Shooting a Merwin Hulbert early model Army revolver

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duelist1954

New member
In this video I'll be shooting an early Merwin Hulbert Army Model revolver that I picked up at this year's Las Vegas Antique Arms Show.

I think Merwin Hulbert revolvers have the highest "cool factor" of any old west sixshooter. The Colt SAA may have been faster to get into action, and the S&W New Model No. 3 may have been more accurate. But, as an engineering tour de force, you've got to love Merwin Hulbert.



This gun was made in 1878 and it features the open top frame and scooped flutes on the cylinder. It also has the totally cool "Skull Crusher" bird's head grip frame.

This gun is chambered in .44-40, and I shot it with black powder cartridges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSea9_Mt1ok
 
Glad to see it finally shooting :D

How does the open top Merwin Hulbert handle fouling, Mike? In Mike Venturino's Shooting Sixguns of the Old West, he wrote that his pocket army started to bind up after one cylinder-full of blackpowder cartridges.
 
I had one I bought as a "fixer-upper" for resale. I've regretted selling it ever since. Nice, nice weapon and great shooting.
 

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Pretty fair shooting with that old M&H. Maybe another clip could show the big M&H selling point, how only the fired cases will be extracted and fall clear while the unfired ones will stay and be recaptured when the cylinder comes back over them.

(For anyone who gets hold of an M&H, be sure when removing the barrel and cylinder that you keep hold of the cylinder; it is held to the barrel by a half-moon retainer and will fall clear and can be damaged if the shooter is not careful.)

Jim
 
Very nice Mike, I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for a video ever since you posted the first picture of yours. The M&H is a fascinating pistol.
 
Howdy

I'm not Mike, but I can tell you my Merwin Hulbert shoots very well with Black Powder with almost no binding. The huge bushing on the front of the cylinder keeps fouling from working its way down onto the cylinder arbor, which is the chief cause of binding with Black Powder revolvers.

In addition to that, the arbor has a helical clearance cut around it, which gives any fouling that might get down there some place to go. They were manufactured during the Black Powder and are designed to shoot BP with out any problems. I dunno why Iron Mike's MH started to bind up.

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Fantastic video

I had never heard of the Merwin Hulbert before good looking open top. The scooped flutes give it a very unique look

Gary
 
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