Wiley Clapp: 3 Old Products Still in the Game

by
posted on August 14, 2017
** 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. **
tgrips_lede.jpg

I've been doing the gun writing business for a while now, but I have been shooting and using guns a lot longer. I enjoy reminding the newer shooters that there are products that have been around and working well for a very long time. Let's take a look at just three of them. 

Tyler “T” Grip Adapter. Grip adapters have been around for years and I believe that Mr. Tyler's was one of the first. A grip adapter is a block of hard material that is made to match the curved of a revolver frame—behind the trigger guard down to near the toe of the grip. Somewhat crescent-shaped, they fill that gap and improve the shooter;s grip on the gun. Tyler's differed from the rest in that they were made of aluminum and included a finger groove. These little devices used to be in common use on many police revolvers, particularly the short-barreled snubbies that were carried concealed. One of these little gems can be a great problem-solver on a women's J frame. t-grips.com  

Big .45 Gun Cleaner. Old-time gunsmith George Mathews introduced me to this stuff many years ago. I had come to his shop with a problem with a Highway Patrolman (S&W Model 28, not a guy in a tan uniform with blue tie). I had just bought the gun at a good price at a local match and it was filthy. The bore was badly leaded and needed to be scrubbed out. George fixed the problem, then tossed me a packet of this stuff. I took it home and had the barrel and chambers clean in about five minutes. It is a metal scrubbing pad that looks like steel wool, but is much softer. It will not harm blued surfaces, but will get the lead or copper fouling out pronto. big45metalcleaner.com 

The FDL Wondersight. This used to be featured in the little one-inch ads in the back of American Rifleman. Essentially a means of quickly putting adjustable sights on a fixed sight revolver, the Wondersight was a clever idea. Although there were provisions for other guns, the unit was most often installed on 5-screw Smith and Wessons. You removed the screw from the top of the revolver's side plate and replaced it with a new and longer one. This located an “L” shaped bracket that held the elevation and windage screws and the sight itself. It was a precisely made unit that came off just as easily as it went on—just in case you changed your mind. hollowpointmold.com    

Latest

001 Ba30th Cover 01
001 Ba30th Cover 01

30 Years Of Bond Arms Pistols

Bond Arms, the Texas-based maker of a series of double-barrel derringers inspired by a design from the Old West, celebrates 30 years in business in 2025.

Holiday Firearm Sales Off To Slow Start, Down From 2024 Numbers

NICS background checks conducted during the week of Black Friday, traditionally one of the busiest holiday shopping days of the year, show a slow start in terms of holiday gun sales.

Preview: BenShot Musket Ball Rocks Glass

America celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026, and you can toast the country’s birthday with one of BenShot’s rocks glasses specially tailored to the occasion.

Rifleman Review: Walther Arms PDP Match Steel Frame

Walther Arms took its polymer-frame Performance Duty Pistol design and crafted it entirely from steel to create its PDP Match Steel Frame, which is a true heavyweight designed just for the pure joy of shooting.

150 Years Of The Boxlock Shotgun

Many hunters think of the iconic boxlock shotgun as an American field gun, but although the design was popularized on American hunting fields, it was initially developed 150 years ago for a renowned gunmaker in Great Britain.

Preview: Alpine Products Gun Slicker V2

Mother Nature can unexpectedly unleash her wrath on any outdoor range session or hunt, and this lightweight product from Alpine Innovations will protect your most valuable long guns without completely limiting their use.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.