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Old May 29, 2013, 10:14 AM   #26
newfrontier45
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I guess in a way they are too perfect to have the "personality" of some other revolvers.
No, that's not it either. Virtually any design may be built with perfect precision.
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Old May 29, 2013, 11:25 AM   #27
4V50 Gary
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On the Korth revolver

Is the white metal button on the right side of the frame and above the trigger guard the cylinder release?
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Old May 29, 2013, 11:38 AM   #28
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The lever next to the hammer releases the cylinder. The button allowes you to pull the entire cylinder arm and cylinder from the frame.
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Old May 31, 2013, 01:03 AM   #29
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A few pictures of a Korth.

The cylinder removes easily for cleaning. Some come with seperate cylinders for 38 Spl. and for .357.



As mentioned, the lever to the right of the hammer is the cylinder release latch. Not a bad place for it. Takes getting used to.



Here is a Korth next to a S&W M28. The small button just above the trigger guard and to the front of it, when pressed, allows the cylinder to be removed.



The recessed cylinder.





That's what a Korth looks like.

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Old May 31, 2013, 01:06 AM   #30
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A couple more pics.





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Old June 4, 2013, 09:41 PM   #31
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJZwhrxokGA

here is a nice review that came out today
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Old June 4, 2013, 11:19 PM   #32
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I just asked my wife if we could put a second mortgage on the house so I could get $12,000 to buy a Korth revolver. She went into the bedroom, returned with her fully loaded Sig Sauer P238, expertly aimed it at my forehead and said, "Over my dead body."

One can always dream.
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Old June 5, 2013, 01:41 PM   #33
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Korth has closed their shop in Ratzeburg shortly after I had visited it in 2008. They have moved out of Northern Germany and have re-opened shop after having been closed for about a half year and are now in Lollar, close to Wetzlar. That is the town where Zeiss and the other optical companies are. I doubt that their old master gunsmith moved with them. I am a registered Korth owner and get their fleirs once in a while.

I shoot my Korth regularly and it has seen ten thousands of rounds with no appreciable wear.
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Old June 5, 2013, 06:09 PM   #34
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So what I had heard about Korth closing wasn't completely incorrect.
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Old June 5, 2013, 06:37 PM   #35
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Korth Firearms?

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Originally Posted by Jeff #111 View Post
So what I had heard about Korth closing wasn't completely incorrect.
You said they went out of business...
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Old June 5, 2013, 07:47 PM   #36
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Do they shoot as good as they look?
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Old June 5, 2013, 07:59 PM   #37
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robhof

I see there's a dragline on the cylinder, I would think for the price they could time the bolt to stay up til the slot starts, the early Colts and the factory customs(a lot less than a Korth) were timed to not leave a ring.
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Old June 6, 2013, 12:24 AM   #38
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Korth was sold by the original owner a long time ago and they started cutting corners with sleeved barrels but made the guns sleeker and did not compromise quality. They went out of business in late 2008, moved and re-openened under new ownership in 2009. They still have enough frame forgings and other parts to continue for a few decades.

It was never a factory but a small custom shop, many of their customers from the Near and Middle East had ordered custom engraved presentation models and they kept almost no stock of finished guns.

My Korth is a 24/ series that was made in 1969 and that has seen substantial use over the six years that I own it.

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Old June 6, 2013, 09:33 AM   #39
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I see there's a dragline on the cylinder, I would think for the price they could time the bolt to stay up til the slot starts, the early Colts and the factory customs(a lot less than a Korth) were timed to not leave a ring.
You're gonna get a dragline on any DA, even a perfectly timed one, unless you're careful to close the cylinder with a bolt notch over the bolt. Most just close it and rotate it to lock, which causes the ring.

Colt SAA's, replicas and Old Model Ruger single actions should never get the ring if properly handled but that's another matter entirely.
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Old June 6, 2013, 12:09 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by s3779m
Do they shoot as good as they look?
jsust posted a link to a review video I just uploaded. In my opinion, they are flawless shooters - perfectly precise/accurate, good ergonomics, great trigger, utterly reliable, and so ridiculously strong that you needn't worry about breaking them. I have a German-language book about Willi Korth and his guns, and the author tells a story about a gun that was returned to the factory with EIGHT (8!) squibbed bullets lodged in the barrel. The barrel showed the slightest bit of a bulge, but the rest of the frame was completely fine and was totally range-worthy after replacing the barrel. We're talking STRONG.

That said, as I note in my video, they aren't magically better than a good Python or older Smith. In fact, the Python's DA may be a little nicer. All of these top-shelf revolvers are more accurate than any of us, though, so at a certain point, diminishing returns at the range set in and you're left paying for the jaw-dropping build quality, fit and finish, and exclusivity. These things are worth it to some, and not to others.

My 4" Combat is possibly my favorite revolver for rangework, having surpassed my previous go-to, the MR73.

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Old June 7, 2013, 11:21 AM   #41
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I know others disagree, but I think that Korth 4" is a stunning looking revolver.
The workmanship is obvious to see just looking at it.
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Old June 9, 2013, 08:36 PM   #42
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I see the same thing that doomed the wartime frontline handguns and machineguns of the third reich. Over-engineering to make the mechanicals so precision fit that one little grain of abrasive sand or one burr from machined metal can cause the failure of the whole machine. Besides, if you can afford one, you aren't going to actually shoot it, you'll just keep it in the safe to fondle of wear it to bar-b-que's. I'll keep buying 1911's, Could buy about 25 at those prices...........................

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Old June 9, 2013, 11:40 PM   #43
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I see the same thing that doomed the wartime frontline handguns and machineguns of the third reich. Over-engineering to make the mechanicals so precision fit that one little grain of abrasive sand or one burr from machined metal can cause the failure of the whole machine. Besides, if you can afford one, you aren't going to actually shoot it, you'll just keep it in the safe to fondle of wear it to bar-b-que's. I'll keep buying 1911's, Could buy about 25 at those prices...........................

