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The world’s finest 357 Magnum - Korth Combat! :):):)

12K views 64 replies 32 participants last post by  PzGren 
#1 · (Edited)
I wanted to add another Korth revolver to my collection for a while now, but I was waiting for the perfect example to pop up. I wasn’t interested in a model from the new Korth company in Lollar, but I did want another Ratzeburg model from the 70‘s or 80‘s. This time period is my favorite vintage for Korth handguns. :cool:

Korth was founded in the mid 1950‘s by Willi Korth. The first revolvers did not go into production until nearly 10 years later. The very early Korth revolvers were simple service guns and not overly extravagant in comparison to where Willi eventually took them. By the early 1970‘s the legendary Korth Combat was released. This revolver went through minor tweaks and changes throughout the next several years, until it was totally perfected to Willi’s liking. By the late 1970‘s, Willi felt his revolver had reached this perfection and he started work on his semi auto pistol. By the early 1980‘s, Korth had turned over the company to his successor and resigned due to poor health.

The Willi Korth’s Autopistol did finally go into limited production in the late 1980‘s. Despite incredible levels of refinement and build quality, the auto was not a success. It suffered from a stratospheric price (near $7000 in 1989) and a falling block design that had never been fully perfected. On the other hand, the Korth Combat revolver was a masterpiece of engineering. All parts on Korth handguns start as the highest quality steel forgings with a super-high tensile strength. Each revolver requires about 70 labor hours to complete. They were built at a rate of 100 to 120 per year by five gunsmiths, so these were never big production firearms.

I won’t go into the specifics of the design. Michael Zeleny’s studies are available online and are far more in depth than anything I could try to explain here. From a build quality standpoint, there is nothing better in the revolver world. The Korth Combat is made from the best and hardest tool steel and completely built by hand using the best processes. It is a perfect piece of machinery and very tightly fit with the closest of tolerances. The gun literally feels like one solid piece of steel in your hand. The Combat’s accuracy potential, as well as its strength and durability is remarkable. While they are ultra refined, that doesn’t prevent them from being among the most durable revolvers in the world. :)

Aesthetically speaking, the Korth Combat certainly took some design cues from the Colt Python, which is not a bad thing. While the Korth can’t quite match the iconic beauty of the Colt, the finish is of much higher quality and the gun itself is on an entirely different level of refinement, strength, and execution. I am a huge fan of the Colt Python and own several. However, I need to be honest and say that there is really no comparison in terms of build quality and durability. I’ve never spoken to anyone with first hand experience with both that would disagree with me.

How does it stack up against the incredible Manurhin MR73? Like I said in thread from earlier this year...

http://www.glocktalk.com/threads/manurhin-mr-73-simply-the-best-357-mag-of-all-time.1608989/

...I prefer the Manurhin’s “personality” and “character”. However, the Korth Combat is the finest DA revolver in the world. In fact, it may just be the only 357 Magnum that can match the MR73‘s strength and durability. I think the Manurhin MR73 is the best overall 357 Magnum when everything is taken into consideration, including its vast service pedigree. However, the Korth Combat is the finest. To put it in different words, the Korth is a bit cold and stark without the same character. Its basically too perfect, if that makes any sense whatsoever. The MR73 has certain intangibles that make me prefer it to the Korth overall, but absolutely nothing I’ve ever seen or touched can match the Korth’s refinement and attention to detail.

The Korth’s metal work and quality level of machining are almost otherworldly. The fitting is, likewise, out of this world. The outward appearance of the gun features sharp angles and beautiful curves blended like no other revolver. The roll marking is finely done and doesn’t detract from the gun’s clean look. Coupling all this with incredible surface smoothness and finishing and its makes the Korth look and feel as though it were built by aliens. The action is smoother than a Python’s and has the precision of a Swiss watch. Its a perfect revolver. From just a refinement standpoint, the revolver I own that probably gets the closest is a 1935 S&W Registered Magnum. However, even that pales in comparison to the Korth when everything is taken into consideration.

