I figured to post this on S&W Forum, since I know there are many here who enjoy fine handguns. I’ve written quite a bit about this pistol over the last couple of years since I acquired my first one. In fact, I blogged about it last fall along with my friend Tom (Yuns on the forums) here:
Review: A Taste for the Fine,The Korriphila HSP 701 - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog
The Korriphila HSP 701 was developed and patented by Edgar Budischowsky in Germany in the late 1970’s. Budischowsky was a Czech gun designer who lived and worked in Heidelberg, Germany. The HSP was introduced in 1984 and was built on a fully custom basis to order. For its construction, the primary focus was build quality. Busischowsky’s goal was not only to build the finest pistol in all the land, but also to give it the reliability and accuracy to match. Costs were barely a concern at all. The gun was never produced for any service, so it didn’t suffer from a limited budget or design requirements. It was there so folks with a taste for the fine and the means to have it could indulge in the best of the best. Back in 1984, the handgun world was much different and, in many ways, the Korriphila was one of the first of its kind. Base price in 1984 was about $2000, so it was not for the faint of heart.
Production numbers are a bit sketchy. From what I understand, these pistols were built at a rate of about 30 per year. However, they were not built continuously. The HSP was introduced sometime in 1984. The pistols produced in 1984 and 1985 had a “0” serial number block, mine being 023. In 1986, Budischowsky produced guns under the 700 serial block. In 1987 it was the 800 serial block. There was also a 900 serial block from the early 1990’s. Why the designer used these blocks of numbers instead of one continuous string, I have no idea. I’m sure it had something to do with minor changes that were made along the way or just a way to organize the production years. I am of the belief that less 400 pistols were built in total throughout the years, but the exact number is a bit of a mystery.
The first iteration of the pistol was that of a 4” DA/SA 45ACP defense pistol. That was the original configuration of the HSP. However, it was also offered with a 5” barrel and the buyer’s choice of eight different calibers. Despite these choices, I’d venture to say that probably two thirds of all Korriphila pistols built were chambered in 45ACP, with just about all the rest chambered in 9mm Luger. The gun was intended for self defense and almost all of them were of DA/SA configuration, regardless of the barrel length. However, Budsischowsky did build a few Target/Competition models with SAO trigger systems. Again, this was an option for a price to the buyer. The single stack magazines hold seven rounds of 45ACP or nine rounds of 9mm. The pistol itself always appeared to me that it was aimed primarily at the American market, hence the caliber it was designed for. Even some of the test targets are measured in yards instead of meters, which is quite rare for a German handgun. This one happens to be in meters, however.
The design itself is that of a roller delayed blowback, similar to that of an HK P9S, but of Budischowsky’s own interpretation. It works exceedingly well. While I haven’t shot this pistol yet, it does a fantastic job dampening the recoil of my 4” 45ACP. Based on that, this one should be a breeze. Delayed blowback pistols come in all shapes and sizes, some work great, others may as well have not been delayed at all. Budischowsky’s system is one of the best and most effective I’ve ever seen. The barrel is fixed to the frame and field striping is initiated by pulling down on the two levers on each side of the trigger guard. Once the slide and frame are separated, the bolt and firing pin assembly can be removed for cleaning by pressing in the small lever on the right side of the slide near the serrations. The HSP 701 features a firing pin safety on all pistols and a decocker on the DA/SA variety.
Construction, refinement, attention to detail, and overall quality of the HSP is simply as good as it gets. All parts are cut from high quality carbon steel blocks. The part fitting is almost beyond belief, and the metal work rivals any of the custom 1911 builders of today. Shaking the gun yields no rattle. It actually makes no noise at all. While I own many guns that do the same thing, the Korriphila literally feels like one solid piece of steel in my hands. The level of forming and machining of the parts is just way off the charts and I made a feeble attempt to illustrate that with my pictures. The cross hatching on the front, backstrap, and trigger guard is beautifully done and matches the checkering on the fine walnut grips. The top of the slide is very nicely serrated as well. Seriously, there is nothing better that I’ve owned or handled from a quality and craftsmanship standpoint. The roll marking is perfect. Even the magazines are amazingly well built and better than many complete guns I own. I put the Korriphila way above the Mastershop Sig Sauers, Pardinis, Performance Center Smith & Wessons, and the like. I even put it above the old custom Sphinx pistols from Switzerland, which is really saying something because those are very hard to beat. I guess the only semi auto pistols that I put on this level are the older forged Swiss Sig P210-5 or —6 target pistols from the 1960’s and 1970’s and the very rare Korth Autopistol, built about the same time as the Korriphila. Of course, the prices of those are about as outrageous as this gun, if not more so in some cases.
Amazingly, the HSP manages to achieve this perfection from a construction and refinement standpoint, yet somehow still has plenty of character and “personality”. I have a couple of Korth revolvers that are literally mechanical perfection, but they are a bit stark and cold, lacking the character that I feel is important in firearm production.
My latest addition is a very rare SAO Target model chambered 9mm. It has the 5” barrel, which is an inch longer than my other HSP. This is number 827 from 1987, hence the “IH” date code stamp. As mentioned above, 827 does not represent the 827th pistol built. Its simply the 27th pistol built in the 800 serial number block. Actual production numbers were much lower than that. As for this gun itself, it’s a true work of art. It’s the perfect scenario. We have an extremely talented gun designer and builder working with immense passion and no budget. Handguns like this are the reason I love this hobby as much as I do. I took more macro pictures than usual. As I mentioned above, I’m tried my best to show all the painstaking attention to detail and incredible construction prowess that Budischowsky was able to muster. The SAO model obviously differs from the more common DA/SA model in a couple of ways. The biggest visual differences are the trigger position and the addition of the right side thumb safety. Not surprisingly, this target model also has different (larger) sights than does my 4” defense model. In fact, the rear adjustable sight on this firearm is very large and robust. This pistol is a heavyweight at 44oz unloaded. I just love heavy target pistols.
The condition of this example is exemplary. There is no bluing loss or scratches. There may be a very small handling mark or two from the past 30 years. If I were to rate it, I’d put it at 98 to 99% condition, but I don’t rate guns. The grips are absolutely beautiful with spectacular wood grain. The trigger is very crisp, though not overly light. Its probably in the 5lb neighborhood, but it feels great. The thumb safety, likewise, has an extremely precise and positive action to it. This is surely one of the very finest pistols in my collection, bar none.
The gun came with everything except the box, unfortunately. The test target is 5 shots into an inch, with four shots touching at 25 meters. That’s quite impressive, to say the least. I’ll stop rambling.
Thanks for reading and please enjoy the pictures...
Korriphila HSP 701 Target 9mm
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