The story of Merwin & Hulbert & Company is a somewhat confusing one, which may one day be more clear through additional research. The firm is probably the most famous and successful “gun making company” that never actually manufactured a single gun! Even more amazing is that the principles appear to have had no design input into the revolutionary arms that they sold! The firm had its genesis in 1859, when Joseph Merwin and his partner Edward Bray started a firearms and sporting goods store in New York City. Merwin was certainly a shrewd businessman and a visionary when it came to new and innovative firearms designs. Very quickly, Merwin became the primary (and in some cases the sole) distributor for a variety of new, metallic cartridge firearms, including those produced by Plant’s Manufacturing Company, Eagle Arms, Daniel Moore, Ballard patent firearms (as produced by Dwight, Chapman & Company and Ball & Williams), Bacon Manufacturing Company (eventually Hopkins & Allen), and eventually the Evans Repeating Rifle Company, just to name a few. Merwin also worked as a sales agent for such major firearms manufacturers as Colt and Remington, and eventually Winchester. They also imported and distributed high quality English arms. Merwin succeeded in securing several US and state military contracts during the American Civil War (primarily for Ballard rifles & carbines) and continued to expand his retail and wholesale distribution business during the course of the war. By 1866 Edward Bray left the company and Charles Simkins became a partner, leading the company to change its name to Merwin & Simkins, and later that year to Merwin, Taylor & Simkins, when Charles Taylor also joined the venture. By 1869 the short-lived partnership was dissolved, and a new partner, William Hulbert, joined Merwin, forming Merwin & Hulbert. About three years later the half-brother of Hulbert joined the partnership, and sometime around 1872 the name of the company changed again to Merwin, Hulbert & Company. The company would continue to operate under that name for the next 20 years, even though Joseph Merwin would die in 1879. During his first decade in the firearms business Merwin became an investor, partial owner and eventually controlling partner of what would become the Hopkins & Allen Company (formerly the Bacon Manufacturing Company) of Norwich, CT. He would also invest some $100,000 dollars, a significant sum at that time, in the Evans Repeating Rifle Company of Mechanic Falls, ME. Merwin’s goal appears to have been to bring revolutionary firearms market that offered superior fit, finish and operation to those of his competitors. The first products offered by Merwin, Hulbert & Company were a series of large frame revolvers, initially in single action, and eventually in double action as well. These guns were introduced in 1876 and were produced well into the 1880s, in a variety of frame and action configurations, but always in a .44 caliber format. The calibers offered included the .44 Merwin & Hulbert, .44 Russian and .44-40 (.44 Winchester Center Fire). Merwin’s hope for these large frame revolvers was to secure lucrative US or foreign military contracts, which were an essential part of any major 19th century firearms manufacturer’s business plan. The revolvers that Merwin brought to market were probably the most technologically advanced and possibly the best-built revolvers of their time, but amazingly, Merwin, Hulbert & Company did not actually manufacture them! Rather the Hopkins & Allen Company manufactured them all under Merwin’s watchful eye. This very fact is probably responsible for the lackluster success of a truly impressive product. The Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers utilized a revolutionary system for loading and unloading. After placing the revolver on half cock, the action was opened by depressing a spring loaded catch on the lower left side of the forward portion of the frame, and pulling a similar catch under the frame to the rear. This unlocked the action of the revolver. This allowed the user to rotate the cylinder, the forward portion of the frame, and the entire barrel to the right, and push it forward. This caused any spent cases to be ejected, leaving the unfired ones in the cylinder chambers. Fresh cartridges could then be inserted in the empty chambers. The tight mechanical tolerances of the design actually made the action “suck” itself back together, and with a simple twist, the gun was closed and locked up and ready to be put back into service. The unique design also made it possible for users of the revolvers to swap barrels in a matter of seconds, with no tools or mechanical skill necessary. As a result, Merwin & Hulbert large frame (aka “Army” or “Frontier”) revolvers were often sold with both short and long barrels. This allowed the owner to use a longer, more accurate 7” barrel for holster carry, but swap to a concealable 3 ““ barrel for situations where a more discretely carried weapon was appropriate. The earliest versions of the “Army” pattern revolver were manufactured with a squared butt profile, in single action, with an open top frame and with “scooped” cylinder flutes. Many of the earliest Frontier Army single action revolvers had mottled orange and brown hard rubber grips that were very attractive and are very desirable today. Merwin abandoned the use of these grips fairly early in the production life of the Frontier Army due to the expense to produce them. As production continued and improvements were made, a top strap was added to the frame for strength (known as the 3rd model), and the cylinder flutes were changed to the more traditional flutes that ran from the face of the cylinder back towards the rear, without the scooped out profile. The guns were also made available with a more concealable “bird’s head” butt with a metal “skull cracker” projection on it. These “bird’s head” guns with a double action mechanism were marketed as “Pocket Army” revolvers. Merwin also introduced a relatively inexpensive “punch dot” engraving system that made embellished and highly decorated guns less costly and more easily within the reach of average customer. Despite the revolutionary designs and meticulous attention to fit and finish, Merwin, Hulbert & Company