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

Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F
Taurus 66 Combat GOTW F

Gun of the Week: Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

Taurus USA recently expanded its revolver line with the 66 Combat, a larger, all-steel revolver chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Watch our "Gun of the Week" video to see the 66 Combat in use on the range.

The Armed Citizen® March 6, 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.

Armed Citizens Outperform the Police in Stopping Mass Murderers

A recent crime study indicates that armed citizens are better at stopping mass killers than the police.

Building A Legacy: One Hunter's Journey Toward a 338 ARC Bolt-Action

Hornady's 338 ARC cartridge was designed to pack plenty of subsonic power into an AR-sized platform. But how does it perform if you're looking to build something a bit more traditional?

Industry Manufacturers Pay $1.3 Billion Tax Bill

Last month, nearly $1.3 billion was delivered to state conservation and wildlife access programs as part of Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson excise taxes paid by manufacturers in the outdoor industry.

250 Years of the U.S. Army: Rifle Muskets, Trapdoors & Early Bolt-Actions

The U.S. Army would enter the 19th century equipped with a smoothbore flintlock musket that differed little from the designs of the past, and it would exit the century with a modern, bolt-action, repeating rifle that used smokeless powder ammunition.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.