Original Item: Only One Available. Just received out of an old exceptionally well curated collection! To some this is one of the most beautiful Revolvers ever made. Wonderful design, great workmanship and so easy on the eye. Mervin & Hulbert started business in 1876 with this Open Frame cartridge revolver that took the .44 Merwin & Hulbert cartridge. This example was originally nickel plated, however that is now mostly gone, replaced by a nice polished bright steel patina. It still retains it's original long 7 inch barrel and integral sight, which were often shortened for "gunfighter" use. It also was fitted during the period with beautiful ivory grips, which show some lovely age cracking at the bottom, and really give it a fantastic look.

The serial number of M&H revolvers is marked on the bottom of the grip frame, and this example is marked 22656 next to the hole for the lanyard loop. which was entirely removed and the hole fitted with a screw. We checked the back of the cylinder, and it is marked with matching serial number 22656 between the chambers. The back of the barrel is marked with assembly number 3767, while the grip frame is marked on the left side with 1043. We have had several Merwin & Hulbert revolvers before, and the assembly numbers seem to rarely match, so there really is no way to tell if any parts have been switched. They all have a matching level of wear and patina, so we believe that no parts have been swapped on this example. Overall condition is just lovely, with the nickel plating still retained in more recessed areas, such as around the recoil shield and front sight.

Unlike a lot of examples we have seen, the top of the barrel on this revolver still has legible original markings:-

The manufacturer markings on the side are even more clear than the ones on the top:-

The left side of the frame is marked CALIBER / WINCHESTER 1873, indicating the pistol is chambered for the popular .44-40 Winchester Center Fire (W.C.F) Cartridge. The revolvers chambered for .44 Russian were marked "Russian Model" and the ones chambered in .44 Merwin & Hulbert were unmarked. While some may question why Merwin & Hulbert, Colt, and others made guns chambered for a competitor's cartridge, having a repeating rifle and revolver that took the same ammunition was a big selling point on the Frontier.

The revolver functions and breaks down correctly, and actually shows very little of the finicky behavior we often see on these revolvers. Built with a lot of advanced features, this unfortunately also means there was that much more that could malfunction. One example of the complex internal workings include a "safety" that prevents the revolver from being broken open unless the hammer is in the loading position, and if the latch on the bottom of the frame is not in the fully forward position, these revolvers can have trouble cycling. It also was made with tight enough tolerances that the barrel and cylinder arbor pin being moved out creates suction, so the cylinder and barrel "bounce back" when broken open for reloading.

We have tested this revolver, and it works great, with a strong lockup and nice indexing. It has a working safety position on the hammer, and the frame lock can be moved once it is in position. We really did not notice any mechanical deficiencies or finicky behavior, definitely a rarity for these. Still, we do not recommend "fan firing" it, as it can result in excessive wear to the internals. It even still has great suction with the cylinder and barrel, indicating it saw little wear from fouling and dirt that managed to make it into the bearing surface. We checked the bore, and it is in very good near excellent condition, showing a bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away, showing that it was definitely well cared for during the period. This is definitely way better than the typical example we see.

In single action only, it was hoped to be accepted by the U.S. Government, however by this date Colt had most all of the Government Contracts in its pocket. There was stiff competition from Remington, Smith & Wesson and Forehand & Wadsworth however Mervin and Hulbert did succeed in getting some Police Contracts. With an ingenious reloading system it became a favorite with many individuals and even more so with Collectors of today. Merwin died in 1888 whereupon the Company became Hulbert Bros Co., but that eventually was liquidated in 1896.

A fantastic example of a rare large Single Action U.S. Revolver, in great shape with some beautiful ivory grips. This is almost certainly the best Merwin and Hulbert revolver that we have ever had, and are unlikely to see another anytime soon. Ready to be part of your collection!

Specifications: 

Years of Manufacture: 1878 to 1882
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester Center Fire
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 7 inches
Overall Length: 12 1/2 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver