There are moments when an evolution in firearms design is subtle and then suddenly unavoidable.
The execution of the Spohr L562 double-action revolver is one of those moments.
L562s are the kind of revolvers that make you rethink what a production wheelgun can be. This evolution is about a small, focused shop applying modern machining and old-school benchcraft towards the goal of repeatable performance.
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I ran a Spohr L562 revolver hard through drills, chronographs and speedloader checks. It kept delivering the same message every shooter wants to hear, “I am an heirloom.”
The Substance Behind Spohr Revolvers
The L562 is an “L-frame” size six-shot revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. The 4-inch version featured here weighs 2-lbs, 9.6-oz.
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Spohr set out to make a serviceable, controllable revolver that still points and times like a precision tool. The full underlug anchors the sight picture without turning the gun into an anvil. The bead-blast finish reads utilitarian, not flashy. Its stocks are full-backstrap wood that feel good in slow fire and remain comfortable during long shooting sessions. If you want to run speedloaders hard, swap to a slimmer grip panel and something like that Speedbeez LGP 38-06 compatibility is confirmed on my sample.
Spohr’s manufacturing philosophy shows in the details. Frames, cylinders and important faces are milled and finished to tight tolerances. All Internals are wire EDM cut stainless steel components instead of sintered parts. All engagement surfaces are cut and hand-finished, and small upgrades like a bearing-mounted mainspring and an adjustable overtravel stop for the trigger are built in.
The LPA rear sight is cut to Smith & Wesson’s dovetail pattern, so sight swaps are straightforward. This ensures that most aftermarket parts fit in easily. In short, Spohr reduces variability at the source so you spend less time custom fitting and more time shooting.
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Superlative Attributes
Mechanically, the L562 feels similar to the archetypical Smith & Wesson L-Frame, but the refinement is obvious during live fire. The double-action trigger pull is even and resists stacking late thanks to the bearing guidance on the mainspring. The overtravel stop lets you trim single-action overtravel to your taste without masking poor engagement geometry. Factory measurements on my sample landed right where a tuned service revolver should: single-action averaged 2 pounds 4 ounces and double-action averaged 8 pounds 11 ounces. Those pulls are comfortable for precision and for duty use, and they are fully adjustable by tweaking mainspring tension.
I printed multiple cloverleaf groups at 7 yards across multiple strings of fire shot in double-action. The polygonal, cold hammer-forged barrel under the shroud is regulated precisely with this Spohr’s sights. The full underlug and balanced mass help keep the revolver’s muzzle level from target to target. In moving strings the gun stayed linear and the sight picture remained usable, which speaks to correct timing, return spring calibration and good ergonomics.
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Ballistics and Defensive Practice
I fired both .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads from HSM and Lehigh Defense and recorded velocities with a Garmin Xero.
- HSM 38 158 gr JSP averaged 726.7 fps.
- Lehigh Defense 357 105 gr CF averaged 1348.7 fps.
- Lehigh Defense 357 120 gr XD averaged 1409.4 fps.
- Lehigh Defense 357 125 gr CF averaged 1210.3 fps.
Those Lehigh numbers show the gun’s ability to handle premium defensive ammunition.
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Practical performance at common defensive distances was predictable and consistent. The L562 will handle light practice loads for high-volume training and heavier defensive loads for real world use without complaint.
Spohr L562: Durability, Shootability And Craftsmanship
This is where factory grip shape matters. With the stock full-backstrap panels reloads at a steady pace were clean and reliable. When I switched to a slimmer grip, I was able to reload the revolver even faster. That change is an object lesson in cylinder window and yoke clearance Spohr machines into the frame. The cylinder release is accessible without altering the master grip. The Spohr’s honed charge holes makes case extraction positive, and the machined throat at the cylinder mouth gives a subtle magwell effect that helps guide cartridges into place during reloads.
Hard-use credibility is central to Spohr’s unique value proposition, and the L562 delivered on that promise during extended sessions. Across multiple live-fire outings I saw no light strikes, no endshake growth, and no screws walk loose. This is by design, because Spohr machines their parts and heat-treats them to last. Spohr’s small-batch approach also allows it to control tolerance stacking instead of averaging them out across a mass run. Earlier in the year I ran a Spohr Club 5.0 for 1,000 rounds with zero maintenance and the L562’s performance tracks that pattern. If you maintain a Spohr revolver properly, it will provide a long service life with predictable function.
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This revolver’s edges are uniformly softened. All of its corners are broken in a way that matters during extended shooting sessions. Though it seems cosmetic, softer edges reduce hot spots under a holster. They also make heavy handling more comfortable. Ultimately, when examined comprehensively, Spohr’s fit and finish choices for the L562 read as functionally aesthetic: good to look at, but chosen primarily to support performance.
Who This Gun Is For
The Spohr L562 revolver has a typical street price around $3,500. Categorically, this revolver sits squarely with other guns that hand-fit and tuned parts. Trying to replicate these features by buying a production revolver and sending it to a gunsmith for custom work would end up being much more expensive. Not to mention, you’d likely be waiting a while to have your gun worked on and sent back to you. The price tag of a Spohr L562, instead takes a buy once, cry once approach. Everything is taken care of from the moment it leaves the shop.
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The Spohr L562 is for the shooter who values a certain degree of refinement in their revolvers. It’s also for the user who trains and expects a serviceable, tunable system rather than just a showpiece.
Tapping Out The Ejection Rod
Spohr’s engineering choices are conservative where they need to be and progressive where they matter. The L562 groups like a target revolver, runs like a service gun and carries itself like one too. If you want a single .357 Magnum revolver that can run drills on Tuesday, ride duty leather on Friday and still be worth handing down, the Spohr L562 is your ticket.
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