The great-grandson of D.B. Wesson, co-founder of Smith & Wesson, began a company in 1968 that has since grown outside the wheelhouse of fine revolvers, and has flourished in the market of semi-automatic handguns. Today, Dan Wesson Firearms provides a full suite of M1911-based handguns, and for this week’s review, American Rifleman's David Herman focuses in on a commander-size M1911-variant built around an aluminum frame and chambered for 9 mm Luger. The Vigil Commander pistol aims to protect those who carry every day. This all-businesslike pistol features a rounded butt, a beavertail safety, tritium in the front sight and many other features that put this pistol in the ranks of value without sacrificing quality. For more, watch this week’s NRA Gun of the Week video, and visit danwessonfirearms.com.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Dan Wesson Firearms
Model: Vigil Commander
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic center-fire pistol
Frame: forged aluminum
Slide: stainless steel
Barrel: 4.25"
Finish: black Duty
Sights: single-dot tritium front; serrated, tactical rear
Trigger: 5-lb. pull
Magazine: nine-round detachable box
Weight: 30.5 ozs. (empty)
MSRP: $1,298
Additional Reading:
Dan Wesson’s System
Tested: Dan Wesson Valkyrie Commander Pistol
I Have This Old Gun: Smith & Wesson Model 1
Tested: CZ USA Sharp-Tail Coach Gun
NRA Gun of the Week: Dan Wesson Firearms Vigil Commander Pistol
More like this from around the NRA
Latest
Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.
Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope
Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.
Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
