The Double Agent by Nighthawk Custom

Nighthawk Custom and Agency Arms have once again collaborated to create a true beauty of a pistol. The Double Agent is the most concealed carry-friendly double-stack 1911 that Nighthawk has made yet. If you’ve seen or held a Nighthawk Custom pistol, you know the quality of the materials used to build these guns, how perfect the fit of each part is, and how reliable a Nighthawk pistol is. Each gun is built from start to finish by one gunsmith. Let’s dive into the details of the Double Agent and why you need one in your life. 

Double Agent’s Perfect Texture

I get why it’s named the Double Agent. If looks could kill, this pistol would surely do the job. I have seen and shot many Nighthawk Custom pistols, but the Double Agent has the most intricately designed texture that’s aesthetically pleasing and practical. Clean lines separate the back strap, front strap, and side grip, but that perfect texturing covers the entire grip.

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The front and rear of the slide also feature this texturing, with slightly more aggression to make it easier to rack the slide using different techniques. I prefer using the web of my thumb and forefinger to rest on each side of the front of the slide to chamber a round. The C-clamp method can also be used on the rear of the gun with the palm of your hand and four fingers gripping each side of the slide to rack it. This texturing makes the gun comfortable to carry on the body, with a more aggressive texture where it matters most.

More is Always Better

You should carry the largest pistol with the most capacity that you can comfortably conceal on your body. There is no such thing as too many rounds. I have been participating in scenario-based training more often at WOFT using simulation guns and ammo. I have had my gun malfunction, seen other firearms malfunction, and I’ve run out of rounds in a gunfight and needed to reload. This training alone has taught me the value of carrying a spare magazine and the largest pistol possible.

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Even with a more compact, shorter, and thinner aluminum grip, the Double Agent double-stack 1911 carries more rounds than comparable carry pistols. The gun comes with two magazines from Nighthawk, each with a capacity of 16 rounds. The width of the Double Agent is 1.4 inches. If you’re familiar with popular polymer “slim-framed” pistols, the width of those guns varies from 1.0 to 1.1 inches. These guns range from 10 to 12, 13, or even 15 rounds of capacity, still less than the Double Agent.

Easy to Conceal

Traditional, full-size, steel-framed 1911 pistols are too heavy and bulky for me to carry concealed. In winter, I can usually get away with carrying a full-size 1911 with several layers of clothing to help conceal the pistol. The key is to try to avoid blatant and obvious printing as much as possible. I wasn’t sure if I could conceal the Double Agent pistol on my body well enough to feel comfortable wearing it in public. I knew the commander-length barrel wouldn’t be an issue, but I wasn’t sure how well the grip would tuck into my body. As with any new concealed carry pistol, I knew it would take the right holster to make it work. Enter Versacarry.

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The Covert Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) holster from Versacarry makes the Double Agent not only concealable but also highly comfortable to carry because of the high sweat guard design. The holster is made with a polymer insert sandwiched between leather layers to maintain its structure and prevent it from collapsing. The Covert holster covers the trigger guard, and three Chicago screws near the trigger guard allow you to adjust the tension of the holster. The high sweat guard design ensures the grip, slide, and 1911-style safety don’t rub against your skin. 

Belt It On

My final concern for the Double Agent pistol was keeping the fully loaded pistol supported in the holster on my waistline. A proper, rigid, and comfortable concealed carry belt is a must. I use the Constantine Carry Belt to carry a gun at the 4 o’clock position, but it can also be used for Appendix carry. This belt is designed with a rigid reinforced area to support the weight of a loaded firearm at whatever position you carry, with high-strength military-grade elastic that makes up the rest of the belt. The belt has two adjustment ladder loop positions to make it easy to adjust tension without removing the belt.

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Red Dot Ready & Co-Witness Iron Sights

With Nighthawk Custom, you can order the Double Agent pistol to be outfitted with iron sights only, or like the one I was sent, with a Trijicon RMR and co-witness iron sights. A unique feature of the Double Agent is that the rear sight sits in front of the RMR red dot optic, making it even easier to co-witness your iron sights. The front sight is Tritium, so even in the dark, you can look through the RMR window and see the red dot and a glowing front sight.

What Recoil?

The overall weight of the Double Agent pistol contributes to the little felt recoil when shooting it with different velocity ammunition. Even though this pistol isn’t compensated, and the barrel has no ports, it is still significantly flat shooting. The ammunition I tested through this pistol clocked in at about 1,100 feet per second out of the 4.25-inch barrel. The Double Agent easily fed every type of bullet profile and had zero malfunctions cycling the different ammunition types. It even performed well with the Super Vel +P ammunition, which had the slowest velocity but the best accuracy.

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Final Thoughts 

You can never go wrong with investing in a Nighthawk Custom pistol. It will last generations and is a gun that can quickly become a family heirloom. If you had to pick one gun to trust your life to, you can trust the Double Agent pistol. The pistol’s ergonomics fit any hand size and is easily concealable with the right holster. It reliably feeds multiple types of ammunition and can be trusted to run if you ever end up in a defensive situation and must deploy the Double Agent.

Nighthawk Custom Double Agent Specifications 

Nighthawk Custom Double Agent Performance

Hornady Black 124-grain XTP
Average Velocity	1,152 FPS
Best Group	2.23 inches
Federal Personal Defense Punch 124-grain JHP
Average Velocity	1,144 FPS
Best Group	1.40 inches
SuperVel +P 115-grain SCHP
Average Velocity	1,076 FPS
Best Group	1.14 inches
Hop Munitions 124-grain JHP
Average Velocity	1,151 FPS
Best Group	1.60 inches
Fiocchi Defense Dynamics 115-grain JHP
Average Velocity	995 FPS
Best Group	2.09 inches

(5 Rounds Shot at 20 yards and Chronographed using the Garmin Xero C1 Pro)