There are many positive reviews on the Korth revolvers on YouTube, whether they are genuine reviews I don’t know. I had a chance to hold one yesterday. It was a 3” mongoose for $4,000. I wasn’t allowed to test the trigger or turn the cylinder. With that, it didn’t look or feel any better when compared to a S&W.

I realize this is subjective, but can anyone share their candid thoughts on whether they think the Korth revolvers are worth the money? Especially when compared to S&W offerings?

They are the staccatos of revolvers. Like Staccatos you are paying for a luxury experience more than a massive performance boost. I am sure they shoot smooth, feel premium, and may even be a little more accurate. That said, the diminishing returns are massive. Let's put it this way, nobody ever said "If only they had a Korth instead of a Smith and Wesson revolver they would have survived"

You have the cash and want a premium experience? Go for it! Just realize it doesn't shoot heat seeking bullets.

I think Korth and Spohr (and maybe Manurhin) are to revolvers what Wilson and Nighthawk are for 1911s.

You will pay triple what a Colt or S&W costs, and the gun will be much better, but not 3X better.

If you can afford a high end Korth or Spohr then buy one and enjoy it, but if S&Ws, Rugers and Colts are what your budget allows be confident you are not missing a lot.

I own several Colt 1911s and one Nighthawk 1911 and the Nighthawk is clearly the superior gun in every way.

Smith and Wesson could easily compete with these high price revolvers. All they have to do is make the performance center be what everybody thinks it is. Turn out a finely fit and tuned revolver and really do a QC inspection on it. Colt could do the same through the custom shop. Dan Wesson does it. They get right between a production and a custom gun, and make a super product for a modest increase over a production gun. Smart

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Absolutely not, at least in my opinion.

In my world, the main event for a DA revolver is - how good is the DA trigger pull? I had the opportunity a couple of years ago, to test 4 Korths and 4 Manhurins with a trigger pull gauge. They were all at 8-1/2 to 9-1/2 lb. for the DA. S&W is around 12 lb. DA.

The Euro guns are finely crafted and beautiful to look at. Out of the box they are better than a Smith out of the box (new). They do not perform any better than a S&W that is mechanically correct.

An S&W with a good quality action job will have a 6 to 6-1/2 lb. DA. and be easier and more enjoyable to shoot with. Bottom line is - you can have a better gun (by my standards) by getting a Smith and having it upgraded than by getting a multi thousand dollar Euro gun.

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protocalldesign.com

A little too busy inside for me. For me, it's a clear case of just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

I've had the chance to shoot a full cylinder of 357 magnum from a friend's Korth Super Sport a few months ago. While it's a certainly a nice gun, it's not my cup of tea. Not classy... too busy looking. I much rather spend the $6,199 they go for on rarer collectible Smith or Colt, or several other revolvers.

While its action was nice, it was not nicer than the action of my favorite S&Ws, or the action of my several new Colt Pythons, which right now are my favorite double action shooter revolvers.

I have a couple of Korths. They're high end, very high quality, guns. And I like having them. Have a Manurhin MR73 as well.

We've had a number of threads here on them, and why people buy them, that you might want to look up.

To me the easiest way to explain it that some people buy them for the same reasons that some people will buy high end, luxury, mechanical watches rather than, say, a Citizen quartz (which is my preferred watch brand, BTW).

Different strokes.

I have a 4" Mongoose and to me it is a prettier gun than the dolled up Korth models. Compared to my various S&W revolvers it has a smoother trigger, tighter tolerances, and the machining is just about perfect. The online reviews I've seen are mostly accurate.

Is it 3X better than a Smith? No. Do I shoot it 3X better? Again no. Like any luxury item I'm aware of there is a definite curve of diminishing returns. I explained my decision to purchase a Korth in a recent thread and I don't regret it.

Is it worth it is a question only you can answer.

Timex - Rolex. Five letters, both will tell you the time.

I will probably never own either a Korth or a Rolex. Would I like to?

Oh, hell yeah.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Korth = S&W + Wolf Springs……. Simple equation
Gun collectors are “collectors” they like a variety of things. Just like the car collector that drops $300k on a Ferrari when the $70k Corvette he owns will beat the pants off it.

Korth is to S&W revolvers as Wilson Combat is to Colt.

No comparison

If you’re a guy who is perfectly satisfied with a Colt 1911, I’d say a Wilson (or Korth) is not worth the money to you. High end guns aren’t for everyone. They aren’t meant to be, nor could production ever keep up if the masses who buy Colts and S&W suddenly wanted a really nice gun. Wait times are already long.

