How ordering works: This is made-to-order, customizing a build we already have in the Nighthawk queue (shortening the 2-3 year wait time). Reserve your spot with a $500 non-refundable deposit, or pay the base price in full (and upgrades upon completion). Customize your pistol above — any upgrade cost is added to your balance, which we confirm with you before the gun ships.

Estimated lead time: 14–18 months.

Not sure what upgrades? Here's how we usually spec this out: Kept traditional — most add a tritium or fiber-optic front sight; ambi safety optional.

The GI Plus is our most traditional expression of the 1911 platform—a handmade American icon shaped by service history, refined through craftsmanship, and guided by intent. Every design decision balances visual harmony with authenticity, recognizing that the 1911, when rendered correctly, is inherently beautiful.

As the most historically inspired 1911 Nighthawk Custom produces, the GI Plus draws from pistols carried by American servicemen and civilians alike throughout the last century. Rather than tracing a timeline of incremental innovations, it distills what endures. Vertical rear cocking serrations, WWI-era inspired rollmarks that echo early stamped markings, and a deep, fully blued finish establish a profile that feels deliberate, balanced, and timeless.

Standard features

• Blued finish
• All Fully Machined parts
• Government size frame and 5" barrel
• Hand fit frame and slide
• Hand fit match grade .45 ACP barrel
• Throated barrel
• Polished feed ramp
• GI rear sight
• 14k gold bead front sight
• Ring hammer
• Cocobolo grips with Nighthawk Custom medallion
• 30 lines per inch checkered front strap and mainspring housing
• Hand blended grip safety
• Classic GI serrations
• Patent dates on slide
• Shortened slide stop and beveled frame
• Medium, solid trigger
• GI nub thumb safety
• Hand polished ignition components
• Custom trigger job set with 3.5 to 3.75 pound trigger
• Tuned and polished extractor
• Hand fit firing pin stop
• Smooth recoil spring plug
• Completely dehorned for comfortable carry
• Hand beveled edges
• Ultra Hi-Cut Front Strap
• Includes two 7-round magazines