formed in 2004
Berryville, Arkansas
- Mark Stone is a founder and the owner
- gunsmiths who worked for Wilson Combat
- Custom pistols fully customizable from finishes to sights to grip design
- Tactical branch of Nighthawk specializes in military and home defense products rather than collectible or competition pistols
About Nighthawk Custom
Nighthawk Custom is a high-end firearms maker in Berryville, Arkansas, best known for hand-built 1911 pistols based on John Moses Browning’s classic design. Four people founded the company in 2004, and ownership was later consolidated under Mark Stone. Its slogan, “One Gun, One Gunsmith,” describes its build process: a single gunsmith oversees each pistol and its parts from start to finish, and the finished gun is stamped with that gunsmith’s mark after test firing.
Nighthawk has grown from about 50 employees in its first decade to roughly 85 by 2022, helped by a 2018 expansion partly funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. It became the exclusive U.S. importer and distributor of German-made Korth revolvers in 2016 and later of Italian Cosmi shotguns. It also partnered with Federal Premium Ammunition, which approached Nighthawk in 2019 to help develop a new cartridge and pistol; the result was the .30 Super Carry, released in early 2022. Berryville is also home to the Saunders Memorial Museum, profiled on Minuteman University.com.
Key Facts
- 2004: Founded in Berryville, Arkansas, by four partners
- 2015: Selected by Guns & Ammo to design a limited 100-pistol collectible 1911
- 2016: Becomes exclusive U.S. importer and distributor of Korth revolvers
- 2018: Announces a new building for 20 gunsmiths and 10 support staff
- Early 2022: .30 Super Carry cartridge released after development with Federal
- 2022: About 85 employees
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Sources
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