Nighthawk Custom 10-8 1911 Pistol

[Tim-L]

Guys,

I am proud to unveil a new project the folks at Nighthawk Custom is working on for us. We at 10-8 Consulting were searching for someone to produce what we felt to be the best, high end pistol ready for a duty holster right of the box. We wanted features that we felt were necessary for a duty pistol, such as the ability to accept a weaponlight, yet did not seriously compromise its ability to be carried off duty in a concealment holster.

Rob Haught suggested that Hilton Yam and I approach Nighthawk Custom. What we found were a group of extremely talented and dedicated gunsmiths that turned out an outstanding product. After carefully examining their work and wringing out a test gun, we were impressed. But what really brought us over the top was their enthusiasm and willingness to work with us to achieve our vision of a top quality duty pistol that worked as well as it looked.

Here is the final result:

•5” traditional dust cover 1911
•Front and rear cocking serrations on slide
•25 lpi checkered front strap
•Extended mag catch, cleared to prevent trapping magazines
•Forged slide stop with flat ledge for positive manipulation
•GI spec short guide rod and plug
•10-8 Performance rear sight
•Novak dovetail front sight, serrated ramp, .125” wide, tritium dot insert with no outline
•Dawson Precision Light Speed rail, permanently mounted to dust cover
•Long solid trigger with fixed overtravel stop, rear mounted, designed by Hilton Yam and Larry Vickers
•Lanyard loop mainspring housing
•Strong side only safety
•VZ Diamondback grips with 10-8 logo, green/black linen micarta
•Flat head grip screws
•Black Permakote finish

The match barrel, slide and frame are meticulously fit together resulting in a comfortably snug lockup, and silky smooth action.

Retail price is tentatively set for $2495 for the pistol with the Dawson light adapter for the X200 (light not included). All you’ll need to do is mount the included adapter onto your own X200 with a Universal latch and you’re good to go. Pricing is being determined for the pistol without the adapter, since some users may already have Dawson rail guns and the accompanying lights. If you are wrong handed, an ambi safety should be available as an added cost option. And because someone will inevitably ask, no other options are available on this pistol – it’s available in any color as long as it’s matte black, and the Dawson rail is part of the deal.

For those of you living in California, your options are a bit restricted. Nighthawk will be offering an upgrade option to their Talon pistols only where you can get the 10-8 sight and trigger together. The Dawson Light Speed rail will not be available on any Nighthawk Custom 1911 other than the 10-8.

Thanks go out to Mark Stone, Craig Gholson, Ron Phillips, and Kevin Hillhouse from Nighthawk. These guys went out of their way to make sure that the pistol is exactly how we wanted it, and are extremely motivated and responsive.

This pistol will be featured in the upcoming Nighthawk catalog and revised website. If you are interested in adding one of these to your collection, call them up at 877/268-4867 to preorder.

10-8 Consulting has no financial interest in sales of this pistol. We simply wanted to see someone produce what we felt to be the best duty pistol available, given a certain price point. Nighthawk did not disappoint.

Would love to have your thoughts on this project.



The VZ Diamondback pattern grip panels are cut from green and black linen Micarta and etched with the 10-8 logo. These grips provide more traction than traditional checkered wood panels, but are not too aggressive for concealed or plainclothes wear. The combination of 25lpi front checkering, 20lpi MSH, and the Diamondbacks make for rock solid traction on the gun. Special thanks to John VanZyck of VZ Grips for all his help and hustling to get these grips completed in time for this project's unveiling.



Here's the pistol with the outstanding Surefire X200B attached via the Dawson light adapter kit. The X200 will use the Universal latch for proper fit with the Light Speed Rail. The adapter consists of a horseshoe shaped aluminum bracket which screws into the top of the X200 (4 or 6 screw versions are available). A rubber tipped set screw on the front of the mount tightens the adapter against the front of the Light Speed Rail and provides a solid fit.

The light also features the new Surefire DG-18 tape switch, which with minor reshaping works well with the Dawson setup. Momentary and constant on options are at the operator's fingertips.

Thanks to Paul Payne of Dawson Precision and George Syrengelas at Surefire for their help with this part of the project.



The pistol features a flat 20lpi checkered mainspring housing with a recessed lanyard loop. Nothing protrudes from the bottom of the pistol, making this loop extremely unobtrusive and unlikely to bruise your hand during speed reloads. This unit works very well with the Gemtech TRL lanyard that is preferred by the 10-8 crew.



Here's a view of Hilton's 10-8 Performance rear sight. For some discussion regarding this sight, check out this thread on 10-8 Forums:
http://www.10-8forums.com/ubbthreads/sho...p;vc=1&nt=2

More information will be forthcoming on this sight in the next week or so. Look for a feature article by Pat Rogers in the new SWAT magazine, shipping this week to a mailbox near you.

The sight pictured is a preproduction prototype. Production is in the works, and will actually be the primary delay for this project. We expect to see production sights in about a month or so. Stay tuned here for the relevant updates when they are available.



Nighthawk pistols are nicely dehorned, as shown here on the barrel bushing.



Below is a picture of the magazine well beveling. It has the standard Nighthawk bevel where it is scooped into the mainspring housing. This relief dramatically improves reload speed and efficiency, as this area is a critical index of the reload. If you run into a corner here, your reload is snagged.



Tim

 

[Black Majik]

Spectacular! I love those grips. They look very different than the other VZ grips I've seen. Very nice!

 

[Autolycus]

Why the hell did you post that? Dont you know that now I want one so bad. I cant afford one because of stupid college tuition. Maybe if I take a semester off...

 

[Safety First]

I am quite relieved that it is not a light weight commander version, because like someone else mentioned, money is short right now....Too many other things needing my $$$....So even though it is a fantastic gun, I can sleep tonight...BUT maybe you might think about doing the exact same gun in light weight commander version down the road and my cash flow should be much better in next several months,,,, HINT>>>HINT>>>

 

[Kestrel]

Would love to have your thoughts on this project.

Tim,

While some will no doubt have a need for the rail, the majority will prefer no rail. An option without the rail would be very welcome.

If 10-8 has no financial interest from the sales (which is strange, since Nighthawk is selling a product with 10-8's/Hilton's brand name, logo, trigger, lanyard/MSH design and rear sight), you might not have any incentive to have them offer it without a rail. If, however, Hilton or 10-8 were benefitting financially from the sales, it seems it would incent you to have a model sans rail. It would most likely more than triple civilian sales. (I suppose the Talon with 10-8 upgrade would get someone close to that option.)

The design is very close to a COTS offering for many agencies and war groups. Well done. (Nighthawk's ability for volume production, being the limiting factor.)

Really like the MSH mag well bevel. Like the lanyard design. Like the rear sight. Like the trigger. Like the grips.

Since THR is not primarily targeted to LE/MIL (but certainly doesn't exclude them) and you asked, I would offer that 10-8 commission Nighthawk to offer one without rail. It's a very simple request for Nighthawk and as simple a sales multiplier as, "Rinse, Repeat".

Nice gun. Very, very functional. I would 100% buy one without a rail, since I don't need more rails.

Well done!

 

[Seraph]

I don't go for rails, but that's a very nice pistol, indeed. Minus the rail, it looks a hell of a lot like my own carry gun. Love the rear sight. I've been trying to get someone to make me a rear sight like that for a couple of years. Those I've approached have generally just shrugged at my description, but now, with the 10-8 brand attached to it, I'm sure it will make more sense. Oh well, now I'll be able to buy it as a commercial retail product. Nice job, all.

 

[Jim Watson]

There is apparently going to also be a Larry Vickers model Nighthawk.
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=145629
"I am doing a Vickers Tactical 1911 with Nighthawk Custom as the builders - built to my specs- should be a great gun- retail price will be at $2850"

The only Nighthawk I have seen in person was a well made pistol and the owner very high on it. But the notion of a manufacturer putting out guns with the trademark or name of a gunsmith not involved in the actual work does not set well with me. Sorry, guys, but that is dilution of the brand name(s) and will lead to confusion and misrepresentation. If I buy a 10-8 or Vickers labeled gun, it better have H. Yam or Vicker's fingerprints all over it, not just catalog specifications.

