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
Review: Spandau Arms RL
The Remington Model 700 lives on in the form of this RL bolt-action rifle produced in Turkey by Huglu and imported into the U.S. by Spandau Arms.
The (Not So) Gray Man: Tips to Avoid Tacti-Cool & Blend into the Background
Being a true "gray man" is not flashy. It won’t get you followers or likes or nods from across the room. What it will get you is something far more valuable in the real world: freedom of movement. Reduced attention. Lower probability of being selected, targeted or remembered.
The Armed Citizen® Sept. 28, 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.
How to Accurately Measure a Gun Barrel's Length
Measuring the actual length of a barrel might seem like a simple task, but there's an industry-standard (and legally required) method to accurately measuring the length of your firearm's barrel.
Winchester Ammunition Named Second-Source Provider for U.S. Army
Winchester Ammunition has once again been selected by the U.S. Army as the second-source provider for small-caliber rifle ammunition. The most recent contract covers 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO and .50 BMG cartridges.
Tips for Buying Your First Handgun
Buying a gun based on how it feels at the counter is like buying a car without test-driving it. It's the firearm equivalent of just sitting behind the wheel, going “vroom vroom!”
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
