Nowlin 9mm target pistol in two tone. In the 90s John Nowlin Sr. established himself as one of the top builders of quality pistols and competition pistol parts. Like many in the industry, Johns foray into manufacturing was competitive shooting. He wanted to gain a competitive edge personally, and towards the end, he started manufacturing the best barrels and parts in the world. It wasn’t long before top shooters began seeking John’s products in order to place themselves in the same winner’s circle. Soon thereafter he became an member of the American Pistolsmith’s Guild and served as a mentor to many well-known names in the shooting industry. Over the years, Nowlin sponsored shooters enjoyed considerable success in USPSA, Bianchi Cup, and IDPA events. John’s custom pistols hung more victories and created more champions than any custom shop in the 90’s. He understood what professional shooters wanted (and more importantly needed) to win. This 9mm 1911 Nowlin lacks the “everything meticulously radius’d and blended” aesthetic of many sought after 1911s today, but it feels like an aerospace engineer put it together. Everything is hard fit and the sum of its parts articulate to make it feel like a precision instrument. In other words, it was purpose built, so it wasn’t supposed to be pretty. So why do I find it so pretty? Grips by Craig Spegel because we are not animals.
Scattered Shots 