Bill
Wrong. I shoot my Korth regularly. I sent 100 rounds through it last Saturday. Compared to my S&W K-22 from 1952, which gives me problems inserting cartridges after a few cylinders, the Korth is not just more troublefree but also much better made.

I find many of the posts on Korths, SIG P210, or other high end guns lacking substance. If you haven't shot or handled a Korth - or cannot afford one, keep your fingers off the keyboard instead of badmouthing something you know nothing about and only proving your ignorance in the process.
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Old June 9, 2013, 11:42 PM   #44
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I don't know why someone would buy something like that and NOT shoot it. Are you really getting your money's worth by just looking at it? I don't have a Korth but I do have four custom Ruger revolvers and a $4000 shotgun and shoot the snot out of all of them and hunt with them. To me, these guns are too expensive NOT to shoot.


Quote:
If you haven't shot or handled a Korth - or cannot afford one, keep your fingers off the keyboard...
I beg to differ sir. While I'm not "badmouthing" them, I don't have to handle or shoot a Korth to know I wouldn't own one. Like I said before, I don't have a problem spending that much on one gun, it just won't be that one.
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Old June 10, 2013, 06:18 AM   #45
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Quote:
Quote:
If you haven't shot or handled a Korth - or cannot afford one, keep your fingers off the keyboard...
I beg to differ sir. While I'm not "badmouthing" them, I don't have to handle or shoot a Korth to know I wouldn't own one. Like I said before, I don't have a problem spending that much on one gun, it just won't be that one.
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If you quote me, please do not omit the most important part and change the meaning. I will grant everybody an opinion based on experience. If you do not like Korths, SIG P210s, custom 1911s, or Colt Pythons it is fine with me but there is little wrong with them. Or with Freedom Arms, Les Baers, Manurhin MR73s, or other high end guns.

The only thing bad is the price which reflects the quality: it is high.




Quote:
keep your fingers off the keyboard instead of badmouthing something you know nothing about and only proving your ignorance in the process.
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Old June 10, 2013, 07:19 AM   #46
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It amazes me how a couple people can comment on these guns without ever shooting, handling, or probably even seeing one in person.

If you don't want one or don't care for them, good for you. They are some of the best made handguns in the world, bar none.
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Old June 10, 2013, 08:17 AM   #47
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I see the same thing that doomed the wartime frontline handguns and machineguns of the third reich. Over-engineering to make the mechanicals so precision fit that one little grain of abrasive sand or one burr from machined metal can cause the failure of the whole machine. Besides, if you can afford one, you aren't going to actually shoot it, you'll just keep it in the safe to fondle of wear it to bar-b-que's. I'll keep buying 1911's, Could buy about 25 at those prices...........................

Bill
...and you're basing this statement on first hand knowledge?

Also, you must be talking about some pretty cheap 1911s...

Last edited by bac1023; June 10, 2013 at 11:18 AM.
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Old June 10, 2013, 10:25 AM   #48
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This sort of sour grapes mentality pops up all the time when the topic of nice or expensive guns comes up. Whether it's P210s, Korths, pricey collector guns, what have you, there are always posters who try to feel superior and scoff "at least I shoot my guns, unlike those nancy boy collectors," "no room in my safe for safe queens, heh" or "my Taurus/Glock/$500 1911 shoots just as well as that there fancy pants European Korth/P210/etc." The psychology behind it is intriguing but I won't delve into it at risk of offending the haters. I will say that the phenomenon isn't unique to gun owners - I've seen it in almost every subculture I've been a part of or that I've observed.

For what it's worth, I shoot my Korth every time I go out and I shoot it a lot. I fully intend to put many many thousands of rounds through it in my lifetime.

Last edited by lifesizepotato; June 10, 2013 at 10:58 AM.
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Old June 10, 2013, 11:19 AM   #49
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If you do not like Korths, SIG P210s, custom 1911s, or Colt Pythons it is fine with me but there is little wrong with them.
I didn't say anything was and we're not talking about ALL high end guns, I thought I made that perfectly clear. I said I didn't like Korth enough to pay their high price. I'm about to spend $3000 on a custom Ruger .500 and that is where I'd rather my money go. The Korth appears to be as well made as a revolver can be but quality and precision are not the only deciding factors. At least not for me. I have to not just like but LOVE a gun I pay that much for and in that regard, the romantic aspect, Korth leaves me cold. It's not a Taurus versus Korth or Glock versus Les Baer kinda thing. More of an angular Lamborghini versus swoopy Aston-Martin kinda thing.


Quote:
This sort of sour grapes mentality pops up all the time when the topic of nice or expensive guns comes up. Whether it's P210s, Korths, pricey collector guns, what have you, there are always posters who try to feel superior and scoff "at least I shoot my guns, unlike those nancy boy collectors," "no room in my safe for safe queens, heh" or "my Taurus/Glock/$500 1911 shoots just as well as that there fancy pants European Korth/P210/etc." The psychology behind it is intriguing but I won't delve into it at risk of offending the haters. I will say that the phenomenon isn't unique to gun owners - I've seen it in almost every subculture I've been a part of or that I've observed.
I agree and hope that wasn't directed at me.
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Old June 10, 2013, 11:29 AM   #50
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Nah, not necessarily directed at you. Just a general observation on something I've noticed on almost every gun forum whenever the topic is an expensive "high falutin'" type of gun, and the conversation here seemed to be veering that way. I'm kind of commiserating with bac and PzGren, because I think we have similar tastes and have run into that attitude before.
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