Korth Mongoose .357

What we have here is something very special indeed. The Korth design is arguably at the very pinnacle of revolver building technology today. Not content to rest on their decades-old set of laurels, Korth — and their U.S. partner Nighthawk Custom — continue to innovate, re-think and re-invent this singular brand. While both companies are world-famous, why the fuss?

There are reasons many think “quality” when the Mercedes brand comes up. I’ve owned Mercedes autos and frankly, much of the enjoyment comes from the impression they leave, how they perform in the real world and how they make an owner feel when they walk out and see their car resting in the driveway. Build quality is certain, but how this culmination of features and benefits marks the ownership experience is why they are popular.

The Korth lineup fits snugly into the same mix. To my eye, the quality is evident in the fit, finish, craftsmanship, engineering innovations, how they feel when manipulated and how they perform when fired. The sum total is an experience any shooter would not only simply enjoy, but re-live whenever they handle their gun. Let’s explain a bit.

The Backstory

Mark Stone is the leader at Nighthawk Custom and an old friend. I’ve been to their facility many times and each time I’m impressed even more. Their staff is top-notch, the shop areas look like operating rooms and the entire shop, office areas and team members exude an aura of genuine caring for their products — and their clients. But how did Korth and NHC find one another? I’d like to quote Mark from a conversation he and I had a while ago.

“In January 2016 at the SHOT Show we went over to the Korth booth and introduced ourselves,” explained Mark. “Great people at every level and we immediately saw a future together. They’ve been awesome to work with and we truly have a friendship which has developed. Everyone at Korth, from the owner Martin Rothmann, to their gunsmiths and machinists are simply first class,” Mark told me. “We’ve been at their factory in Lollar, Germany several times and they’ve visited us as well several times. It’s always a great experience!

“What struck me at first — and still does — is the quality of the Korth revolver, their long history of perfecting the designs, and how their build strategy is very similar to ours. Just as we do at Nighthawk Custom, every part of every Korth revolver is fully machined out of a block of steel — and a single gunsmith hand-fits each part, building the revolver from start to finish. The pairing of our products, engineering and skills is a natural and shows by the enthusiasm our customers have for the Korth revolvers.”

It’s a natural match and almost organic in the way these two very special companies found one another. In my opinion, it simply makes perfect sense.

Some Historical Notes

Korth is a name tantamount to precision and quality craftsmanship. If you called a gun “Korth-like” it would be a supreme compliment. Founded in the 1950s in Germany by Karl Korth, they immediately became known for exceptional revolvers and combining engineering innovations with traditional manufacturing techniques. Korth’s guns have captured the attention of gun owners wanting the best, professionals and even law enforcement and competitive shooters.

During the 1960s, Korth began to gain more recognition outside of Germany due to the increasing demand for their high-quality revolvers. Word spread fast, including in the U.S. gun press. This decade marked a significant expansion for the company, with Korth revolvers being exported to other European countries and eventually to the United States.

The 1970s and 1980s were pivotal years for Korth. By this time, Korth had become a household name among shooters, particularly in the United States, where their revolvers were becoming increasingly popular across the board.

The 1990s were a challenging period for Korth as they faced economic difficulties and competition from mass-market revolver manufacturers. At one point, Korth had to scale back its operations, but the quality of their revolvers remained high, which helped maintain their reputation despite the financial hiccups.

In the mid-1990s, Korth’s management transitioned to the Müller family, who were dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Korth brand while embracing new technological advancements into the designs.

The 2000s brought a resurgence of interest in Korth revolvers and ownership by Martin Rothmann. I think this newfound interest was primarily driven by the rise of a new generation of shooters tiring of plastic and mass-produced guns. As the boomers in the U.S. aged, they found themselves with disposable income and took careful aim at high quality guns. Korth was right in their sights.

Test Gun

I’ve been blessed to own a Korth Mongoose Carry Special, sized somewhere between a K- and L-Frame. It’s a 6-shot .357 with a classic cylinder release on the left side of the frame. The 2.7″ barrel, gold dot front sight and bold adjustable rear feel right at home in an American shooter’s hands. But the quality of the action and build detail certainly standout from your run-of-the-mill revolver. I’ve owned the gun for several years so have shot it quite a bit and remain more impressed by it every time I use it.

The test gun is a new, full-sized Korth Mongoose showcasing a ribbed 4″ underlug barrel vaguely offering a hint of Colt Python. The frame itself is very much bigger than my Carry Special, and I’d call it “N-Frame” in size just so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. It’s an impeccably made gun, burly in nature at 44 oz., sporting grips landing somewhere between target, carry and hunting modes. This gun is fired off-hand, one-handed comfortably and with no small amount of fun!

