Nighthawk Custom Shadow Hawk Long Slide

Nighthawk Custom was founded in 2004 in Berryville, Arkansas, and each of its pistols is built by a single gunsmith under its One Gun, One Gunsmith approach. The Shadow Hawk Long Slide is one of its more distinctive designs, pairing a 6-inch barrel with a Government-size frame.

The slide is what gives the Shadow Hawk its name and look. Nighthawk replaces the traditional radius cut with a ball-cut profile and adds wider, more aggressive front and rear cocking serrations. The long slide stretches the sight radius to 7.42 inches, which helps with precise aiming.

This is the base configuration in .45 ACP, with 10mm offered as an option. The match-grade barrel is hand-fitted, throated and crowned flush with an oversized bushing, and the feed ramp is polished. The frame is steel with a black nitride finish, and the grips are G10 in black and gray with a spiral cut and the Nighthawk logo.

The sights are built for low light. The rear is Nighthawk's fully adjustable sight with dual tritium lamps, paired with a tritium front for a three-dot look. The flat-faced aluminum trigger breaks at 3.5 to 3.75 pounds. A one-piece magwell, an ultra high-cut front strap and full dehorning finish the package.

It's 9.65 inches long and weighs 42 ounces empty. Capacity is eight rounds, and two magazines are included.

If you want a long-slide 1911 that looks modern and aims precisely, the Shadow Hawk Long Slide stands out in any case. The long sight radius and tritium sights make it a capable shooter in low light too, not just a showpiece.