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
The Short, Happy Life Of The .40 Smith & Wesson
Despite the wide acceptance of the .40 Smith & Wesson defensive handgun cartridge in its early years, the round has since faded from armories around the U.S. and replaced by an older, smaller-caliber cartridge.
Zastava's ZPAP M72 RPK Is Now Shipping
Zastava USA announced it would be expanding its lineup to include an M72 "RPK" model. Now, in 2025, that model has finally arrived and is shipping to dealers.
Preview: Mesa Tactical Truckee Forend
A 12-ga. shotgun can be a devastatingly potent defensive platform, but even the tactical models often aren’t configured terribly well for installing accessories.
Gun Of The Week: Benelli Lupo HPR
Welcome to another American Rifleman Gun Of The Week, and on this episode, we’re taking a closer look at Benelli’s Lupo HPR, or High Precision Rifle.
The Armed Citizen® Feb. 21, 2025
Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.
Glock 49 Gen5 MOS: The Glock 9 mm Perfected?
Available as a TALO distributor exclusive, the Glock 49 Gen5 blends the the longer G17 slide with the comfortably compact frame of the G19, and it also includes Glock's MOS optics-mounting system.
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
