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
NRA Gun of the Week: Colt Wiley Clapp Stainless Commander Pistol
More like this from around the NRA
Latest
Selling Short: Fiocchi's Hyperformance SBR Enhanced Ammunition
Fiocchi’s new Hyperformance SBR Enhanced line of ammunition isn’t a mere marketing gimmick. It’s designed for top performance out of short-barreled rifles, and it delivers.
New For 2026: Yankee Hill Machine Victra-20 Shotgun Suppressor
Yankee Hill Machine introduced its VICTRA-12, a modular 12-ga. shotgun suppressor, last year. This year, the company is bringing out a 20-ga. version with the VICTRA-20.
The Armed Citizen® June 22, 2026
Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.
Important Notice To Members: Exercise Your Rights. Assist In The Nomination Of Directors.
The NRA Bylaws provide for the election of one-third of the members of the Board of Directors each year. Those terms of office will expire at the 2027 Annual Meeting of Members in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 24, 2027.
Skills Check: Pistol Standard Xray 2 Drill
Examine and strengthen each part of your presentation and shot in this revealing drill.
Gunsite at 50: Celebrating a Golden Anniversary
It’s no secret Gunsite Academy is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year. In August, it’s holding a 50th Anniversary Alumni Shoot to celebrate five decades of training excellence, tradition and community.
Interests
Benelli Updates Its M2 Field Shotgun | An Official Journal Of The NRA
- SK Guns Marks America’s 250th With Limited-Run 1911 Commander | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal
- Safariland and Travis Haley Reengineered the Gun Belt From the Buckle Out | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal
- Federal’s 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak Adds 300 FPS to a Cartridge You Probably Already Shoot | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
