Korth 357 & 44Mag

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Huntolive

Huntolive

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Okay so I've gotten to the point where I'm actually looking at buying a Korth.
My collection is to the point where I've got my Colt Python and King Cobra my Blued and Stainless steel Dan Wesson's with multiple barrels, and a wide variety of excellent old quality and PC Smith & Wesson's plus one or two Rugers I've kept around in 357 and or 44 Magnum.
So is Korth/Night Hawk The next step?
And is it at all a logical step?
Or is that just Stupid money to pay for a revolver?:thumbdown:

I could sell a nice Dan Wesson and a nice S&W 357 to fund a Korth.
I'm looking at their eight shot version as well as a couple others and possibly they're 44 Magnum but most likely not since it seems like they focus on 357. Which model would you recommend?
What is the difference between a true Korth and the nighthawk Korths?

Do any of you have a k o r t h or have direct firsthand experience firing one? and if so what kind? and what are your thoughts on if there's truly a significant difference in quality, trigger feel and Accuracy and value justifying the price and sacrificing a solid Dan Wesson and Smith and Wesson to buy one?
 
I get your point on classics.
But I'm all about function, what the gun will Do for me as far as my interest in Korth.
I have plenty of classic formation guns, nothing to old or ornate , but late 1950s and '60s Smith & Wesson.
I don't need engraving or Ivory grips.
My interest in the Korth would be improved trigger improved accuracy and something durable and different but it would have to be flat out Better in terms of trigger and accuracy for me to even consider a $5,000 revolver.
 
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I've never even handled a Korth. I can't imagine that the average person would be able to tell 3500 bucks worth of difference between a Korth and a tuned S&W or Colt.
The price difference is huge and I can't believe they can be THAT much better.
I think a certain segment of the gun culture is just willing to pay a lot for a certain name.
 
There is a lot of panache’ in the Korth marque. I bet every one of us would walk over to check one out if the shooter in the next bay over was shooting one or a guy walked into the LGS with one in a case. We all gotta see what all the talk is about, right?

Like a Hellcat Redeye or a RUF Porsche to a wrench head, the Korth just pulls in the eyes and receives the oohs and ahhs of DA revolver heads.

That being said, personally I’d rather have a Bowen, Linebaugh or Turnbull custom SA... but that’s just me.

If it’s a void that just needs fillin’, and you have the ways and means to do it, I say go for it. :)

When you do let us know your impressions and how it shoots for you :thumbup:.

Stay safe.
 
I have a NH Korth Ranger .357 with optional 9mm cylinder. 9AHKHhB.jpg

I enjoy shooting it quite a bit. Handles recoil well, nice grips, of course not cheap. It's like a Rolex watch (of which I have several). Doesn't keep time any better than a cheap quartz, but it's the prestige and the marque. Also, fit and finish are superlative. I am not rich, but retired well and the $ was not a problem. Is it "worth it?" That is different for each person. for me, "I WANT" is a powerful, if not logical, motivator. I was denied a lot as a child, so now I am making up for it.
 
Rodentman said:
I have a NH Korth Ranger .357 with optional 9mm cylinder. View attachment 1002777

I enjoy shooting it quite a bit. Handles recoil well, nice grips, of course not cheap. It's like a Rolex watch (of which I have several). Doesn't keep time any better than a cheap quartz, but it's the prestige and the marque. Also, fit and finish are superlative. I am not rich, but retired well and the $ was not a problem. Is it "worth it?" That is different for each person. for me, "I WANT" is a powerful, if not logical, motivator. I was denied a lot as a child, so now I am making up for it.
Click to expand...

This is what I meant to say in my previous post. For someone who is willing to pay for the prestige of a Rolex or Korth or whatever floats their boat, that's great. I can't begrudge anyone getting what they want in a revolver. I'm glad there are top tier choices available. If someone offered to let me take their Korth for a spin I damn sure wouldn't turn them down.
 
Korth and Manhurin are both on my list, fine revolvers, like the other poster, I’m a Rolex, Mercedes kind of guy, it will go with my Smiths and Dan Wesson perfectly..good luck with your endeavor..

