Tag Archives: SHOT Show 2017

An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age

Posted on by Leave a comment

At SHOT Show last month I saw a bunch or really sweet 1911s  and shot a few (the rebooted Colt Combat Commander is squared away), but I have to admit, the nicest of the pack were (IMHO) the 1911’s of Berryville, Arkansas-based Nighthawk Custom.

These guys are the Jedi knights of the next-level longslide experience and I have long admired their work.

Their new Tri-Cut Carry was formulated by one of their gunsmiths as part of a successful application for the American Pistolsmiths Guild and features a flattened trigger and a very futuristic styling to go along with Heinie Ledge Straight Eight Tritium rear and Nighthawk tritium front sights. The distinctive tri-cut continues throughout the gun, making the grip more narrow which Nighthawk’s owner Mark Stone told me has been well received by those with smaller hands.

dsc_0591
Another new entry for Nighthawk is The Turnbull VIP, or Very Impressive Pistol. The collaboration between Stone and Doug Turnbull of Turnbull finishes produced a limited run of heirloom firearms whose case hardened frame and cross cut mastodon ivory grips vary from gun to gun, making each one unique. Crowned barrels, custom triggers and a complete dehorning make the guns not only beautiful but functional as well.

dsc_0597
More in my column at Guns.com

Hanging out at SHOT Show

Posted on by Leave a comment

Whelp, back from the annual gathering of the gun tribes in Las Vegas. Saw some interesting things. Did some interesting things. I think the biggest stories, besides the new SIG M17, is was the Hudson H9 and the SilencerCo Maxim 9.

Prefaced by a quiet build up over the past few weeks via social media, the H9 melds a full-sized 9mm semi-auto to a striker-fired pistol with a crisp 1911 trigger that has a .115-inch travel. But the innovative handgun with its cyberpunk panache didn’t just hatch fully formed from an egg last month.

More here.

Then there is the Maxim. The pistol, a 9mm that accepts double-stack Glock 17 magazines, can be arranged in either a short or a long configuration– both of which are suppressed. The difference in length between the two options is about an inch, with the full-size configuration measuring 10.75-inches overall and the abbreviated one taping out at 9.54-inches, which is about an inch longer than a standard 1911. Weight varies between 37-39 ounces.

More in the video below and in this piece in my column over at Guns.com.