Korth Ratzeburg Combat 4 Inch .357 Magnum / 9mm Dual Cylinder

Look closely at the barrel roll mark and the frame stamp and you have the whole story. This Combat reads MADE IN W GERMANY, WAFFENFABRIK W KORTH, RATZEBURG/LBG, which places it in the old Ratzeburg shop, the period collectors chase when they go looking for a Korth. These were built almost entirely by hand, fitted one at a time, in numbers that never came close to what the big American makers turned out in a single week.

The configuration here is the 4 inch Combat, and it comes set up for two calibers. The .357 Magnum cylinder rides in the gun, and a second cylinder chambered in 9mm Parabellum sits alongside it. Korth's quick-change system is the reason this works. Press the knurled release ahead of the hammer, the crane swings, and the cylinder lifts out in seconds with no tools and no gunsmith. That lets the revolver run rimmed magnum loads or rimless 9mm without missing a beat.

The finish is the deep Korth blue, polished to a near-mirror on the barrel flats and the cylinder, with a contrasting matte top strap to cut glare at the sights. You get a fully adjustable rear sight paired with a serrated ramp front. The action is the famous Korth double action, smooth through its full stroke and crisp at the single action let-off.

Grips are checkered walnut with a target palm swell, well figured and shaped to fill the hand. The walnut tone plays against the black-blue metal in a way photographs never quite capture.

What you are holding is a complete dual-caliber Ratzeburg Combat, the kind of revolver that anchors a serious German collection. The cylinders match the gun, the blue is rich, and the mechanics are exactly what made the Korth name. For a collector who wants one Korth that does two jobs, this is the one to study.