had only moderate success with their large frame handguns. This appears to be due to the fact that the guns were marked not only with the Merwin, Hulbert & Company name, but also with the name of the actual manufacturer, Hopkins & Allen. Had the source of production remained a secret, the Merwin, Hulbert & Company “Frontier Army” revolvers may well have eclipsed the Colt Single Action Army as the most successful handgun in the west. However, Hopkins & Allen had made a name for themselves in the manufacture of inexpensive, low to mid quality arms, and even though the Merwin & Hulbert arms were anything but low to mid quality, the association with Hopkins & Allen severely hampered sales. As Art Phelps opined in his book, The Story of Merwin Hulbert & Co. Firearms, “if Merwin would have insisted and prevailed upon the Hopkins and Allen Co. partners to keep their cheap name off his most perfect guns ever made”, things would have worked out much differently for Merwin, Hulbert & Company. Examples of the Merwin, Hulbert & Company Army revolvers were even tested by the US Ordnance Bureau and found to be superior on number of point to the Colt M-1873 then in service, but no contracts were ever forthcoming. Joseph Merwin did eventually manage to obtain a Russian contract for “three ship loads’ of his Army revolvers, but the Russian’s defaulted and never paid, resulting in not only the loss of the cash, but also of the revolvers that had already been shipped! In the end, as Merwin, Hulbert & Company historian and author Art Phelps notes, Joseph Merwin “died of a broken heart”. Between his failure to make his guns the success they should have been, the duplicity of the Russian’s in their dealings with him and the los of his $100,000.00 investment in the Evans Repeating Rifle Company when it failed, Merwin appears to have finally succumbed. Even though his partners continued to operate the company until the early 1890’s, their success was limited, and they appear to have achieved greater acceptance of their medium frame, .38 caliber double action pistol than they ever did with their large Frontier Army series. Interestingly, those who really appreciated fine firearms in the late 19th century developed a real affinity for their high quality products. Merwin & Hulbert arms were owned or carried by number of famous frontier lawmen and notables, including Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (who ambushed and killed Bonnie & Clyde) carried a medium frame seven-shot .32 Merwin, Hulbert & Company DA revolver. Pat Garrett (the killer of Billie the Kid) was presented with an inscribed .38 Medium Frame Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolver in September of 1881 from the “grateful citizens of Lincoln County”, and Diamond Dick of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show carried a Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolver as well. More notorious frontiersmen known to have owned and carried Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers include Bob Dalton, Sam Bass, and John Wesley Hardin, just to name a few. Even Theodore Roosevelt, probably one of the most gun savvy outdoorsmen of the late 19th century gave a number of Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers as gifts during his lifetime.

Offered here is an EXCELLENT condition example of a Merwin, Hulbert & Company Factory Engraved “Frontier Army” Revolver. This is a “2nd Model “Frontier Army”, as classified by Art Phelps in his book on Merwin, Hulbert & Company, and according to Phelps these revolvers were manufactured between about 1878 and 1882. These extremely desirable single action revolvers were an improvement on the initial Merwin, Hulbert & Company “Frontier Army”, with most of the changes being in the lock work design. The 2nd Models retained the “scooped” cylinder flutes and open top frame (without a top strap) of the 1st Model guns, and are highly sought after by collectors, especially those with the early production mottled orange and brown composite grips. As is typical of about 95% of Merwin, Hulbert & Company production, the revolver is nickel-plated. The revolver is also beautifully enhanced with “Intaglio Floral” factory engraving over about 80%+ of the revolver. The only areas not enhanced are the top and bottom of the barrel and triggerguard, grip strap and back strap areas. Even the sides or the hammer are engraved, which is not common on Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers. The engraving is a classic example of some of the whimsy and odd themes that appear on factory engraved Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers. Such diverse subject matters as recumbent lions, castles, butterflies, the Mexican Eagle with a snake in his mouth, and the face of Calamity Jane are known to grace the frames of Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers. The centerpiece motif of this revolver is an engraving I like to call “Margaritaville” on the left side of the frame, behind the cylinder. It features a thatched house on an island knoll with palm trees overhead, shading the home. The right side of the frame, opposite the desert island motif, shows lovely floral scrolls and splays, separated by an angled bar and dot motif. The balance of the gun shows high-grade “intaglio floral” decorations, with floral motifs and winding vines and leaves, along the frame, cylinder and barrel. The engraving is executed crisply and cleanly and really makes the revolver striking to look at. It is not clear exactly how many of the 2nd Model Frontier Army revolvers were produced, due to an erratic serial numbering system and an 1891 fire that destroyed all of Merwin, Hulbert & Company records. It is believed that at most only a few thousand of the revolvers were produced, and significantly fewer factory engraved examples. The left side of the frame has no caliber marking under the cylinder, indicating the pistol is chambered for the .44 Merwin & Hulbert cartridge. The revolvers chambered for .44 Russian were marked “Russian Model” and the ones chambered in .44-40 were marked “Caliber / Winchester 1873”. The .44 Merwin & Hulbert cartridge was comparable to Smith & Wesson’s “44 American” cartridge, but had a slightly longer case. The top of the 7” round barrel is marked: MERWIN HULBERT & C0. New York, U.S.A. Pat. Jan, 24. Apr. 21. Dec. 15. 