By Mr. Black
The Germans make things well. Okay, maybe not music, but mechanical objects. Automobiles, clocks, aircraft, and, yes, guns. We don’t traditionally associate revolvers with Germany but, as it turns out, they might just be making the best double-actions on the market. Say hello to Korth.
Korth isn’t new; the company was founded in the 1950s with the goal of building the best revolvers possible. That’s a high bar, but if you throw enough money and German engineers at a problem, just about anything is possible (see Project Paperclip).
I’ve been a pretty hardcore revolver guy since I was popping zits while perusing the Sears Catalog, so I can be a tough critic. Though there’s some cool stuff on the market these days, the fact is that revolver quality has slid steadily downhill since World War II. Cast parts, MIM internals, sloppy timing, improperly sized chamber throats, gaping cylinder gaps…the list goes on. People are cheap and companies need profits to survive. Quality suffers.
Korth doesn’t care. They make their guns as good as possible; price point be damned. Components are machined from billets of steel and hand-fit by skilled gunmakers. It is this combination of state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and old school skill that makes these guns special.
Thanks to the firm’s relationship with Arkansas-based Nighthawk Custom, Korth’s products are now widely available here in the U.S. Nighthawk isn’t just an importer, but a true partner. Nighthawk sent their own gunsmiths to Germany to be trained alongside the boys at Korth, and they inspect and test-fire every gun that arrives here. In the rare event that something isn’t right, they’ll catch it.
Korth Mongoose Features
I’m gonna be honest—some of the Korth models are pretty Avant-garde in their appearance. My tastes skew traditional, so I chose the Mongoose .357 Magnum as my test gun. With a simple, satin black DLC finish and polished steel accents, the Mongoose is like a hot chick who doesn’t need makeup—it is as understated as some of the Korth models are flashy.
Mine came with a Pythonesque 5.25-inch vent rib hammer-forged barrel with a full underlug. The six-shot cylinder locks into the frame at three different positions and an optional, spare 9mm cylinder, hand-fit to the gun, was included. Swapping cylinders requires loosening a single screw, and a properly ground turnscrew for that job was included.
Korth uses a roller trigger system so both the double- and single-action trigger pulls are as slick as glass. Most double-action revolvers these days are trash—this one broke at 8 pounds and was Astro glide-smooth. The crisp single-action break was 3 pounds. The cylinder latch is ingeniously located beside the hammer where it can be actuated without shifting your firing grip. The cylinder swings out past the 90-degree point, making it easy to load. Machined aluminum speed loaders are available.
The sights are of serious quality, machined like the rest of the gun. The front sight is fit with a 14-karat gold bead that you could hock for beer money in a pinch, and the rear is precision adjustable for both windage and elevation. The entire sight radius is machined with serrations that probably cut glare but mainly look cool.
The Mongoose’s grips are made from Turkish walnut and are of a quality befitting the revolver. You can buy a cheap handgun for less than they cost—if you think that’s ridiculous, this isn’t the gun for you. Their fit and finish are excellent. Your hand slides onto the smooth, oil-finished wood like…well, use your imagination.
On the Range
Revolver accuracy is a matrix of tolerances and alignments that must stack up properly for ideal results. The fit and timing of the Korth Mongoose suggested that accuracy would be good, but there’s only one real way to find out. With both cylinders, this Mongoose was obscenely accurate. It drilled ragged little holes out to 25 yards, and I beat the shit out of the 100-yard steel. If you twitch, the Mongoose will tell you.
Guns don’t get better than this, only different. The Mongoose isn’t showy. Its elegance lies in its precision fit and quality construction. In a world where “good enough” is the standard, Korth says “Nein!” and builds them to be as good as they can be. If cost is no object, great things can be achieved. These revolvers are proof.
Price: Starting at $4,149.
Pros: Excellent quality, rock-solid construction.
Cons: Already steep price tag has been bumped up by tariffs.