This particular example was built in 1985 and is a truly stunning example of the most perfectly built 357 Magnum of all time. Its in like new condition (looks unfired) and complete with the optional leather case and matching 9mm cylinder. It is a 36xxx Series gun, which were built well after Willi Korth had left the company and nine years after my other Korth revolver from 1976. This model is incredibly well built and probably even slightly tighter than my earlier 3“ Combat. In typical Korth fashion, the bluing is deep and glossy with a black appearance. Its some of the nicest bluing I’ve ever seen. The import mark is small and was placed in an inconspicuous spot, which is great. The last thing I want is an large import mark on a Korth. Sadly, my 1976 model has it on the right side of the barrel. :sad:

The triggers on these are amazing and I love the way they point and handle. The walnut Nill grips fit my hands perfectly. For those that don’t know, the cylinder release is on the right side of the hammer and easy to reach. The cylinder then can be completely removed via the button on the right side of the frame in front of the trigger guard. It makes the gun easy to clean and cylinders easy to swap. Its a great design and generally unique to Korth (later copied by Janz).

I know its a very bold statement to declare a particular 357 magnum the finest in the world. However, I would challenge anyone to really get a look at one of these before crying foul. While I’m only stating an opinion, I’m very confident in that opinion. I’m fortunate enough to own all the top 357's and this is the finest one I know of. Like I said above, I do prefer the Manurhin MR73 because its just my kind of gun. However, I’m not letting my preference cloud my judgment. The Korth just can’t be topped.

At any rate, who here owns a Korth Combat? I know a few GT members do. If so, what do you think? :dunno:

As always, please enjoy the pics and share your thoughts. The gun’s beauty and elegance can’t be fully captured with a camera, but I did my best.

Thanks! :supergrin:
 
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#6 ·
Cool pictures Brian, perfection is a word that is thrown around a lot. I've handled and/or shot a good portion of your upper end pistols. This one will certainly hold it's own against any of them, thanks for taking the time to put this thread together, it must have taken you 10 or 20 minutes. :supergrin:
 
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#14 ·
Very impressive. Do you think that you will ever fire it? Brian, you have such quality firearms, does anyone in your family have any appreciation of the value and worth that you have in these guns? The weapons are in many ways hard to place a value upon, but I do hope that that they will be placed upon the market upon your timely demise as a good steward of valuable objects.:cheers:
 
#16 ·
Stunning piece of craftsmanship, congrats.
 
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#19 ·
Congratulations Brian on another fine acquisition. I am a huge fan of the Korth and the Manurhin. I actually prefer the Korth but I will say that if I had to choose one as a service or defensive pistol I would choose the Manurhin MR73 rather than the Korth. The Korth's tolerances are just too tight for rough field use unless you can clean it regularly. I would absolutely choose the Korth on the range however. For those asking how well the Korth shoots, here is a representative group out of my 4" barrel Korth Sport .357 using Speer Lawman 158 grain .38 Special. This is a full cylinder of 6 shots into 1.3 inches at 25 yards.

 
#20 ·
The close ups certainly do suggest a very high quality of work and polish and finish. Very nice.
 
#22 ·
I am a huge fan of the Korth and the Manurhin. I actually prefer the Korth but I will say that if I had to choose one as a service or defensive pistol I would choose the Manurhin MR73 rather than the Korth. The Korth's tolerances are just too tight for rough field use unless you can clean it regularly.
I see this claim made often, but the evidence for it is lacking.