It features a gold bead front, bold, adjustable rear sight, narrow hammer spur and trigger (with a mirror polish on it, thank you very much) and Korth’s unique roller action. The cylinder release is vintage Korth, like their early guns and is a sort of vertical lever adjacent to the hammer. While it looks and sounds strange to an American shooter, it’s actually handy, easy to use and very effective. The handsome finish is black DLC, which is one of the best things you can put on a gun these days.

The real kicker here is not only the 8-shot cylinder (in .357 Magnum) but the fact you can quickly and easily swap out that cylinder for a 9mm one fitted when you buy the gun or if you send it back to NHC. See that silver button at the front of the right side of the frame just in front of the trigger guard? The drill is to open the cylinder, press the button and the crane assembly slides right out the front. The new (fitted) one goes right in. Total time is about 15 seconds to do it. Splendid engineering and it makes great sense to be able to shoot cheap 9mm ammo. Great thinking there. Unfortunately I didn’t have a 9mm cylinder for the test sample, but will get one for another test down the line.

The DA trigger pull stages a bit like an S&W, but “feels” a bit more like a vintage Python action. It’s extremely smooth thanks to that roller action and to an extreme level of hand fitting. While I couldn’t read it on my trigger gauge, it’s easy to press, easy to stage and the release is smooth and rolls off with no creep or hitches. A very nice DA pull at every level. Single action on this gun is right at 3.75 lbs. and darn consistent. It’s unique, like other Korth SA pulls I’ve experienced in that it doesn’t just “break” during the press, but very gently and smoothly sort of rolls off. There’s nothing abrupt; it’s just a bit of pressure from your finger and it goes from cocked to fired with no fuss or movement. It makes for very easy SA shooting.

Shooting Experience

Since I have a good deal of time in grade shooting Korths (including very early guns from the ’80s), I didn’t have any real surprises here. I will say though the actions have steadily improved since those early guns and today’s revolvers uniformly offer unparalleled, smooth and reliable actions. My test gun had a handsomely chamfered muzzle, highly polished chambers and when I ran the ejector rod, it felt like it was on bearings. Maybe it is. The chambers are recessed, the hammer spur surface is secure but not sharp or aggressive and the narrow, polished trigger feels “just right” as you press it.

I have well over 2,000 rounds of mostly .38 Special target ammo through my smaller Mongoose with no issues at all. The 100-yard steel gong on my place here runs and hides when it sees the Korth. This new, big brother mirrors the other in accuracy, quality and consistency. I put about 300 rounds through it, mostly 148-grain .38 Special target wadcutter ammo (my handloads and factory Black Hills) with a smattering of .357 loads, from light to heavy just for fun.

The burly nature of the gun makes shooting even heavy 180-grain hard cast .357 hunting loads at 1,300 fps very easy. There’s a big bang, a modest thump in the hand and a loud clang on the gong. The target wadcutters are nearly like shooting a .22, delightfully easy on the hands and stunningly accurate. The gun comes with a 12-yard test target fired by “Ryan” at Nighthawk as part of the inspection process. It’s got a tidy one ragged hole group fired using 125-grain JHP .357 Magnum ammo.

If I took my time, shooting factory Black Hills target wadcutters at 15 yards, they went into what was essentially a single ragged hole. I pushed it out to 25 and got virtually all sub-1″ groups. At 50, holding at the top of the bull as an aiming point, 3″ groups were possible, which is better than I can shoot with any handgun at that range normally. The excellent trigger makes a huge difference, along with the bold sights and excellent build quality. This gun, like every single other Korth I’ve fired, makes you look better than you likely are!

I’d consider this bigger Mongoose to be a hunting, target, weekend competition and general “fun” shooter sort of a gun. It’s a bit on the big side for concealed carry although if you were determined I’m sure you could. The .44 Magnum version in the photos would mirror everything I said here and be even more versatile in the hunting field.

Winding Up

At $4,499 this gun isn’t for the faint of heart. But having said that, it’s about right in the middle of what a custom 1911 costs today and keep in mind even basic revolvers from top makers today can easily top $1,500 or more. Some might say, “Oh, it’s the same as my $800 (fill-in-the-blank) revolver.” No, it’s actually not the same, not at all. Both can likely defend you if needed, maybe go hunting, shoot some targets and have fun on the range on the weekend. But one does it with a degree of spirit and elegance as to keep a smile on your face the entire time you shoot it. Look deeply into that gun safe you have and choose three or four guns you don’t really need or shoot any longer. Those safe queens we all have. Sell them and put that money to good use.

I don’t want to beat a dead horse here, but as Sir Henry Royce said about his famous cars, “The cost is long forgotten, while the quality remains.”
Indeed.

NighthawkCustom.com

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