Nighthawk Custom’s
Colt Series 70

No matter what anyone thinks of the basic Model 1911 pistol, its track record is the gold standard.

It’s chambered for the venerable .45 ACP cartridge, helped win two world wars and saw action in a number of other small conflicts. It has been popular with American law enforcement, and millions of armed private citizens have relied on it for personal, family and home protection for generations. It’s the most cloned, customized and recognizable semi-auto pistol on the landscape.

I’ve shot the 1911 in pistol matches, carried one on an almost daily basis for several years, worked up a couple of handloads for my personal pistols and keep one handy for home defense.

Nighthawk Custom has taken the timeless classic, the Colt Government Model Series 70, and overhauled it with several functional and aesthetic upgrades. This ain’t your grandpa’s pistol.

Custom Touches

Like the original military-issued models, the Nighthawk Custom Colt Series 70 pistol is not a classy show horse and was not designed to spend its life hiding in a safe. This is a workhorse with a stallion pedigree. It has everything you need in a handgun — and nothing you don’t.

Let’s start with looks. A Government-size frame with a 5″ barrel and 7-round capacity, the frame and slide are finished in a “Smoked Nitride,” giving the gun an aged, but handsome look that contrasts nicely against the checkered wood grips. Lacking from the frame is an accessory rail, but I happen to like the basic, more traditional profile.

What isn’t basic, however, is the match-grade, solid short trigger. I own a number of 1911s made by various manufacturers, including a couple of Colt Commanders and one full-size model customized by the late Richard Niemer, and found my hand size and finger length prefers a short trigger.

Nighthawk’s Colt Series 70 model is also fitted with a fully machined retro rear sight and a dovetailed front sight fitted with a 14k gold bead, as well as a beavertail grip safety, flat mainspring housing, match-grade barrel bushing and fully machined disconnector, sear, hammer strut and pin.

Each pistol has a Nighthawk Custom 19-lb. mainspring and 17-lb. recoil spring, plus a Nighthawk Custom extra power firing pin spring.

Add to that the polishing work done on the feed ramp, extractor, ejector, slide stop and magazine release and the result is a “serious business” handgun — one you would reach for when you need a pistol and really need it now.

Perhaps the best thing about the Nighthawk Custom Colt Series 70 is it will tuck into just about any holster built for the Model 1911 — and there are 1911 holsters everywhere. It will tuck into a traditional military flap holster, the tanker shoulder/chest holster or any IWB/OWB rig.

Based in Arkansas, Nighthawk Custom offers custom pistols, revolvers and shotguns that appeal to a broad range of shooters looking for something special. For those who prefer simplicity, the Colt Series 70 should be a top choice. MSRP is $2,599.

For more info:
www.nighthawkcustom.com , Ph: (877) 268-4867

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