Elegant Engineering

When my friend and handgun-hunting colleague Chris Rhodes notified me there was a new revolver introduced at the SHOT Show, inquiring minds wanted to know more. Chris shared just enough information to pique my interest. He was able to get his grubby hands on one and took it to Texas on a hunt. After taking a few critters with the revolver, he shared his initial thoughts on this new offering, which was enough to tip me over the edge. I immediately got on the phone to procure one of these classy-looking sixguns manufactured in Germany.

Who Is Spohr?

Before I got the checkbook out, I really wanted to know more about Spohr, the company, and Thomas Spohr, the innovator behind this product. He studied weapons technology at the world-famous HTL Ferlach in Austria. After completing his studies, he quickly passed the Master Craftsman’s examination in gunsmithing. Thomas continued his studies, graduating as a master gunsmith from the Ehingen School outside of Stuttgart.

Thomas developed a carbine based on a Luger P08 pistol, and these custom-made guns quickly became well-known in the region. Later down the road, he became a member of the CLUB 30, where German gunsmiths joined forces to tune S&W revolvers for German customers. As a member of the German S&W Club, he became involved in the high-end tuning of S&W revolvers and began to produce his own parts. With this growing passion for revolvers, he soon developed his own line with the SPOHR L562 being launched. His revolvers have been sold in Germany since 2019, and the following is growing.

First Impressions

After a quick call to Margie Binzer of MMB Imports, I was fortunate to get a 286 Competition revolver in .357 Magnum headed my way. It was the only gun here in the States at that moment, so I felt like the stars had lined up properly. When I received the SPOHR revolver, the first thing to make an impression was the nice, lockable Negrini gun case. No corners were cut here.

As I opened the case, my initial reaction was this revolver was aesthetically pleasing. The firearm is made completely from martensitic stainless steel ingrained with German engineering. This 286 Competition tipped the scales at approximately 49 oz. It was no surprise to see the overall fit and finish to be superb. The elegant-looking walnut match grips featured a subtle texture with finger grooves. They consist of two panels overlapping the backstrap with a perfect fit.

My test gun came with an extra 9mm cylinder with five moon clips. There is a moon clip loading gadget available to make loading these clips a little less challenging. The 9mm cylinder will be beneficial for extended range time while burning up lots of ammo with less recoil.

Operations & Details

According to the Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, the single action trigger broke just shy of 3 lbs., crisp and clean, without any creep. The revolver is loaded with a lot of features you would find on a custom creation, including an adjustable trigger stop. The wire-eroded trigger system consists of a solid trigger, smooth and rounded. The trigger guard is spacious enough for shooting with gloves in colder climates. All of the lock parts are made from highly tempered steel without any metal injection molding (MIM) parts. A prime example would be the solid hammer LX-V2 with serrations on a full-bodied spur. Your thumb should never slip while cocking this hammer.

The 6″ cold hammer forged polygonal barrel has a unique characteristic appearance. It has been stated the polygonal barrel enhances accuracy, plus it’s easier to clean. I’m anxious to find out for myself. The flat-sided barrel features a 286 Competition inscription on one side while the left side of the barrel wears .357 Mag. To break up the mundane of the flat side, oblong cutouts on both sides leave an eye-pleasing sort of sophistication. The adjustable LPA rear sight has serrations in the black square notch. A two-stage match front sight features a black square blade.

Another one of the attributes I appreciated about the Spohr was the full-bodied match cylinder release. Boy, does that make life easy and painless. It was not only easy on the thumb but provided a quick cylinder release for speed loading if necessary. The six-shot cylinder is fluted, exhibiting a tasteful two-tone finish. The cylinder gap measured 0.005″. When I first opened the cylinder, it was a pleasant surprise to find the charge holes numbered. After dry firing for a bit, it was easy to detect this revolver wasn’t mass-produced.

Optics Ready

The barrel also incorporates an integrated Picatinny rail for optics. There are seven slots providing flexibility on mounting location for a reflex sight. I’m not familiar with competition events in Europe, but many will find this rail beneficial for red dot sights. For years, I’ve been shooting Ultradot tube sights. I elected to mount this optic directly above the frame — which is drilled and tapped for all S&W mounts. A quick call to EGW and I had a base to fit and the Ultradot was mounted in 30mm rings.

As luck would have it, a new model from Ultradot arrived just in time for testing. This Match Dot II features a green dot with four different MOA dots, 2, 4, 6, and 8 MOA. The optic also provides two different reticle options — circle with dot and circle with crosshair. One of the finest upgrades on the new model can be found on the user-friendly power control knob. There are 11 settings to adjust brightness with an off position between each setting. This is a very practical improvement as opposed to dialing back to zero every time you want to turn the unit off. I didn’t have any issues with the red dot but I must confess my eyes prefer the green color better.

Shooting The Spohr

With a variety of Remington and Federal ammo, I was anxious to see how the Spohr performed on the range. I was shooting Federal Fusion 158-grain soft point, Federal Premium Hammer Down 170-grain bonded bullet, Remington UMC 125-grain JSP, and Federal American Eagle 158-grain JSP. From a sandbag rest, I began shooting from 25 yards to see how well the gun would group with a variety of ammo. My first 5-shot group came from Federal’s factory 158-grain Fusion. The gun was right out of the box, with no adjustments or modifications, just an Ultradot optic mounted.

When I saw that first group, I was both a little surprised and impressed! The cluster of five shots with a new gun and factory ammo was most pleasing, to say the least. While I didn’t get any groups tighter, the Spohr was certainly not picky with a variety of ammo tested. After adjusting the green dot optic, I moved out to 50 and 75 yards banging steel plates on my farm. This revolver is easy to shoot accurately as it balances well with a crisp trigger pull. I just wish a hog hunt was on the menu as I’d love to try Federal’s Hammer Down, 170-grain offering on a big mean hog.

After extensive range time, I was more than pleased with the Spohr. Whether it’s recreational shooting, competition, or hunting, this revolver will find favor in the hands of discerning shooters. The optimal performance can be credited to meticulous German craftsmanship. Currently, Spohr is manufacturing a .22 LR revolver based on their L562 frame and will hopefully be available by the end of 2024. They are also working on a new frame for .44 Mag. which is currently under development. I’ve already got my order in for one, as I imagine this will be a top-tier hunting handgun. If I had a magic wand, an 8″ model with a non-fluted cylinder would look nice under the Christmas tree. Based on this new frame, an 8-shot cylinder for the .357 Mag. will also be launched.

The ATF has to approve these revolvers before shipping, and this doesn’t happen overnight. At this time ­— Spohr’s U.S. importer is MMB Imports. Customer service is available through Spohr’s service center in Pennsylvania. If my crystal ball is clear, I see a lot of premium revolvers coming to the U.S. from Germany. Target shooters, handgun hunters and revolver aficionados who appreciate top-shelf craftsmanship will welcome the arrival.

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