Nighthawk Custom Falcon 45 ACP

An excellent production/custom grade handgun. The Nighthawk is very smooth, the finish is excellent, and the combat ability was judged the best of the test. The pistol’s accuracy cannot be faulted. It takes a very good shot to make the most of this handgun.

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GUN TESTS GRADE: A

$3,699

This was a recent ordering price direct from NighthawkCustom.com. The Falcon is a 5-inch-barrel Government Model-type 1911 without a frame rail. Among the Nighthawk’s features is a mainspring housing and magazine well custom built from tool steel and de-horned to prevent sharp edges. The forward portion of the slide has what Nighthawk calls High Power-type slide cuts. There are three ball-cut grooves in the top of the slide. The sights are Heinie Ledge types with the Straight Eight (stacked dots) tritium night-sight inserts, same as the Guncrafter. The grips are G10 and give the user plenty of adhesion and abrasion and are slightly thinner than some of the other grips tested. Most of the raters liked this design better than some of the thicker grips. The mainspring is checkered at 25 lines per inch (lpi), while the rear of the slide is checkered at 40 lpi to match the rear sight serrations. The barrel crown and smooth recoil spring plug present interesting architecture.

Action TypeShort recoil-operated locked breech, single action
Overall Length8.6 in.
Overall Height5.5 in.
Max. Width1.25 in.
Weight Unloaded38.8 oz.
Weight Loaded43.8 oz.
Slide MaterialForged Steel
Slide Retraction Effort19.0 lbs.
ReceiverSteel
FinishBlack Nitride
Front Strap Height2.6 in.
Back Strap Height3.2 in.
Barrel Length5.0 in.
Grip Thickness Max.1.25 in.
Grip Circumference5.2 in.
MagazinesTwo 8 round
Rear SightHeinie Straight Eight Ledge
Front SightTritium Insert
Sight Radius6.51 in.
Trigger Pull Weight4.2 lbs.
Trigger Span2.8 in.
SafetySlide lock safety/grip safety
WarrantyNone written
Telephone(870) 423-4867
WebsiteNighthawkCustom.com
Made InUSA
The Nighthawk Custom Falcon is a brilliantly fast-handling handgun. Note the spent case by the muzzle and one target loosened from the target backer by rapid fire 45 ACP impact.
The pistol is de-horned for carry use. After all, no matter how expensive these handguns are, each was designed as a personal-defense handgun. The front strap is nicely checkered and features a high cut that lowers the bore axis. The slide stop is nubbed and the frame beveled in the same manner as the Guncrafter. The match-grade barrel features chamber flutes, which may make cleaning easier and are eye catching. The stainless barrel bushing is finger tight. and disassembly isn’t difficult. The trigger is very crisp, with a small take up before meeting 4.2 pounds of compression. The Nighthawk is supplied with two Act Mag magazines.

The Nighthawk is expensive, but it exhibits many desirable features. It is well fitted and finished. The Nighthawk wedge-type slide design is a nice touch. The slide ball cuts are well done. A tritium front sight adds to the pistol’s utility.

During the firing test, the Nighthawk never failed to feed, chamber, fire, or eject. Operation was flawless. We really like the sight design the Nighthawk shares with the Guncrafter. The High Power cut in the slide allows racking the slide as you would with forward cocking serrations. Perhaps not as sure, and perhaps that is not the intent, but some of us do not like the looks of forward cocking serrations. The Nighthawk Falcon’s performance on the combat firing line was the best of any of the handguns. The Nighthawk simply rained bullets into a tight group. We fired from standing, firing quickly at close range, and also from a braced barricade at longer ranges. Per our estimation, the Nighthawk Falcon was the most accurate in combat terms in firing off hand. The Guncrafter Industries 45 and the Springfield Loaded Operator were very close in this contest, but the Nighthawk pulled away from them to a larger degree as the target got smaller and the range was further.

Our Team Said: In the Nighthawk we found an exceptional handgun, without compromise, and without fault. The Nighthawk is worth the money, even better if you find one at a lower price.

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45 ACP Range Data.xlsx

Fiocchi XTPHP 200-grain 45XTPB25Dan Wesson 1911 HeritageSpringfield Armory Loaded OperatorNighthawk FalconDevil Dog 4.25 Standard Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity970 fps954 fps951 fps899 fps922 fps
Muzzle Energy418 ft.-lbs. 404 ft.-lbs.402 ft.-lbs. 359 ft.-lbs. 377 ft.-lbs.
Small Group1.8 in.2.0 in.1.5 in.2.2 in. 1.4 in.
Average Group2.4 in.2.5 in.2.0 in.2.7 in. 1.8 in.
Hornady Custom 230-grain XTP +P 9096Dan Wesson 1911 HeritageSpringfield Armory Loaded OperatorNighthawk FalconDevil Dog 4.25 Standard Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity919 fps907 fps903 fps867 fps880 fps
Muzzle Energy431 ft.-lbs.420 ft.-lbs.416 ft.-lbs.384 ft.-lbs. 395 ft.-lbs.
Small Group2.0 in.2.2 in.1.7 in.2.4 in. 1.6 in.
Average Group2.4 in.2.6 in.2.1 in.3.0 in. 2.0 in.
Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 230-grain GDHP 23975GDDan Wesson 1911 HeritageSpringfield Armory Loaded OperatorNighthawk FalconDevil Dog 4.25 Standard Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity855 fps839 fps828 fps810 fps780 fps
Muzzle Energy373 ft.-lbs.359 ft lbs.350 ft.-lbs.335 ft.-lbs. 311 ft.-lbs.
Small Group1.9 in.1.8 in.1.6 in.2.6 in. 1.7 in.
Average Group2.4 in.2.4 in.2.1 in.3.3 in. 2.0 in.

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