 

[Tim-L]

Thanks to all who provided constructive thoughts and criticisms. Let me address some of them here:

1. This pistol was not meant to be all things to all people. 10-8 Consulting started with a handful of cops at the local and federal level. Our mission was to provide services and help out those who carry a gun for a living. While we certainly do not exclude everyday citizens, our focus is the guy who carries a gun on the job whether it is in a military or law enforcement uniform. With that in mind, we wanted a pistol set up in a format that was specifically geared toward military or law enforcement duty use. In our collective opinion, every duty gun should have a dedicated white light on it. Once the light is removed, the rail does not add any noticeable bulk and you still retain quite a few options when it comes to holster availability.

If you do not wish to have a light, but still like the pistol, sight and trigger setup, you can order a Nighthawk Talon with the 10-8 Performance Trigger/Sight upgrade.

2. It may seem odd that we do not make any money off the 10-8 pistol (or any of the products we endorse, save some small parts that Hilton Yam has designed, such as the rear sight). That being said, it is true. Our mission is to promote gear that we, ourselves, would carry into harms way.

3. Safety First, don't hold your breath on a 10-8 endorsed LW Commander version. Our primary philosophy is geared toward steel framed Government Model pattern pistols for maximum reliability and durability.

4. As for the branding comment, that is your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it. However, keep in mind that Hilton's waiting list is approaching a decade long, and since his full time LE job and other responsibilities precludes him from gunsmithing 40 hrs a week, it is unlikely that there will be many new customers that will be able to get a pistol from him. Rest assured that all guns out of his shop will be uniquely marked.

Also, remember that Hilton's shop is only a part of the 10-8 Consulting family, and we do other things besides watch Hilton build 1911s. What we found was an increasing demand for a pistol ready for a duty holster without modification, with the features we felt were necessary on a working gun. There was no way Hilton would have the time to build these.

We received constant inquiries asking for viable alternatives for a high quality working gun from people who cannot wait 5 years to get a custom 1911, and realized there was a need and someone had to fill it.

All of us at 10-8 had our hand in helping develop the specifications and guidelines for Nighthawk in building the 10-8 model 1911. We feel that this is the best option, in its price range, for an out of the box working gun. Suffice it to say, we worked hard looking for viable options. Nighthawk met or exceeded our expectations in every way, from their customer service, and attention to detail, to their build quality and eagerness to meet the end user's needs. We all feel comfortable, no, we are proud to have Nighthawk put the 10-8 brand on the side of this pistol.

Tim

 

[Kestrel]

Tim,

Thanks for the response and further clarification. You guys have definitely succeeded in your design goals, with that gun. It seems to be as close to perfect for it's mission intent as I've seen. It seems that Nighthawk is indeed a good partner for this project.

By the way, is there anything missing from a Talon, with the 10-8 upgrade, other than the rail, that the 10-8 comes with?

Thanks again.

 

[Correia]

Very pretty. I've had a couple of Nighthawks come through the shop now, and I've got to say that they are very impressive guns.

 

[Leadbutt]

Tim-L great looking pistol, jope all your memebers now and in the future are right handed. ONly thing I see that would have to be changed for department type issue in my AO is having the ambi safety

Bet she shoots way better than it looks

 

[Tim-L]

Good point. As stated in the original post, there is an option to upgrade the 10-8 pistol to an ambi-safety at a nominal charge.

You do not lose any features if you upgrade the Talon model with the 10-8 performance sight/trigger package, other than the Dawson Rail and the 10-8 markings on the slide/grip panels.

Tim

 

[dmallind]

Don't know if I'll be heading back into the $2.5K range again for a long time but if I do that one will get serious consideration. Nighthawk came in 2nd to EB on my first foray into that price range and the sights and trigger setup on this are sweet. Nice gun indeed.