dwever
Well-known member
Writing a range report for a Korth is a bit of a different proposition. Korth's guns are so consistent from sample to sample, you get the same over-the-top reviews by pro gun journalists over and over. Korth, "The Ultimate Revolver" by Nighthawk (the Military Arms Channel); Korth Combat .357 Review: "The Rolls Royce of Revolvers" (guns.com); or, "The Best of the Best: Korth's Mongoose Revolver". But anyway, I was interested back seven years ago, and this month I just bought my second Korth, I'm really happy I did, and would recommend Korth to virtually any shooting enthusiast.
My first Mongoose was a 4", this 3" is for concealed carry. So with the opening paragraph above in mind, I'll just say that the Korth is the only revolver manufacturer I’ll EDC in place of of a semi-auto, even after massive amounts of semi-auto specialized training from a state LE agency. You’re not losing anything with a Korth .357. And you are gaining next-to-nill MTBF rates, and as useable / controllable power at the muzzle with a tame to mid-power .357 as my former agency .40 Glock. Unless you're LE or military where a running gun fight is possible, I'll also say that the need for a magazine w/15-20 capacity is generally a defensive carry myth (although an 8-shot Mongoose would be nice).
My latest 3” is again a repeat performance of my 4 inche’s accuracy, and DA ball bearing smoothness is like glass. No recoil problem with Federal Premium .357 heavy grain HP w/+600 lbs of energy. I keep the action just ever-so-slightly on the firm side as I run .357 and can consistently keep shots inside a plate at 25 yards in DA. I don't stage the trigger, just smoothly pull deliberately and with pace, and practice with double tabs. I virtually never run SA as that is a potential liability in defensive carry.
The third pic are my three S&W's which will regrettably sell. All three Smiths went to TK Custom for action jobs, but still the Korths shoot better. Significantly better. It's not close. However, the shrouded barrel R8 Smith is for sure on par with the Korths with respect to accuracy.
Interestingly, any Korth can take a second 9mm cylinder as long as the extra cylinder has been fitted to your frame. It is literally a one button drop-and-mount change. What''s crazy is Korth has engineered the 9mm cylinder to shoot 9mm rimless cartridges without moon clips. In an article later referenced in this thread, none other than Masaad Ayoob did a full Korth review and was not only stunned at the Korth's accuracy, but surprised there was no accuracy diminishment with 9mm; and he reported no load or unload problems with the moon clipless 9mm cylinder.
All modern Korths are DLC coated. DLC stands for ‘diamond-like carbon’. Aside from the aesthetic benefit, DLC coating is also harder than nitride coating, making it ideal for firearms that sustain heavy use. On the other hand, while much slicker than Cerakote, it does not resist corrosion as well but will otherwise take heavy abuse. This is why DLC has become a $275 upgrade on Wilson Combat 1911's that would normally have WC's proprietary Cerakote like protection. “The Korth’s DLC finish is smooth and even, and it stands up well to abuse. DLC is fast becoming the finish of choice on firearms that are subjected to rough handling on a regular basis. Hardness, wear-resistance and a low coefficient of friction are all reasons why a DLC coating is a great choice for a high-end gun. . . . The perfect fit and finish is a hallmark of Korth revolvers, . . . . these revolvers are hand-fit and hand-finished, the timing and operation are flawless. The hand effortlessly rotates the cylinder with each pull of the trigger, and the lockup is rock-solid.” Guns & Ammo, Dec. 2020.
Here’s an interesting fact re both my Korths, I can not slip a piece of paper between the cylinder and forcing cone, yet somehow they never touch. The cylinder gap is spec’ed at 0.003 inches. And the thing is made completely out of hardened tool steel.
No doubt $3,699 is just eyewatering for a revolver, but these purchases really ended up with no regrets. Not unlike my years-ago switch from S&W and Kimber in 1911's to a Wilson Combat CQB Elite and WC X-Tac (the latter for competition). I don’t know if a Korth is a luxury purchase in an era when the average selling price for a new light vehicle in America comes to around 48,000 U.S. dollars (Car and Driver April 2023). It just has to be worth it to you, or at least worth more to you than that lift kit, rims, and tires or whatever. Since it is my primary EDC (occasionally WC EDC X9L), it is.
Grace be with you all.
Pic 1 Korth Mongoose .357 Magnum Six Shot 3” w/available 9mm moonclipless 2nd cylinder.