74. Aug 3. 75. July 11. 76. Apr. 17. 77. Pat’s Mar. 6, 77.. The left side of the barrel is also marked in a single line: THE HOPKINS & ALLEN Manufacturing Co. Norwich, Conn. U.S.A.. The serial number 12759 is present on the bottom of the flat grip frame. Like the majority of Merwin, Hulbert & Company arms, the gun is assembly numbered on the major parts. In this case the assembly number 2490 is found on the frame under the grips, on the rear face of the cylinder, and on the rear face of the lower barrel web are all numbered. As noted, the condition of the gun is truly excellent. Overall, the revolver retains about 90%+ of its original nickel finish. There are some very tiny areas of minor flaking and bubbling scattered over the entire revolver, much like lightly scattered pinpricking on a blued gun. A small amount of nickel has flaked and thinned on the bottom of the trigger guard, and both the front and rear of the grip strap show some fading, thinning and loss from handling and wear. There is also a small area of plating that has worn from the upper right edge of the backstrap, near the hammer. This is probably “carry wear” and the result of something rubbing the gun while it was carried. There is some similar rubbing long on the left side of the frame and side plate area. The cylinder shows some very minor flecks of flaked nickel, primarily along the sharp edges of the engraving. Most of the areas where the small amounts of nickel have flaked now show a lightly freckled, oxidized brown patina. The balance of the revolver shows only some very light wear and loss to the nickel, all of which looks like real world carry wear. The overall condition of the revolver and its finish is clearly indicated by the photos below. Due to the highly reflective nickel finish and the bight photographic lighting, there are some reflected anomalies that look like discolorations on the pistol; these are not actually present on the gun and are only reflected optical illusions from objects in my office. As is typical of 19th century nickel finishes, the finish shows some minor frosting from age, giving some of the areas a slightly dull or milky color. The hammer, triggerguard and trigger are all nickel plated as well. This is not common on Merwins, as the standard plated revolvers had case hardened hammers, triggerguards and triggers. The fact that that hammer is engraved as well (also uncommon) suggests this this may have been more of a “special order” gun. The bore of the revolver rates about NEAR FINE. It is mostly bright with crisp rifling. The bore shows some scattered frosting and light to moderate pitting scattered along its length. The light surface wear to the finish and the even pitting in the bore suggest that this high grade, big bore revolver actually did some shooting during its lifetime. The revolver is mechanically excellent and the single action mechanism works flawlessly exactly as it should. The revolver cycles, indexes, times and locks up very crisply. The locking system of the revolver works correctly as well, with the forward portion of the frame, barrel and the cylinder unlocking, rotating and sliding smoothly forward as they should. The revolver mechanism retains fairly strong “suction” (where the action draws itself closed about halfway after it has been opened and released), but still operates smoothly and correctly. The mechanism locks the gun up securely, exactly as it should. All of the screws remain relatively crisp and sharp with very little slot wear, with the exception of the wedge screw in the barrel, which shows moderate slot wear. The innovative sliding loading gate functions smoothly and opens and closes exactly as it should. The two-piece, mottled orange and brown hard rubber composite grips are in about EXCELLENT condition. They are completely original and fit the revolver perfectly. They solid and free from any breaks, cracks or repairs. The grips show only some very minor wear and handling marks, and the impressed checkering remains very crisp and sharp.

Overall this is a really EXCELLENT condition example of the scarce and desirable Merwin, Hulbert & Company 2nd Model Factory Engraved Frontier Army Revolver. The pistol is simply stunning to look at and the pictures really don’t do the beauty and condition of the revolver, as well as the quality of the engraving, justice. The Frontier Army is a scarce gun in its own right, as the open top, scoop fluted Frontier Army revolvers were only made for a few years, during the height of American western expansion. The fact that this is one has fantastic factory engraving and mottled orange grips only makes it rarer and more desirable. These large frame, long barrel Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers saw use by the good, bad and the ugly during America’s westward expansion and are an important part of old west firearms history. Every serous collection of pistols from the American west needs at least a couple of Merwin, Hulbert & Co revolvers in it, and this one would be a truly stunning addition to your collection. Over the last few years the prices of Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolvers have steadily increased, along with their desirability and popularity. Very high condition examples of the large frame revolvers are commanding higher and higher prices every day, and often result in strong competitive bidding at auctions. This is a great chance to add a truly exceptional condition, engraved Merwin, Hulbert & Company Frontier Army to your collection. It is a gun that can truly be the centerpiece of any serious old west revolver collection. Until about 2 decades ago, these revolvers were underappreciated and even today they remain undervalued. With Colt Single Action Army revolvers in this condition regularly bringing low to mid five figure prices at auction, I don’t think it will be long before the much rarer Merwin, Hulbert & Company guns start to give the Colt Single Actions a real run for their money in the value department. Don’t miss your chance to own an exceptional quality, factory engraved Merwin, Hulbert & Company revolver now, before the prices double over the next few years.