NRA Gun of the Week: Colt Wiley Clapp Stainless Commander Pistol

by
posted on November 26, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Colt listened. American Rifleman Field Editor Wiley Clapp has been writing about handguns—especially defensive handguns—for a living for 35 years. In that time, let alone his time as Marine infantry officer in Vietnam and as a sheriff's deputy in Southern California, Wiley has learned a thing or two and formed some strong opinions, opinions implemented on the factory floor at Colt. This stainless steel Wiley Clapp Commander has "Everything you need and nothing you don't." A gun with Series 70 lockwork, Altamont Tactical Oval grips, Pete Single 25 line-per-inch front strap checkering and genuine Novak sights—including a brass front bead and a wide rear—this piece of "fighting iron" is our Gun of the Week.  

Specifications:
Model:
Wiley Clapp Stainless Commander
Manufacturer: Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC
Chambering: .45 ACP
Action: single action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic center-fire pistol
Frame: stainless steel
Slide: stainless steel
Sights: Novak drift-adjustable; brass bead front, wide notch rear
Magazine: detachable-box, eight-round capacity
Trigger: 3-lb., 3-oz. pull
Barrel Length: 4.25”, stainless steel
Stocks: Tactical Oval grips with fingerprint checkering
Weight: 36 ozs.
MSRP: $1,259

Latest

Marlin Mad Pig 1894 01
Marlin Mad Pig 1894 01

Marlin Goes Mad: The Marlin Mad Pig Customs Model 1894

Marlin’s latest Model 1894 lever-action rifle, a collaboration with Mad Pig Customs that is a far cry from traditional, delivers “modern, factory‑installed features previously found only on custom builds.”

I Have This Old Gun: The Southern Derringer

People carrying small firearms for personal protection is not a new concept, and in the middle of the 19th century, many pocket pistols were designed with self-defense in mind. One such gun, the Brown Manufacturing Southern Derringer, was among the earliest cartridge-firing self-defense guns.

The Jewish Community Is Embracing Our 2A Freedom

In this episode of the NRA’s The Armed Citizen Podcast, we interview Gayle Pearlstein, COO and co-founder of Lox & Loaded, a Jewish-owned and -operated gun club that now—after being launched only a year ago—has 50 chapters around the United States.

Affordable & Feature-Rich: The Springfield Armory Echelon Alpha 4.0C

Springfield Armory entered the world of modular, striker-fired handguns in 2023 with its Echelon line of pistols, and for 2026, Springfield is introducing an entry-level Echelon model with the Alpha 4.0C.

5 New SBRs for 2026

It has never been easier for gun owners to buy and use short-barreled rifles, and for the occasion, we have five of the latest SBRs on the market right now.

Review: Military Armament Corporation MAC-5K

SDS Arms, under its Military Armament Corporation (MAC) brand, imports Turkish-made roller-delayed handguns of the H&K MP5 pattern called the MAC-5K.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.