Pic 2 Concealed Carry
Pic 3 S&W PC R8 8-Shot, 627 8-Shot, 586 L-Comp 7-Shot
Pic 4 Korth Mongoose 1791 holster w/Galco Speedloader Pouch and Korth Speedloader
Pic 5 Southern Trapper holster w/shark trim
My first Mongoose was a 4", this 3" is for concealed carry. So with the opening paragraph above in mind, I'll just say that the Korth is the only revolver manufacturer I’ll EDC in place of of a semi-auto, even after massive amounts of semi-auto specialized training from a state LE agency. You’re not losing anything with a Korth .357. And you are gaining next-to-nill MTBF rates, and as useable / controllable power at the muzzle with a tame to mid-power .357 as my former agency .40 Glock. Unless you're LE or military where a running gun fight is possible, I'll also say that the need for a magazine w/15-20 capacity is generally a defensive carry myth (although an 8-shot Mongoose would be nice).
My latest 3” is again a repeat performance of my 4 inche’s accuracy, and DA ball bearing smoothness is like glass. No recoil problem with Federal Premium .357 heavy grain HP w/+600 lbs of energy. I keep the action just ever-so-slightly on the firm side as I run .357 and can consistently keep shots inside a plate at 25 yards in DA. I don't stage the trigger, just smoothly pull deliberately and with pace, and practice with double tabs. I virtually never run SA as that is a potential liability in defensive carry.
The third pic are my three S&W's which will regrettably sell. All three Smiths went to TK Custom for action jobs, but still the Korths shoot better. Significantly better. It's not close. However, the shrouded barrel R8 Smith is for sure on par with the Korths with respect to accuracy.
Interestingly, any Korth can take a second 9mm cylinder as long as the extra cylinder has been fitted to your frame. It is literally a one button drop-and-mount change. What''s crazy is Korth has engineered the 9mm cylinder to shoot 9mm rimless cartridges without moon clips. In an article later referenced in this thread, none other than Masaad Ayoob did a full Korth review and was not only stunned at the Korth's accuracy, but surprised there was no accuracy diminishment with 9mm; and he reported no load or unload problems with the moon clipless 9mm cylinder.
All modern Korths are DLC coated. DLC stands for ‘diamond-like carbon’. Aside from the aesthetic benefit, DLC coating is also harder than nitride coating, making it ideal for firearms that sustain heavy use. On the other hand, while much slicker than Cerakote, it does not resist corrosion as well but will otherwise take heavy abuse. This is why DLC has become a $275 upgrade on Wilson Combat 1911's that would normally have WC's proprietary Cerakote like protection. “The Korth’s DLC finish is smooth and even, and it stands up well to abuse. DLC is fast becoming the finish of choice on firearms that are subjected to rough handling on a regular basis. Hardness, wear-resistance and a low coefficient of friction are all reasons why a DLC coating is a great choice for a high-end gun. . . . The perfect fit and finish is a hallmark of Korth revolvers, . . . . these revolvers are hand-fit and hand-finished, the timing and operation are flawless. The hand effortlessly rotates the cylinder with each pull of the trigger, and the lockup is rock-solid.” Guns & Ammo, Dec. 2020.
Here’s an interesting fact re both my Korths, I can not slip a piece of paper between the cylinder and forcing cone, yet somehow they never touch. The cylinder gap is spec’ed at 0.003 inches. And the thing is made completely out of hardened tool steel.
No doubt $3,699 is just eyewatering for a revolver, but these purchases really ended up with no regrets. Not unlike my years-ago switch from S&W and Kimber in 1911's to a Wilson Combat CQB Elite and WC X-Tac (the latter for competition). I don’t know if a Korth is a luxury purchase in an era when the average selling price for a new light vehicle in America comes to around 48,000 U.S. dollars (Car and Driver April 2023). It just has to be worth it to you, or at least worth more to you than that lift kit, rims, and tires or whatever. Since it is my primary EDC (occasionally WC EDC X9L), it is.
Grace be with you all.
Pic 1 Korth Mongoose .357 Magnum Six Shot 3” w/available 9mm moonclipless 2nd cylinder.
Pic 2 Concealed Carry
Pic 3 S&W PC R8 8-Shot, 627 8-Shot, 586 L-Comp 7-Shot
Pic 4 Korth Mongoose 1791 holster w/Galco Speedloader Pouch and Korth Speedloader
Pic 5 Southern Trapper holster w/shark trim
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