When His Editorship asked me if I wanted to test a Nighthawk Custom pistol, it only took me a second to respond. Did he really think I was going to pass up an opportunity to work with a high-end, well-crafted pistol? I may be from the country, but I’m not slow! I jumped all over the chance. Roy and I had the pleasure of visiting with Mark Stone, head honcho at Nighthawk Custom, at SHOT Show. I mentioned I am an avid hog hunter, and Mark was kind enough to offer to send a Heinie Long Slide 6″ 10mm. This pistol just screams hunting. Mark deduced I’m a card-carrying member of AARP and sent the pistol topped with a Trijicon RMR reflex optic; geezers like me need optical enhancement.
The test gun arrived in a professional-looking green gun bag with the Nighthawk Custom logo eloquently embroidered in gold. The pistol inside was equally impressive. At first glance, it looked like something our Navy SEALs pack around — all business-like. The full-size frame handles and balances well with the 6″ match-grade barrel. It’s no compact, with an overall length of 9.65″ and a height of 5.4″.
This pistol just plain feels good. Grips on my test sample were G10 “black alien” with an aggressive texture and Nighthawk logo. Sweaty hands will not slip and slide under recoil on these. Sights of my test model consisted of suppressor-height Trijicon tritium units. They have sharp, vivid outer white rings around tritium dots for easy, quick sight acquisition. This particular pistol had been upgraded with a cut and mount for Trijicon’s RMR optic, and the raised sights allowed co-witnessing through it. The unloaded pistol tipped the scales around 48 oz. with the optic.
Another upgrade featured on this pistol was the Shadow Camo Urban Gray finish. This subtle camo pattern wasn’t flashy with a ton of bling — just nice and stealthy looking. There would be no glare to worry about under bright sunlight and the urban gray finish looked good to boot.
The distinctive 25 lines-per-inch checkered front strap and mainspring housing provide a comfortable and positive gripping surface. Rear cocking serrations can be easily accessed with the RMR reflex sight in place, making slide manipulation painless. The tri-cavity trigger’s made from lightweight aluminum, featuring light serrations on a slight curvature of the surface. This custom pistol also featured a new ultra hi-cut front strap. This professional-looking Heinie Long Slide was shipped with two magazines with capacities of 9 rounds, providing plenty of firepower for any big, mean hogs I might come across.
