Lottery ticket
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A lot of our readers don’t need to win the lottery to buy whatever handgun tickles their fancy. Otherwise, high-end gunmakers wouldn’t exist. But judging from the comments underneath reviews of just about every $1000-and-up firearm we publish, it seems some of you would need a radical change in financial circumstances to buy lay out four figures for a firearm.

No shame in that. And no shame in owning any of these three astoundingly good handguns.

1. Bill’s Custom Automatics Master Grade 1911 – Starting about $6000

TTAG’s resident war hero Jon Wayne Taylor is our go-to 1911 guy. He’s shot a few. Reviewed a bunch. None of the 1911’s Mr. Taylor’s held in his XXL mitts has found more favor than Bill’s Custom Automatics Master Grade 1911. [Click here to read the review.]

The MG 1911 is not a flashy piece. Nor is Mr. Bill a famous maker — outside the rarefied air of people who know about such things. What captivated Mr. Taylor: the gunmaker’s fanatical attention to detail and flawless workmanship. Strike that. It’s the 1911 astounding accuracy.

This gun shot so well that, at 15 yards in slow fire on paper, I made a game of shooting through the hole caused by my first five-round group to shoot another target behind that one for the last three. When you have to come up with stupid games like that, you’re into serious fun.

A moment of zen, then. In fact, Jon’s only five-star handgun review. Bonus! You “only” have to wait 60 days from order to delivery. In the world of customized handguns, that’s a firearms femtosecond. What are you waiting for? Go buy that ticket.

Korty Super Sport STX .357
Courtesy Nighthawk Custom

2. Korth Super Sport STX .357 Revolver – Starting at $5,199

Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center revolvers are awesome (as in standing mute in the face of God). They’re as smooth as Sade. As accurate as a TAG Heuer Calibre 360. What’s more awesome than awesome? The German-made Korth Super Sport .357.

When I first fired this gun at SHOT Show, Korth’s Roller Trigger shot holes in my idea of what makes a perfect trigger. If your idea of perfection differs from the factory setting, Korth importer Nighthawk Custom will gladly adjust the wheelgun’s trigger stop, trigger return, main spring, double-action trigger progression and sear adjustment to your specifications.

So what’s the Korth Super Sport for, exactly? Self-defense, hunting, target shooting, competition, inducing the admiration of friends or dry fire fondling? Yes. Any and all of that You can even can fit the Super Sport with Korth’s optional patented 9mm/.38 Special conversion cylinder. Oh, that costs extra.

SIG SAUER P210 Legend Super Target – $3499

It’s hard to spend a lot of money — in lottery ticket terms — on a semi-automatic handgun. But not impossible, as Jim Barrett’s 2012 review of the SIG SAUER P210 Legend [not Super] Target pistol proves. And guess what? The price has risen by some $600 in the interim.

Your money buys you a 34.7 ounce now made-in-America semi with a slide fashioned from billet steel, sliding back and forth inside the frame rails, rather than on the outside. That and careful craftsmanship makes it tighter than OBSCENE SIMILE DELETED. Which makes the SIG P210 extremely accurate.

No P210 leaves the factory until a marksman puts five rounds into a two-inch circle at 50 yards. The walnut-handled handgun’s sights are fixed — unless you stump-up for the more expensive tactical version. Extra mags run $75. Chump change after those lottery numbers rock your world. You know, in theory.

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83 COMMENTS

  1. I’d add some form of Machine Pistol to the list, hell even a Glock 18. Perhaps a MAC-10 if I was being a bit less gung-ho about spending my winnings.

    • I’d also go with something full auto (or maybe a Barrett .50 BMG) rather than just buying a “fancy” handgun. Of course frugal (sensible) people like me don’t piss away money on the lottery any way.

      Also, I’m the kind of guy who would much rather have 8 revolvers in the $600 range (Smiths and Rugers) of various calibers and configurations than one $4800 Korth. On the other hand, what do I know? I’ve never held or fired a Korth. It is perhaps hard to appreciate the finer things when you’ve never been exposed to them.

      • Personally I think that is the ugliest revolver I’ve ever seen. It makes the Russian Nagant 1895 look down right gorgeous.

        • Ugly or tacky? Kind of looks both ugly and tacky to me. On the other hand Smith revolvers generally look pretty classy.

        • Yeah could be tacky it’s the pic rail all over a revolver. Maybe it’s fugly. If some one gave it to me I’d still take it ?

        • I definitely wouldn’t go for that cheese grater, either. Their four inch standard style is appealing, though.

    • World War 2 Era MP-40.

      Always wanted one since I collect WW2 stuff. The ones on GunBroker that have seen regularly start at 15k plus or more if they have bring-back papers….when do show up.

    • Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. I’d have to buy a few guns in full auto & the glock 18 is a pretty good starting point.

  2. pfft, if you win the lottery why would you restrict yourself to handguns??? the first gun ANYONE who wins the lottery should buy is the FG42 of course.

