Target Luke Littler G1 Darts Review – The Nuke's Championship Barrel

Luke Littler won the 2025 PDC World Championship at 17, the youngest player ever to do so. The G1 is the barrel he played with throughout that campaign and continues to use in competition. Target has been working with him since he was 12, and the G1 reflects years of refinement around a specific throwing style: straight barrel, front-weighted grip position, dart that gets out of the hand cleanly.

This is not a dart designed to suit every player. The grip is concentrated toward the front and centre, the profile is straight with no taper, and the philosophy throughout is consistency rather than versatility. If that matches how you throw, it is worth a close look.

Design and Build

The G1 is machined from 90% tungsten with a straight barrel profile from tip to tail. Three weights are available for steel tip:

The barrel is finished in black PVD coating, which gives it the distinctive look and adds some protection to the tungsten. The coating will show wear over time with regular use, which is a common trait of PVD-finished darts across the market. The machining underneath is precise, and buyers consistently describe the weight matching across a set of three as very good.

The Grip

Target calls this dual pixel grip: a combination of precision-milled pixel cuts and radial grooves that runs from the front of the barrel through the centre section. The texture is generated by small raised sections left by the machining process rather than cut grooves alone, which gives a distinctive feel compared to standard knurl or ring grips.

The grip is concentrated in the front two-thirds of the barrel. Front and mid grippers get consistent purchase wherever their fingers naturally settle. Rear grippers find there is less texture to anchor on further back, which is a genuine limitation rather than a criticism of the design — Luke throws from the front, and the barrel reflects that. Players who need uniform grip along the full barrel length will get more from something with coverage across the whole surface.

The overall intensity is toward the grippier end of the scale. Buyers who have come from smoother polished barrels generally find the transition straightforward. Players who prefer very light or smooth grips tend to find it a step too far.

Colourways

The standard G1 comes in the black and yellow colourway associated with Littler’s match setup. Target has released limited editions with different finishes alongside the standard model. The core barrel geometry and grip pattern are the same across variants.

Swiss Point Tips

Each set ships with 26mm black Swiss Points and a tool for changing them. The interchangeable tip system lets you swap to a different point length or style without threading on a replacement, which is useful if you go through points regularly or want to experiment with different configurations. The patented locking system keeps the point secure during play without wobble.

What’s in the Box

• 3 × Target Luke Littler G1 90% tungsten barrels with Swiss Points fitted
• 3 × 26mm black Swiss Points
• 3 × yellow Pro Grip short shafts (34mm)
• 3 × Nuke No.2 signature flights
• 1 × Swiss Point tool
• Special edition presentation box

The Pro Grip shafts are a solid inclusion with Target’s flight-locking system built in. The Nuke No.2 flights are the narrower profile associated with Littler’s match setup and fly consistently for players who prefer a more penetrating trajectory.

What People Are Saying

The G1 gets strong marks from buyers, with the grip and weight consistency drawing the most consistent praise. The dual pixel texture is frequently described as one of the better production grips available, particularly by front grippers who find it gives a confident, repeatable release point. The weight matching across sets of three gets positive comments from players who have experienced variation with cheaper darts.

The main criticism is price, with some buyers feeling that at full RRP the signature premium is doing some of the work. Stock availability is also raised regularly — the G1 sells out quickly when new batches land. The PVD coating showing wear over time is a known issue, though most buyers accept this as the trade-off for the finish.

Which Players Do They Suit?

The G1 suits front and mid grippers who want a straight barrel with a grippy, front-loaded texture and the convenience of Swiss Points built in. Players who have seen Littler’s game and want to understand what he is throwing will find it matches the description exactly.

It is less suited to rear grippers who need texture at the back of the barrel, players who prefer a tapered or torpedo profile rather than a straight one, or anyone after the most value for money at this price point. If the grip philosophy does not match how you naturally hold a dart, no amount of quality construction will overcome that mismatch.

The Verdict

The G1 is a well-made dart built around Littler’s precise preferences: a straight barrel, dual pixel grip concentrated at the front, and the Swiss Point system for practical tip management. The quality is genuine rather than badge-engineered, and the grip technology is distinctive enough to stand out on its own merits separate from the signature association.

Whether it justifies the price depends on where you buy it and how much weight you put on Swiss Points as a standard inclusion. At the lower end of the retail range the value is much easier to defend. At full RRP you are paying for the complete package, and for some players the grip and barrel geometry alone will make that straightforward to justify.