Would I spend the money on a Korth / Manurhin etc , NO ! That's just me and I would not put down a guy that has bought one / them . I remember the old wise sage advice , " Its not the bow , it's the Indian " . My Smiths suit right down to the ground . Regards Paul

I own 1 Korth in .22 lr, it’s fun to shoot. Actually shoot it slightly better than my S&W revolvers but I still enjoy the Smiths. Also have 2 Manurhin revolvers in .357 & .32 long. Same here, I enjoy shooting the Manurhin’s especially in double action but the Smiths are fun also.

The club has a double action only league starting (center fire guns only) in April for 8 weeks shooting 2 matches a nite. Gonna use the Manurhin’s only this year, the triggers are sweet on these two guns. Just my preference. Larry

Would I buy a Korth? No. That goes for all the other high dollar guns, too.

If somebody gave me one I'd immediately flip it and get something else.

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Thread Killer.

One of mine:







1969 Ratzeburg .22 LR Sport.

For the guns you are asking about there are other things to consider:
Availability of holsters.
Availability of spare parts.
Availability ( maybe ) of speed loaders that fit if you want any.
Replacement grips.
Resale. Very, very limited market. The number of people who could or would spring for the money to buy one even at half the retail price is a tiny amount.
If you need to have work done, finding a GOOD gunsmith that is familiar with them and is willing to do the work could be a problem.
I wouldn’t consider getting one for myself at all, but that’s just me.
If you are looking for new production revolvers, give the Kimber’s some consideration. High quality from what I read. I have no personal experience with them myself, but they are reputed to be a step above anything else out there that is new production. Somewhat higher priced than other American double-action revolvers, but may be worth every penny.

One of the original qualities that Willi Korth sought for his revolvers is that they would be long term investments, primarily for the domestic German market and also Europe.

Americans are accustomed to living in an “instant gratification” society, with an emphasis on easy aquisition of “stuff”.

How many of you S&W guys have only ONE revolver, and that being your primary day-to-day shotting iron?
Not many, I bet.
IF there are any such members here, how many of you shoot that ONE revolver 100-200 rounds per week?
Anyone?

European gun ownership is an onerous venture. Every step is difficult.
-Imagine having to first join a gun club, as a prerequisite to applying for a permit to own a handgun.
-Imagine that, too, you are required by the club and your country that you must be an active member that participates in a set number of matches and/or qualifications to maintain your membership and permit. Permits and membership require annual renewal, or they are cancelled and you lose your guns.
-You might very well be allowed one centerfire handgun. What would you select that would stand up to the above qualifications?
Keep in mind that if you need service or parts you must usually acquire a special permit to ship your gun to a gunsmith. There might only be one guy who fixes all the guns of a particular brand in your country.
But, you say,”I can do my own work.” OK, how do you get parts? Do you think S&W or Brownell’s is going to mail handgun parts to your foreign address??

Korths and Manurhins are expensive for a reason. Every part is typically machined from very hard steels. Those parts are then carefully fitted so they don’t work against each other. There’s no room for the small, inexpensive “expendable” parts intended to take the load, periodically break, then quickly replaced, as is typical in America.
Unlike, say, a Colt Python (as nice as it may be in its own context), you don’t have be afraid of shooting your Korth, and shooting it A LOT!

Presumably, some of you know the story about the legendary GIGN, the elite French SWAT unit? They train every day, firing 150-200 shots of full power 357 magnum a day. Very quickly, they found out the S&W M19 was not up to the job.
Along came the Manurhin mr73.
The original Korth fulfilled that same role for the serious civilian market.

Just something to keep in mind before disparaging Korths or Manurhins as nothing more than expensive, luxury toys for rich guys.

*ADDENDUM: I didn’t intend this to be a response to the post immediately above mine, as I didn’t read it until I had already submitted the above post.
Nonetheless, it’s ironic to note that it is a counterpoint worth possibly considering.

As for the market, the demand for Korths has always exceeded the supply. Cabela’s will never offer them as a Black Friday “doorcrasher” special.

Well, Nighthawk, their US distributor, works on the new ones out of Lollar, and they also work on the old ones, out of Ratzeburg, from what I have read.

And, yes, the market is limited. But insofar as I can discern, no one ever has trouble selling them on national auction platforms.

I have a 3" Korth Combat that fits well into a 3" Manurhin MR73 holster. And I don't think anyone who buys a Korth, and wants to carry it, will have any trouble springing for a custom holster.

But, I think we all, agree, they're not for everyone. And that is fine, and as it should be.