Thewelshm
 
Thanks rodent man
finally somebody who actually gave experience on the issue rather than just sheer opinion :cool:
So my question is what other 357 is do you have that you shoot?
How much better is the trigger on the ranger?
What about accuracy?

I don't care about the panache I care about how it works for me when I'm shooting it at an animal or a person and how it performs on the range to conserve ammo and put a smile on my face.

My question to the people who think Korth is just about Rolex panache and Marquee is why waste valuable time and ammo with an inferior gun if the Korth is significantly better?

If I got one I would shoot it shoot it and shoot it some more.

The question I'm still asking though is how good is it really ? how Superior if at all is it really over other excellent revolvers such as a $1,600 2020 Colt Python or a $1, 200 Smith & Wesson or Dan Wesson?
 
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Some of us have been down the luxury car road only to take a u turn and end up back in a dodge truck. I had to try it to realize how much I did not like it. The inefficiency of luxury or “buying a name” for double the price made me sick when I realized it was no better at it’s job.

But....... the OP might appreciate the Korth like some people appreciate Mercedes or BMWs. You are definitely asking the right questions. Is accuracy, quality, and the trigger any better than other good revolvers. Hopefully someone will give you a definite answer. Otherwise you might have to go down the luxury car road and see if it’s satisfying to you.
 
Hartkopf said:
Some of us have been down the luxury car road only to take a u turn and end up back in a dodge truck. I had to try it to realize how much I did not like it. The inefficiency of luxury or “buying a name” for double the price made me sick when I realized it was no better at it’s job.

But....... the OP might appreciate the Korth like some people appreciate Mercedes or BMWs. You are definitely asking the right questions. Is accuracy, quality, and the trigger any better than other good revolvers. Hopefully someone will give you a definite answer. Otherwise you might have to go down the luxury car road and see if it’s satisfying to you.
Click to expand...

You maybe right I own an SRT 10 Dodge and an SRT 8 Jeep, wife drives the Mercedes. However there is nothing wrong with buying a world class gun IMHO

Thewelshm
 
THEWELSHM said:
You maybe right I own an SRT 10 Dodge and an SRT 8 Jeep, wife drives the Mercedes. However there is nothing wrong with buying a world class gun IMHO

Thewelshm
Click to expand...

No surprise that it is your wife that's driving a Mercedes:rofl:
Women seem less inclined to settle for the basics and leave well enough alone, at least mine doesn't. Just go ask the kitchen cabinets, refrigerator, stove and blinds, not to mention her shoes :rofl::evil:

For me this is not really an issue of name brand recognition, this is Not a Rolex issue for me. If a Korth don't shoot smoother and kill better while looking good and being durable, then I have No use for it.
Most gun owners have Never even Heard of Korth.

So does anybody who actually shoots guns and cares about how accurate they are have any experience with these compared to other quality revolvers?
 
Huntolive, I will preface this with the confession that I've never fired a Korth. As far as accuracy and durability, when I was shooting a lot with my Single Six, offhand at 25 yards, a good day was 6 shots less than 3". A bad day was bigger than 4". If I could legitimately shoot 6 shot groups at 2.5", what was the gun capable of without my deficiencies? How accurate would the gun need to be to improve my performance?

Now, with that said, I understand your question, I had a 4" Model 19 that I shot as well double action as I did single action, and that is unusual for me. The gun made me a better shot than other guns did. Are K Frame Smiths inherently more accurate than GP 100's? In my hands they are, regardless of what a mechanical rest will show you.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that even if a Korth is functionally superior. It might not perform that way in your hands, and likewise even if it isn't functionally superior, it might perform that way in your hands. For a Korth to shoot better than that aforementioned M19, it would need to eat up the middle of the bull without my trying to line up the sights, and that seems unreasonable.

The reality is that the cache comments don't really matter. There's a thread right now on EAA durability/function. The Smith/Ruger/Colt faction turn up their noses and pay significantly more for a firearm they believe to be better. Nobody considers the price differential between a Windicator and a Performance Center 686. I worked with a guy who loved Pythons, but his scores went down when he switched from his Model 10 to his Python in competition. If you want a Korth because you think it is better, that's honestly enough. And 1/2" at 25 yards won't validate or invalidate your decision.
 
