspective on handguns in all aspects but especially in their use for personal defense,” said Mark Keefe, editorial director for NRA Media. “His voice in these pages, nearly monthly, was authoritative and sincere. He was a gunwriter’s gunwriter, old school in the ways that count. Wiley was also featured in ‘American Rifleman Television’s’ Men & Guns of the Vietnam War, where you can still hear that voice. Both he and that voice will be missed.”

After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1957, Clapp became an officer in the United States Marine Corps, first taking command of a platoon in the 3rd Btn., 7th Marines. By 1965, Clapp was in combat in Vietnam where he commanded a company in the 1st Marine Division. Clapp left the military in 1969 and joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in California. There, he served for 17 years before retiring from law enforcement and beginning another career in gun writing.

Clapp first began writing for Gun World in 1986 and co-authored The Gun Digest Book Of 9mm Handguns in the same year. He soon followed up with The Gun Digest Book Of Handgun Reloading, Modern Law Enforcement: Weapons & Tactics and Concealed Carry: The Shooter’s Guide To Selecting Handguns. For years, Clapp served as the handguns editor for Guns & Ammo and was also a longtime columnist for Shooting Illustrated, where he wrote the back page column, “Fightin’ Iron.” In 2022, in recognition for his lifetime of dedication, he was honored by Gunsite Academy, which named a classroom after him.

“Wiley brought depth and authenticity to everything he wrote,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA executive vice president and CEO. “He leaned heavily on his real-life experience as a U.S. Marine Corps officer who served with distinction as a company commander in Vietnam. He knew small arms not just from the bench, but from the battlefield—and his writing reflected that rare perspective.”