First off, a matter of terminology. Korth revolvers, and generally all high quality firearms ,combine tight manufacturing tolerances with narrow operating clearances. Tolerance is the amount by which the actual size of the part varies from its nominal size. This variation depends on the precision of the manufacturing process. Tight tolerances are advantageous in all applications. Whereas clearance is the dimensional difference in size between the bearing surfaces of a moving part and the part that supports it. Positive manufacturing tolerances determine the maximum and minimum size for both parts, and thereby the range of clearances. Some clearance is required to avoid binding the moving part in operation through contamination by dirt or differential thermal expansion. On the other hand, tight clearances diminish the likelihood of such contamination in the first place. Generally speaking, most applications are no way handicapped by tight clearances. One prominent exception is interacting parts made of materials with different thermal expansion rates. As a mechanism of this kind heats up in operation, binding may ensue. But that is not the case with an all-steel revolver like the Korth.

On a personal note, I have dragged blued and PVD-finished Korth revolvers through mud and fired them in pouring rain without experiencing any stoppages. If there is anything to handicap their defensive use, it is the ejector rod that comes short of a full clearance stroke with Magnum ammo, along with the weight penalty of the full length barrel underlug. In this regard, the Manurhin MR73 indeed makes for a better choice for social work.
 
#33 · (Edited)
I see this claim made often, but the evidence for it is lacking.
Thanks for correcting me on tolerance vs clearance. My statement was based on my own personal experience with running the Korth "dirty" for a few hundred rounds. I could clearly feel drag on the cylinder perhaps from the accumulation of debris at the cylinder front as I opened and shut the cylinder after only a few hundred rounds. It was enough so that I started to worry about the firearm binding up. It continued to function but certainly worried me. I have never mic'ed it but it almost seemed like the cylinder gap was much smaller than my other revolvers.

I also ended up replacing the stock grips which interfere with my Longwitz speedloaders with Nill grips designed to give enough clearance.
 
#25 ·
Odd question, any idea why they didn't clock the screws?
Because it would make no sense. The only screw that could be clocked is the trigger pivot screw that retains the sideplate, as seen on the right hand side of the frame. The screw behind the trigger is the set screw for the trigger return spring tensioner. The screws under the sights are set screws for windage adjustment.
 
#34 ·
My Korth Sport in .32 S&W Long will start binding after more than 50 rounds. I also noticed that this revolver will give problems with smallest amounts of unburnt powder making its way underneath the extractor star.

Willi Korth lived a peaceful life in Ratzeburg, a small scenic town in a beautiful lake district, where combat is something unheard of since Napoleonic times. His revolvers were originally designed for German sport shooters. The German Shooter's Association, DSB, only allows to load 5 rounds and that is why his centerfire revolvers from 1965 until 1974 held only five shots. I suspect that the Combat models had been designed to cater to German hunter and the increasing international sales. That was about the time when "Combat Shooting" was made popular in Germany by Siegfried F. Hübner. The grips of all of my Korth .357 Magnum revolvers interfere with rapid speed loader use.

Choices in guns are very personal, depending also a lot on comfort and trigger time spent, and if I were to choose a wheel gun from my assortment of revolvers for self defence, it would be a S&W M65 with a four inch barrel but I would not feel poorly equipped with a Korth, either.
 
#56 ·
Willi Korth lived a peaceful life in Ratzeburg, a small scenic town in a beautiful lake district, where combat is something unheard of since Napoleonic times. His revolvers were originally designed for German sport shooters. The German Shooter's Association, DSB, only allows to load 5 rounds and that is why his centerfire revolvers from 1965 until 1974 held only five shots. I suspect that the Combat models had been designed to cater to German hunter and the increasing international sales. That was about the time when "Combat Shooting" was made popular in Germany by Siegfried F. Hübner. The grips of all of my Korth .357 Magnum revolvers interfere with rapid speed loader use.
They fixed that in the 38xxx series, as seen here.
Choices in guns are very personal, depending also a lot on comfort and trigger time spent, and if I were to choose a wheel gun from my assortment of revolvers for self defence, it would be a S&W M65 with a four inch barrel but I would not feel poorly equipped with a Korth, either.
I take it that you’ve yet to discover the MR73.
 
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