First of all a safety on a revolver, IMO, is for those that may be "a can short of a six pack". Secondly, again IMO, the only high priced revolver I would own is a Freedom Arms. They are a very fine firearm.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

Priceless!

The doohickey to the side of the hammer is the cylinder release.

good points on gun laws in Europe. but another quality reason esp. for german/austrian made guns is the country's usual overengineering (even more so with swiss made guns). this is simply a typical industrial tradition: technical products, as good as it gets, production costs are secondary.

as a shooting instructor I had a client who took lessons from me with his newly acquired Korth, IIRC a Super Sport something. Fine gun, very accurate (when I shot it), well made, but quite heavy even for me. He had to take it back to Korth several times because of technical issues and in the end got his money back. this can also happen with expensive guns. I shooting buddy of mine has the same model with a 9mm-cylinder. I outshoot him regularly with one of my Model 27 which I bought in the old days for only 10 % of the price of his Korth.

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Life is too short to own a bad gun

They definitely aren’t to me. I’ve handled them and they’re obviously well built and very smooth revolvers but I prefer Smiths.

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Some Might Say.

Thank you all for your helpful thoughts. I’ve sort of been down this road with pursuing the best guitar I could get. In the end, I realized I basically paid 3x more for 3% better. I ended up selling my higher end guitars. I suspect it may be similar with Korths. But, you know those people that say, “being rich isn’t that great”? And we can somewhat believe that. But, I’d like to see for myself I can go either way one of these days.

Maybe I should qualify my comments by emphasizing that I my knowledge is primarily with the Korth revolvers built under the watch of Willi Korth. However, it’s curious that all of the criticism I’ve heard about contemporary Korth products is of the “I know a guy” variety.
An anology could be made for guns bearing the Hämmerli name. Those built by the original Lenzberg firm, being amongst the finest of its genre, have nothing in common with the stuff Umarex sells under that grand old name. I’ve not heard that Korth has suffered similarly.
And, while no firearms manufacturer has control over the marksmanship abilities of its clients, I can tell you as a competitive shooter in International ISSF events, Korth and Manurhin are well represented for centerfire events, even today with shooters using long out of production masterpieces upon which those companies built their reputation.
Korth specifications were, to the last of my understanding, that there would be no loss of accuracy or performance even after firing 50,000 rounds. Indeed, there are documented examples well into the hundreds of thousands of rounds.
If you calculate what that means, dollarwise, at today’s prices, maybe a Korth could be considered a bargain?
The truth is, if you shoot a LOT, especially competitively, the gun is one of the least expensive parts of the equation.

PS: “ technical products, as good as it gets, production costs are secondary.”
How is that a problem? Sometimes, that’s what it takes, or at least, what some customers want. To each their own.

Ya know...If a S&W revolver is cared for it can last and function for several lifetimes...Cuz I have some in my safe like that....Besides being kinda ugly and high priced I do not se one(korth) ever residing here.

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S&W Accumulator

Quoted for posterity.

Hello kettle, it's the pot......

Marketing notwithstanding, as with a Rolex, the Korth is way over engineered and priced for its intended purpose; many claim you’re just paying for bragging rights. I agree. Out of the box, the smoothness of the Korth’s trigger compares more closely with a Python than a S&W or Ruger, but they all get the job done just fine, some for considerably less. To my eye, the Korth has a more utilitarian look as compared to the pleasing lines of a Smith and especially the Python.

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213th FBINA

I had a Manurhin 38spl with optional 9mm cylinder. The 9mm cylinder would put 100gr JHP bullets in 1" 50 yard groups.

The Manurhin action was really slick, the rebound slide actually had "tiny wheels" that reduced friction on double action travel.

Like the Ruger, Colt, Taurus and other revolvers they may be as accurate as a S&W but my hand loves the K and L frame for fit. Those other revolvers frame design just don't have grip options that fit me like the open backstrap of the S&W revolvers.

"Thank you all for your helpful thoughts. I’ve sort of been down this road with pursuing the best guitar I could get. In the end, I realized I basically paid 3x more for 3% better. I ended up selling my higher end guitars. I suspect it may be similar with Korths. But, you know those people that say, “being rich isn’t that great”? And we can somewhat believe that. But, I’d like to see for myself I can go either way one of these days."

Compared to many other luxury items or the finer things in life the price of entry for a Korth is minimal. I can't afford a lot of high end products but consider this a chance to taste one of the best made. And what better finer thing to experience than a firearm?

1 Korth or 4 S&Ws. No contest for me.

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Remain Viable

^^^^THIS!^^^^

Same here. Now I just have to figure out which 4 S&Ws to sell……..

