Korriphila HSP 701 9mm

Fewer than a thousand of these ever left Edgar Budischowsky's bench, and you can feel why the moment you handle one. The Korriphila HSP 701 was built in small batches by a man who cared more about how a pistol locked up than how many he could sell in a year. This one wears the full marking suite that collectors look for. The slide reads HSP 701 Cal. 9mm Luger, Made in Germany, with the Korriphila bridge logo, and the frame carries the System Budischowsky stamp that names the action itself.

That action is the heart of the thing. Budischowsky used a roller-delayed locking system, the same family of mechanics that ran the HK roller guns, but executed here in a compact steel pistol meant for serious shooters. You can see the polished roller block sitting in the slide cut in the muzzle photos. The whole gun is machined from steel, no castings, no shortcuts, and the deep matte black finish lets the precision of the slide serrations and the slab flats show through.

The grips are checkered walnut with a smooth border and a fitted contour that fills the hand. They sit against the frame with no light gaps, which is exactly what you want on a gun built this way. Look closely, and you'll find honest signs of use. A few light scratches on the slide flat, a touch of wear at the muzzle crown, some patina on the roller. Nothing that takes away from it.

The controls are all present and clean, the bore looks bright, and the squared trigger guard and rounded backstrap give it that unmistakable European target feel. For a collector chasing the rare German bench guns, the HSP 701 sits in a very short list. This is the kind of pistol you don't see come up often, and when one does, it's worth a hard look.