1403

SCARCE EARLY MODEL MERWIN & HULBERT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
SCARCE EARLY MODEL MERWIN & HULBERT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.
SN 1173. Cal. 44 M&H. Nickel finish with 7" rnd bbl, integral front sight and 1-line Merwin & Hulbert address on top with Hopkins & Allen address on the side. This is the early model with open top frame and scooped flute cylinder. Mounted with mottled red & black hard rubber 2-pc grips. Left side of the frame, at the toe, under the grip is stamped with assembly number "297" which number is also found on rear face of cyl, rear face of bbl lug, cyl arbor and inside both grips. Buttstrap is fitted with a lanyard loop. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms only a few thousand of the Army revolvers were produced in the period 1876-1880 in six different models, two of which were dbl action. These revolvers, although in several ways superior to both Colt & Remington large bore revolvers, were not well distributed and therefore could not compete. They were initially sold in proprietary Merwin & Hulbert caliber which was not readily available which further hindered their sales. Merwin & Hulbert were not manufacturers but were entrepreneurs and distributors who obtained patents and had the product manufactured for their distribution. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl retains 97-98% strong orig nickel with a series of minor nicks on front edges of the bbl lug; cyl retains about 95% strong orig nickel with sharp edge wear and a cyl line; frame retains traces of orig nickel being mostly a medium silver/brown patina; hammer retains smoky case colors and trigger guard is a silver/brown patina. Grips are sound showing moderate wear. Mechanics are fine, very bright shiny bore, may be unfired, shows no evidence of ever having been fired, just handled a lot. 4-46089