  3. Ehh. If I hit the lottery I’d be dropping money on things I can’t just save up and get anyway. I’d be trying to find a Beretta 93r, a MAC-10, or if I really want to go for something rare a select fire C96. And truth be told none of those handguns rustle my jimmies at all.

  4. I’ll start surfing the gun shows and auction sites till I find the 4″ blued Python I need and not have to amputate my leg for it.
    Maybe get an FN Five-Seven to jack around with just because its a super-cool toy with little practical use for me.

    • A colt snake revolver would be nice. I love my FNH 5.7 I’d carry it if Florida ever passed open carry. I busted my right wrist so I’m a little recoil sensitive. The civilian legal green tip has some decent velocity. It’s an accurate gun and flat shooting for a pistol cartridge.

  5. Sure but that Korth is one fugly thing.

    Hard to win the lottery when I’ve never played(that’s 42 years)…so you should send me one?

  6. I’d shoot a Cabot Meteorite 1911 to *destruction*.

    And then have ’em build me another pair.

    (I won’t forget the little people who hang out in TTAG. Every regular gets a brick of .22lr…)

    • I was thinking if I won, that pair would immediately be on my want list. I’d find the guy who bought JFK’s garands and buy that too. The rest, would be belt fed, or select fire.

    • Every regular gets a brick of .22lr…

      Which, oddly enough, will run you as much as the 1911s.

  7. I was about to say ho-hum when I saw the P210 LST. Wow, what a great looking handgun. I agree with BLoving too; give me an FN 5-7 plus a couple thousand rounds.

  8. Heck why buy new when you can buy a Smith and Wesson Model 29-3 or a Colt Python Nickel Plated 6 inch barrel of the 69 to 74 vintage. Not going to make them again and only going to gain in value.

  9. If I won the lottery, I might more land, a new Cessna, a new truck, a new boat, etc. But I doubt I would own any handgun that cost much more than a thousand bucks.

    Unless your shooting skills are already on the level of Jerry Miculek, any extra inherent accuracy or performance in a $4800 revolver vs. a Smith & Wesson, for example, is probably wasted on you. In such cases, as with the majority of Korth’s customers, what you have paid all the extra money for is a fetish item. Which is fine, so long as you are honest with yourself.

      • A new Cessna?

        F*ck that. Plenty of turboprops are single-pilot flyable.

        For a bush plane, the Pilatus PC-6 Porter is float capable and their sexy PC-12 is rough field capable.

        And both can be flown off that extra land you’re buying… 🙂

        • I like the way you think. If I buy a high mountain retreat, the PC-6 would be a good choice. But there is no denying that airplane fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

          I have a certain nostalgia about Cessnas. For a nice flat patch of Virginia countryside, a Skylane would suit me fine.

  10. Sorry .. I’m not that likely to drop almost $5k on a gun that looks like a prop from Dr. Who.

    Of course I say that without having held and fired said Korth. If what I’ve read about them is at all accurate, then I probably don’t want to because I would then probably want one.

    • Available for immediate delivery from Davidson’s? For under 2 grand? Wrong crowd, my friend. 🙂

  15. Manurhin MR 73 in .357 Magnum

    ASP 9mm

    Colt 1911 Royal Air Force contract in 455 Webley Auto

  16. I’d take a Colt Python over that hideous Korth, and a number of Ed Brown, Cabot, Wilson Combat or even Dan Wesson 1911s over the pick here. I’ve never shot a Sig 210, but it would be be that or a Sig X5 or X6 Supermatch. Probably the Supermatch – it’s just a much better looking gun than the 210 and probably pretty close in the accuracy category.

  17. Like your daddy always said – a product is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it.

  18. Meh… I want a select fire machine pistol. A old .32 caliber scorpion would just about fit the bill.

  19. A lot of our readers — quiet sorts — don’t need to win the lottery to buy whatever handgun tickles their fancy.

    I.E. – be quiet about the price of these guns in this article!

    Lol.

  20. for that same $14,298 you could wrangle free one hundred and ten hi- points.
    keep one just about everywhere, like reading glasses.

  22. A Nepoleon 6 pounder brass cannon circa 1810-1815. I can get the brass ingot on line, just need to find a machinist with a big enough lathe. The carriage, I think I can handle. The drawings are easy to come by.

    Once I get a pair if them, I can’t wait to be the crazy old man down the block blasting them off on July 4.

  23. The SIG is probably the nicest looking in that bunch, I agree with most here, I’d be chasing a few vintage, or full autos, or suppressors to accessorize everything I have, and would have. Maybe one of those military tanks that cruises at lol 65mph or something crazy like that, call it my commuter car.

  24. I don’t care how much that Korth costs or even how well it shoots, it looks like an attempt to dethrone the Chiapppa Rhino as the world’s ugliest revo lver.

  26. Personally I’d have gone with a Barrett M82A1, Colt 1877 Gatling gun and maybe a high end double rifle in something H&H myself.

  29. I would probably pay that price for a P210 legend if I could actually find one….as it’s kind of my holy grail of guns. Unfortunately, it’s a unicorn…only ever seen pictures of them.

  30. If we’re talking what I want right now, realistically, that aren’t easily obtainable at the moment:

    X95 Tavor
    SCAR 17
    PS90 SBR

    Lottery toys?
    G18, don’t care how, I want it.
    Barrett 107
    MG42
    Thompson A1, I don’t like the long ones.
    There’s a MK19 on the registry, supposedly the only one, guy wants $450k. Maybe.

  32. If I win the lottery, I’m hiring a 19-yr-old bikini model to do my shooting for me.

    In between massages.

  33. I have thought about this before. Sorry to go off topic but my ballistic dreams are larger. I really don’t want any specific pistol. But I would start purhasing a number full, compact, and even some sub compacts in matched pairs mainly in 9mm and 380 calibers. Various 12 Gauges , both pump and semi auto. AR pattern rifles in 556,300 blackout, and 308. Finally some lever guns in 30 30 an 357.

    Would buy some land where I could practice using these any time I wanted.

  36. “That and careful craftsmanship makes it tighter than” Hillary Clinton’s fist after losing on November 9.

  37. If we are truly “ballin” then I am going Dave Chappelle on this one. I am buying entire gun factory – preferably the sweatshop variety. I could have my own island in the Philippines where I make 50 dollar 1911’s and sell them for 99. And if they get out of line I’ll cut of their feet – THEIR FEET!

    * Notice proper use of the word “I’ll” 🙂

  39. H&h double rifle in something cool lik .460 rigby.
    Hire Tom in Oregon to take me on safari with it.
    A real Mp5Sd
    Barret 107
    The land to shoot it on.

  40. You guys think too small….
    Iowa class battleship. That should satisfy all your shooting needs.
    Nothing says good morning like popping off a 2700 lb ap shell.
    Also got the ma deuce, ciws, tomahawk and harpoon missiles, the 5 inch dp guns…. and not to mention the armor….

  41. Maybe first buys should I win the lottery will all be NFA items. Who doesn’t need a mini gun

  42. If I won the lottery, I’d pay Ian to set about tracking down as many obscure guns as he can from his website, and pay him to “curate” them. There needs to be a Forgotten Weapons Museum, with shootable examples.

    Hmmm…. I wonder how much it would cost for a G.11 and to roll my own caseless ammo.

  44. Guns are cool and all but I feel like if I actually hit a lotto jackpot I’d buy actual artillery.

    Nah, screw that. I’d buy a smallish defense contractor so I could play with whatever I wanted. Like, buy a bunch of used cars and shoot them with Javalins and RPG’s.

  45. I still think about that 1911 made by Tim. I have yet to find any gun the matches the Perfection of its function.

  46. WHEN I win the lotto (you’re so optimistic, Farago) I’ll probably find YouTuber LifeSizePotato and buy out his collection.

  47. If more gun retailers offered financing, none of those would be true “lottery” guns. I’m not by any means wealthy and already own a real Korth, amongst other boutique handguns. It’s all about priorities and saving. You know how people like new cars? Ditch those and plenty of gun options open up. Fancy sidearms don’t depreciate as much, either.

    My lottery gun list is as follows:
    1. Holland and Holland 16 gauge sxs
    2. Holland and Holland 470 NE sxs
    3. Janz revolver with a briefcase full of caliber conversion kits.

  48. FIRST three handguns only?

    1. CZ 75 TS Czechmate
    2. Dan Wesson 715 Revolver Pistol Pack
    3. Wilson Combat EDC X9

    Of course, that’s just how I feel at this moment, and with money in hand I would likely buy a lot more than three at once.

  49. I have no doubt that this Sig deserves all the praise you give it. But the much-criticized Beretta 92 met that standard in 1983. It still does:
    “The 92FS consistently bests the US military requirement of a 10-shot (not 5-shot…) group of 3” or less at 50 meters (just short of 55 yards).”
    That accuracy one of the reasons why the Army chose it. Soldiers who have criticized the gun failed to appreciate a very important thing: They were issued severely worn-out guns, and it’s the wear, not the gun, that made them lousy.
    Wilson Combat will upgrade even that accuracy, along with the sub-par trigger feel and safety, and you can add some real purty wood grips, and you’ll have a gun that costs half as much as this particular Sig and is just as good or better.
    And no, I don’t own any Berettas or work for Beretta.

  50. P.S.: I should have mentioned that you can get the equally-accurate Beretta for six or seven hundred dollars, not $3499.

  51. Serious question- no disrespect: Why is Jon Wayne Taylor your resident war hero? I keep reading this and have always wondered of it’s meaning.

  52. Right now I am thinking I would start buying ammo more than guns. Especially right after I won. Once everything settles down from the hoopla from winning then I would sit down and start buying firearms.

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