Here are my other .357's:

S&W 28-2
S&W TRR8
Rhino 40DS
Coonan Classic
Dan Wesson 715
Coonan Compact
Magnum Research 357L5IMB
Kimber K6S

The Korth doesn't do anything spectacularly different than the above guns except in look, feel, and the reek of quality. The Kimber trigger is quite good too. The Rhino is IMHO loose and of poor fit and finish. I posit that in a Ransom rest some will perform better than others but that is not real world. Again I use Rolex as an example. They make me "feel good" to own something of quality that has enduring value. Functionally, telling time, a smartphone or cheap quartz will do better. Virtually all mainstream mfr guns will push a bullet with better accuracy than the shooter, at least with that shooter being me.

To some people a $6k firearm is beyond reality. To others it is petty cash. Fit your purchases, luxury or otherwise, into your alleged budget, keep the bills paid, and have fun.
 
Huntolive said:
I get your point on classics.
But I'm all about function, what the gun will Do for me as far as my interest in Korth.
I have plenty of classic formation guns, nothing to old or ornate , but late 1950s and '60s Smith & Wesson.
I don't need engraving or Ivory grips.
My interest in the Korth would be improved trigger improved accuracy and something durable and different but it would have to be flat out Better in terms of trigger and accuracy for me to even consider a $5,000 revolver.
Click to expand...
That's not the point. The point is that in order for 'me' to spend that much on one gun, I have to be in love with it and that applies to every aspect of the gun. My expectations are high, as they should be. It must be beautiful, I have to be content to just sit and look at it. It must be accurate, it must be comfortable to shoot and it must be reliable. This idea that people buy "fancy" guns without any regard for function or accuracy is absolute nonsense. I'm not going to spend five grand on a gun that looks like the Korth .44 but I already have spent five grand on the two guns I pictured. The more traditional Korths are much more attractive but I'd still have an issue paying five grand for a DA that does not look like a Triple-Lock or Colt Shooting Master.

I do not own a Korth but I do believe some of the arguments regarding their single action counterparts are relevant. A Ruger functions just fine. They are normally reliable and reasonably accurate. They lack in the fit & finish department but that was to keep them more affordable than Colt and S&W (no longer applicable). When you buy a Freedom Arms, expectations are higher and for good reason. You're paying for better materials, better machining, tighter tolerances and gilt-edged accuracy. Everything about them is better. They are guaranteed to be more accurate and more consistently accurate. The odds of getting a junker go way down. Whether or not that's worth paying $3000 for is up to the individual. However, Freedom Arms guns leave me a little cold and that is why I own more custom guns than FA's.

If all you truly care about is function, then I guess you have your answer but I never believe people who say all that matters is function. For me, it goes far beyond that and I know this.

Somebody brought up other luxury items like watches. I don't care about showing off or being a brand whore. The only person that I'm worried about impressing is me. Same logic applies here. I'm not going to buy a watch just because it's a Rolex. In fact, I don't care for Rolexes at all but I am about to spend the money for an Omega and I already have two other luxury Swiss brands. I do it for my own enjoyment, not that of others. I hesitate to even bring it up because I hate braggarts.
 
Riomouse911 said:
There is a lot of panache’ in the Korth marque. I bet every one of us would walk over to check one out if the shooter in the next bay over was shooting one or a guy walked into the LGS with one in a case. We all gotta see what all the talk is about, right?

Like a Hellcat Redeye or a RUF Porsche to a wrench head, the Korth just pulls in the eyes and receives the oohs and ahhs of DA revolver heads.

That being said, personally I’d rather have a Bowen, Linebaugh or Turnbull custom SA... but that’s just me.

If it’s a void that just needs fillin’, and you have the ways and means to do it, I say go for it. :)

When you do let us know your impressions and how it shoots for you :thumbup:.

