Colt’s donated custom Wiley Clapp Commander brings $7,025 at auction to benefit USA Shooting Team

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC assisted in raising $7,025 for the USA Shooting Team through the donation of a custom Wiley Clapp Colt Commander^® pistol. The auction, hosted by GunBroker.com, opened with a starting bid of one penny on January 17 and closed the evening of February 5, with more than 22,000 views and 75 bids.

“We are very supportive of the competitive shooting sports,” said Joyce Rubino, Vice President of Marketing for Colt, “As an American brand, Colt wanted to make a contribution to the USA Shooting Team as they represent our country in the upcoming summer Olympics.”

The pistol donated by Colt is a Series 70^™ Lightweight Commander chambered in .45 ACP with design features by Wiley Clapp and numerous customizations by premier metalsmith, Pete Single. This unique gun is designated with a special serial number (#1000WCA), the USA Shooting Team’s logo engraved on the slide and Pete Single Metalsmithing inscribed on the dust cover of the receiver.

“The USA Shooting Team is extremely thankful for Colt’s donation in support of our mission to field competitive Olympic and Paralympic Teams and to promote shooting sports overall,” said Buddy DuVall, Executive Director of the USA Shooting Team Foundation. “This unique pistol and the high closing bid it received at auction will help support our athlete programs and preparation for London and the 2012 Games.”

Every part of this pistol enjoys some sort of custom touch; detailed and assembled to ensure proper fit and function. All retaining pins and dovetail sight cuts are a gauge press fit. All critical parts are machined from bar-stock tool steel, heat treated and checked for proper Rockwell hardness. The entire pistol is softened and smoothed for comfort of concealed carry. All edges, corners and holes are chamfered or beveled. The pistol is coated in Ionbond US’s Tungsten DLC (Diamond Like Carbon), an ultra-thin coating that is hard as man-made diamond. Several custom parts were made to enhance trouble-free service life, durability, reliability and accuracy of the pistol.

About Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC

Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC is one of the world’s leading designers, developers and manufacturers of firearms. Colt pistols, revolvers and rifles have been marketed, distributed and sold to law abiding, responsible citizens in the United States and throughout the world for 175 years. Colt operates its manufacturing facility in West Hartford, Connecticut. For more information on Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, please visit www.coltsmfg.com.

About USA Shooting:

USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.