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Rule of law, not a man.

Ugly is right. I’m not paying $6k for something that resembles a High Standard. Same reason I don’t like double action Rugers. Clunky and ugly next to a Colt or S&W.

To be clear, the old Pythons were prone to premature wear.

I asked my Gunsmith which would wear out first, being fed a steady diet of Magnums, an older (good) Model 27 or a new Python? I remember a long silence. Then he said ultimately, the 27, maybe.
The new Pythons are in good company as far as durability.
I asked him if the new Pythons were in his opinion a “heavy duty” revolver. No hesitation this time. Yes.

Looks like a gear shift on a python.

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S&W Accumulator

When I was stationed in Germany, on of the shooting club memebers brought his Korth (Sport Model IIRC, now called the Ranger?) to our monthly range day and permitted me to run some rounds through it. The trigger pull was extremely smooth, and the gun was well built, though a little unorthodox looking with rails on it. The trigger was as nice if not nicer then my colt python and certainly better then my 686-3. I would certainly buy a Korth with someone else's money. But, I'm a Casio G shock kind of dude, so my 686 weekly/monthly shooter is fine by me.

I will point out that pride of ownership is a thing and while it's not a big deal to me, I don't look down on some one who wants to spend their hard earned money on nice things.

I may have told a German woman that I'd proppose marriage if she had a Korth, but alas she had an EAA.

Same thing with a gussied up 80k+ GMC Denali pickup truck when a Ford Maverick does the same thing, trips to Home Depot.
I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve seen an expensive pickup with dirt on it.

Once again - it's not a safety. It is a cylinder release and it's very well placed and functional.

My opinion is worth everything you pay for it, but it IS based on actual ownership and use of many older Smith, Colt and Ruger revolvers as well as a Kimber and a newer Korth revolver. They all shoot well and are pleasing to look at or I wouldn't keep 'em. The Korth is worth the money (not as an investment cuz I'll never sell it and I don't care what my son does with it later) as long as our needs are being met and we remain financially independent. If the cost was enough to impact this independence I would not have it. (Same applies to my Wilsons, Night Hawks, Guncrafters, Alien and Stacatto.)
Now, I'd love to own a current Benz AMG and a handful of Vette C2's - ain't gonna happen but I'm sure not knocking those products or the folks that can afford them, even though I think my F150 and Highlander will get us from point to point cheaper and probably more reliably.
Ramble over - just get what makes you happy within your budget.
Happy Shooting,
Ed

I’m always quality over quantity, so I’d take the Korth.

I can’t help but laugh at these threads. People don’t even know what they’re talking about. Calling a cylinder release a safety? Seriously?

Like I said before, high end guns aren’t for everyone. It’s just funny when people bash what they can’t afford or justify. I’ve been in the high end gun business for decades and I see it everywhere.

Nothing wrong with S&W, but thinking they’re anything remotely close to Korth is erroneous.

It seems like many of these regular Korth threads (not this one) are started by persons who own Korth revolvers and want others to know they own them.

That’s all good. I think it’s great for Korth owners to share their experiences. It’s no different than others sharing their experiences with S&W, Ruger, and the like.

... give yourself a treat. But I do fine with vintage S&Ws. For a little extra money you can get a lightly used primo example. My pride and joy is my very lightly used model 686. It's an easy decision for me because there is no way I could afford a Korth in my present financial condition.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

People seem to like to show off their stuff sometimes. Now if you collect a boatload of pop bottles and set up a Kool-aid stand to save up for a Korth, then I can respect that. Heck, that’s cool when one can scrimp & save for something nice. When I see a picture of a nice little pocket pistol on the end table with the BMW key fob and some expensive stinky cigar in the gold trimmed ash tray, with a little glass of expensive bourbon someone may just like props in the pic or may like to show off the fruit of his/her labors through the years. I will show a couple pictures of my top guns. Colt 38 special and a newer .357 S&W. Please don’t drool over my Colt revolver! The T Towel is the best photo prop!

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Waiting For The Sun.

Almost everyone on social media including this forum, crows about something. Nothing new.

A well thought out and in-depth perspective by 6string yet again, well done. I am proud to say I only own one S&W that I shoot monthly in the amount you describe. I shoot a box or so with my 686, although to be fair, not weekly as you mentioned in your post.

I think this post makes sense as to why someone would want something that is built to that task. I always learn something from your posts, thank you for that!

The only thing to be considered is if you have the experience to know what you are talking about.

You do not.

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FFL08