Stay safe.
Click to expand...
There is a lot of panache for the OLD Korth built by Willi; the new ones, not so much. If I was going to buy a Korth, it would be an older Willi-built one
 
George P said:
There is a lot of panache for the OLD Korth built by Willi; the new ones, not so much. If I was going to buy a Korth, it would be an older Willi-built one
Click to expand...
Makes sense. I’ve been going vintage with my gun buys for the past two years or so, I think only four that I’ve bought were new-in-box recent production guns. The rest are either older revolvers or rimfire rifles..

I read that Willi Korth was quite the gun builder. Here is just one of the historical pieces on his work.
https://larvatus.livejournal.com/401890.html?
:thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
I don't care for the look or prices of the new Korths, cheap looking rubber grips on the Mongoose, really? I have a 1967 Ratzeburg Korth in .22 that has exceeded my expectations more than any other high end gun I've had. The deep bluing, close tolerances, trigger, the way the cylinder is easily removed for cleaning, just the whole package blows away a S&W .22 I used to have. The European walnut target grips fit my hand like no other. I like the cleaner look of these early ones, with no knob by the hammer or underlug. Supposedly the later ones have a better DA pull, but mine is pretty good and I rarely shoot DA anyway. Of course accuracy is great. Kind of cool having a gun Willi Korth himself probably worked on. These can be had for about $2K, less than a high end 1911. If I was in the market for a Korth .357 I'd look for one of the blued Ratzeburg guns, very unlikely you'd ever wear one out.

Always make me laugh when people say that's too much money, when if you added up all their plastic guns they could buy a bunch of Korths, and many will spend $50K on a truck that is a depreciating asset.

Speaking of Rolex, they aren't a bad investment, apart from how well made they are. I have my dad's inherited Datejust, worth about 3X what he paid for it, an Explorer II 16570, built like a tank, completely waterproof, 21 years old and amazingly keeping dead on time, i.e. at most it may gain a couple seconds a month. Under the radar look, have never had one comment on it, which is fine with me. Worth a couple thousand more than I bought it for. I bought my wife a Datejust less than three years ago that today sells for $1K+ more than I paid for it, if you can find one.

Korth thumbnail_IMG_2387.jpg
 
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Paul7 said:
I don't care for the look or prices of the new Korths. I have a 1967 Ratzeburg Korth in .22 that has exceeded my expectations more than any other high end gun I've had. The deep bluing, close tolerances, trigger, the way the cylinder is easily removed for cleaning, just the whole package blows away a S&W .22 I used to have. The European walnut target grips fit my hand like no other. I like the cleaner look of these early ones, with no knob by the hammer or underlug. Supposedly the later ones have a better DA pull, but mine is pretty good and I rarely shoot DA anyway. Of course accuracy is great. Kind of cool having a gun Willi Korth himself probably worked on. These can be had for about $2K, less than a high end 1911. If I was in the market for a Korth .357 I'd look for one of the blued Ratzeburg guns, very unlikely you'd ever wear one out.

Always make me laugh when people say that's too much money, when if you added up all their plastic guns they could buy a bunch of Korths, and many will spend $50K on a truck that is a depreciating asset.

Speaking of Rolex, they aren't a bad investment, apart from how well made they are. I have my dad's inherited Datejust, worth about 3X what he paid for it, an Explorer II 16570, built like a tank, 21 years old and amazingly keeping dead on time, i.e. at most it may gain a couple seconds a month. Under the radar look, have never had one comment on it, which is fine with me. Worth a couple thousand more than I paid for it. I bought my wife a Datejust less than three years ago that today sells for $1K+ more than I paid for it, if you can find one.View attachment 1002858
Click to expand...
Hey now! I NEED the $50K truck to haul all my "stuff" to the gun club!...............:D
 
Would I sell a Dan Wesson and Smith and Wesson to fund a Korth. Yes in a minute. There is the Ratzeburg Korth and the Lollar Korth made today. The Lollar Korth is a really neat revolver. You can buy one on Egun and have it imported if the Nighthawk logo bothers you. Are they worth it yes they are. Opinion based on personal experience and ownership with these guns.
 
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