Target Sports

REVOLVER REVIEW: THE SEARCH FOR PERFECTION

Created on 29th May 2009

RICHARD ATKINS dons velvet gloves to try the new JTL long barrel revolver

MOST OF us will have heard the saying attributed to Emerson: "If a man builds a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to his door." It comes in various forms but the analogy is clear enough: the solution to a problem may already exist, but if it can be improved upon, success will follow.

Remember the days when you could own a simple but efficient revolver to enjoy seemingly endless fun at the target-shooting club? Most of us would be more than happy with the Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus et al revolvers of the day. Indeed, the S&W reigned supreme for many years in a host of target disciplines like PP1, PP2 and 1500 matches. Rugged, simple and affordable - what more could you ask for? But even when we had our pick, there were always those models that stood out from the crowd. Lesser-known makes that offered something different, and usually at a steep premium.

For those seeking something more individual, there were makes like Manurhin of France and Mateba of Italy; and for the very well-heeled there was Korth from Germany. Retailing at a price akin to several S&Ws, Korth was the pinnacle of precision excellence embodied in a revolver. Every part was manufactured, fitted and honed to perfection, but perfection comes at a price. Just as much-improved mousetraps are seen less frequently than the original model invented almost 120 years ago, price and controlled production have ensured that Korth models remain a rarity. Their owners include heads of state, celebrities, high-ranking security officers around the world, and some sportsmen too. What leads them to a Korth is the desire to have the best, or as Korth proclaims: to possess perfection and precision in their weapon of choice.

It's no surprise that JTL has been involved with Korth for some time and the JTL trigger mechanism bears some similarity to the Korth. Being involved with such a revered name meant JTL had a blueprint for quality: high precision in every part with parts made of the highest grade materials that can be machined to extremely tight tolerances, hardened to a higher resistance, and are far stronger than required to withstand the rigours of hard use. They are then polished to a finish that resembles quality chrome-plating.

The idea for the JTL was conceived in 1997. The first example was chambered in 44 Mag and the frame size was based on an S&W ‘N' model. A prototype was made in 1998 and put through extensive testing. It performed well and a 454 Casull model, with a larger frame, was also planned. By 1999, a 357 Mag seven-shot model was added and the decision was taken to introduce a model in multi-calibres with interchangeable screw-in barrels.

The first model that has been made in a suitable LBR format for the UK market is the 357 Mag seven-shot model; a version in 454 Casull is planned for early 2008.

What price perfection?

People are anything from staggered to confused at the uplift in cost from something mass-produced that works perfectly well, to something similar that works rather better. Take the Hi-fi-buff: I have a friend who would not sully his record collection by playing it on my stereo system. My stereo sounds fine to me, and granted, he hasn't had years of shooting bashing his ears, but I struggle to justify the difference in cost (about 15 times more!) between his stereo and mine; but that's his choice and he enjoys it.

And so it is with guns. Show me someone who asks "why pay X for a competition shotgun when I can get a perfectly good one for a third of the price", and I'll show you someone who has never shot in a competition with a decent shotgun. The route to improvement takes a disproportionate amount of extra input with design, materials, production and treatment methods - time is also an expensive production commodity. The JTL has all these things included in abundance. The format is familiar enough - a seven-shot cylinder of substantial dimensions that rotates clockwise just like a Smith. The lockwork is different, more like a Korth, and indeed it feels more like a Korth than a (standard) Smith & Wesson. The double action is light and the roller bearing smooth with hardly any perceptible ‘stacking' as the trigger is pulled through; it's frankly the smoothest trigger action I can recall (it's been a while!) but I'm confident it at least matches the Korth, and beats anything else I can think of. In double action competition shooting this sort of action is absolutely superb; in the security services, it could mean a whole lot more.

Single-action is of course lighter still and supremely crisp; there is no perceptible take up in trigger travel, and as the hammer breaks it provides the ultimate in ‘surprise breaks' that tells you the action work is superb: there is no measurable over-travel either. Once the hammer starts to fall the trigger engages a micrometer-precise trigger stop that prevents snatch on follow through. Sadly, for me as for many readers, the JTL is beyond our financial reach; but do, if you get even half the chance, pick one up where it is OK to do so. (Clubs cannot, at present, have LBRs on club tickets for members to try, not that many clubs would buy a JTL if they could.) If it's just a moment in a dealer's shop, try one. There is little you may ever handle that can approach the combination of double and single-action trigger-pulls. Compared to a basic revolver, this is poetry in motion.

Before I get too carried away, let's look at a couple more of the JTL's features. The cylinder arbour is mounted in a precision-bored hole in the base of the frame, and has a spring-loaded button set into the right-hand side of the arbour hole. This is a quick release button that allows the cylinder to slide out of the frame for cleaning and checking (or swapping for another calibre for those so lucky).

The cylinder locks fore and aft in typical S&W Fashion, a pin entering the rear of the cylinder and another detent holding the front of the ejector rod in the crane of the frame. A small pin set into the crane provides a precise datum for the locks to pull against, so alignment is spot on every time. Timing of the cylinder rotation is in the Swiss watch category too, as you'd expect, the cylinder latch dropping part way through the cycle into a recess leading to each of the seven locking slots, allowing the latch to drop in precisely and without effort. The fit allows but a trace of movement to be detected when the trigger is held back and the cylinder rocked. If it were any tighter, it may not drop in reliably.

A novel feature is the choice of cylinder release. Unlike a Smith, Ruger or host of other revolvers where the latch is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame and operated by a right-handed shooter's thumb, the JTL has a vertical mounted lever on the right-hand side of the hammer. This takes a bit more getting used to, though it works perfectly well. The latch under the thumb position has much going for it ergonomically. When trying to use the speed loaders available for the JTL, however, the reason for its positioning becomes clear. The cylinder, with its seven holes, provides minimal space for the fully charged speed loader to be aligned with the cylinder. With a thumb latch sticking out just there it would interfere, making fast loading almost impossible, so it's worth retraining your thumb to flip over the hammer to push the JTL lever (with gold-plated knob) forwards.

Another surprise arose with the rear sight. Although looking very S&W-like it lacks the elevation adjustment of the S&W. Elevation adjustment is carried out via the foresight and a range of interchangeable blades is available. Sight width was a little narrow for use with the longer barrel on the UK models, so Cotswold Arms is having wider front sight blade options made available to reduce the ‘white gap' between foresight and rearsight notch on the UK LBR models.

Range outing

Trips to the range were a combination of anticipation and trepidation; dare we fire this gun that costs 20 times more than my stereo system? Gareth Murfin, proprietor of the UK importer Cotswold Arms, wanted to know how I thought it shot, so I had to overcome my reticence and shoot the thing. And what a joy it was. I'm not sure I should have; it's really exquisite and if you like nice things, you'll just love it. True, most of us will never be able to afford one, but if I could, I'd sure as heck want one! It feels superb, even with the chunk of metal out the back to counterbalance the weight of the 300mm-long barrel. The trigger-pulls in S/A and D/A are even better. But sadly, perfection is pricey. I had stopped doing the lottery for reasons various, but I think I might just buy a couple of tickets...

Technical Specification

Make: JTL
Model: 357 Magnum LBR
Capacity: Seven shots
Barrel length: 12" (305mm)
Trigger pull: S/A = 2½lb. D/A= 6½lb
Overall length: 24¾" (630mm) + removable end cap)
Weight: 4lb
SRP: £4,000

UK Distributor: Cotswold Arms
T: 01451 870243

REVOLVER REVIEW: THE SEARCH FOR PERFECTION

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REVOLVER REVIEW: THE SEARCH FOR PERFECTION

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