ulfhunden I've inherited from my father a 4th gen frontier model 44 cal with folding hammer. I've been told a folding hammer in a 44 cal is super rare. Mine also has a nickel finish. Wish it was blue instead. Mine MH is in mint condition too. I looked my MH up in a gun value book and it says it's valued at 7500.00 that was back in 2010. These 44 cal MH bring good money if they're in good condition.i don't think my MH has ever been fired before. No marks on the cylinder from firing it. There's even some Case Harding around the trigger. Beautiful colors. Kinda like the old Colts had.
My favorite M&H facts: 1. Sole revolvers to drop only their spent cartridges. 2. Only 5% of production were made with a blued finish. 3. The reloading/disassembly method also made barrel changes quick and easy.
Man you can literally hear the quality of machining every time you manipulate any part of it, even through video. I had never seen these before. I love the quality and innovation there.
L TR I got one and I know what he means. Mine really does it good. I can let go of the cylinder and it will fly backwards really fast. That vacuum on the MH is no lie! lol
I encountered one of these when I was 19 (that's 46 years ago). I loved them then and I still do. As a fitter & machinist/engineer I was ecstatic over the quality of design and workmanship. How one came to the colony of Victoria, who knows, but their history really shows that just because your product is excellent, doesn't mean you have a winner.
Not fair. Colt gets all the glory. An 1877 is beautiful, but after that its clunky and overcomplicated at the very least. Colt 1878 cylinder lockup is horrible too.
@@greghardy9476 sort of. the rim diameter would need to be similar otherwise it wouldn't catch on the back of the gun for extraction, it would however allow for swapping between 44 russian and 44-40 for example, or between different 45 cals.
Just watching you manipulate those instruments showed the quality of manufacture, I'm drooling over here. Think I've finally found my favorite classic revolver.
HSS Revenir if you get one you won't be disappointed at all! The machining is a work of art! I've got a 4th model DA in 4040. With folding hammer. Which is rare in 4040 caliber MH. Lots of the smaller caliber had folding hammers. I have never seen any in 4040 have a folding hammer before. Besides mine.
That design is god damned brilliant. So many small, yet relatively simple mechanisms that not only made the weapon easy to use, but more tactical than competing models. Amazed I haven't heard of these... then again, what else is forgotten weapons for?
+YCCCm7 While its design is undoubtedly very clever and its quality is fantastic, making this one very cool gun that is still underappreciated, I'm not sure that it is appreciably more "tactical" than its main competition. The Smith & Wesson No. 3 is probably the fastest to unload (all at once with the top break) and reload (two cartridges at a time, practically, with all chambers exposed), but even this advantage didn't allow it to dominate over the Colt Single Action Army, which had other advantages in use such as better balance and feel (according to many--in general many people just liked it more), and a hammer that was easier to reach. The Merwin & Hulbert was quicker to unload than the Colt, but not quite as quick as the S&W, and was as slow to load as the Colt. Additionally, it had some of the disadvantages of the S&W, such as its longer hammer reach (I think). The fact that the M&H retains unfired cartridges, allowing for topping off, is a neat feature, but I'm not sure how often this would be done in the heat of combat. If it were as simple and convenient as topping off a shotgun or lever-action rifle, then OK, but with the M&H there are two steps and you have rotate the cylinder to the empty chambers, which requires looking through the loading gate. As for fame among the public today, the Colt SAA likely won out because most movie and TV westerns featured it, and that was probably because most people think it's the nicest-looking revolver. The S&W No. 3 and its ilk were also rather popular in real life and were favored by many, including some in the military, for their reloading speed, but even it hasn't garnered much notoriety among the public, so the M&H really has no chance.
@@rbrtck Funny, I prefer the look of the S&W, M&H and certain British revolvers of the period to the Colts; the Pocket Army (birdshead) M&H and the New Model no. 3 S&W in particular.
@@Devin_Stromgren I remember that company. I exchanged a few emails with the guy who was trying to remake the guns, and I was interested in buying if he managed to make them. He was soliciting down payments to try and help him gather the startup funds, but I didn't bite, given all he was ever able to produce was computer images. No pics of production tools set up in a factory, no pics of partially machined frames and barrels, etc. I had a feeling then that all this would ever be was vaporware, and I was right. Pity, as I'd really love to have a reproduction of an M&H double action pocket army model with the 3 1/2 bbl, and made with modern metallurgy to handle smokeless powder cartridges.
@@Hibernicus1968 I was just reading up on that debacle, found a forum that had posts from that guy who was attempting to produce it...apparently another company that does produce firearms purchased the name and rights and CAD designs, etc and also proceeded to refund the down payments that people thought they'd never see when the whole deal folded, something they probably could have legally wormed out of...so that might seem to indicate a desire to not have the name or assets tarnished by the bad dealings of a former incarnation...which means perhaps at some point you might actually see a product like you wanted. If you're into motorcycles at all you'd recognize some of this kind of story from the saga of Indian motorcycles, which went through problems and failures at the hands of several would-be brand renewers before getting one that actually had the chops to make it stick.
@@Hibernicus1968 Little gun companies like that should really look into Kickstarter or some kind of crowd funding nowadays. A problem Ian and Karl often point out is that the gun community talks bigger than they walk, they say they will buy shit, shit gets made and they don't. Leaves the producers in debt. Down payment at a reasonable price to help the company get going with a reasonable size and reasonable expectations. Can't get the funding, well at least it fails on the website before they buy everything and become in debt themselves.
The problem is that it would be a very niche market, and the guns would not be cheap which would even further reduce the amount of people who would actually buy one of these. It's one thing to say that you want one of these, it's another to plop down $1500-$2000 for one.
I saw that second gun and thought it was worn or dirty. You tilted it into the light and I saw a little portrait of a harbor with a dock, lighthouse, and sail boat. And then tons of floral art. That gun is beautiful!
That's incredible. Such an exquisite, elegant design! A mechanical wonder. Although the single-loading hurts it against later top break or swing cylinder desings, everything else just looks that more refined, modern and sleek than any of the "classic" revolvers that remained unchanged to this day. Double action, selective ejection, rock-solid locking and load-bearing... Can't believe I missed this installment of FW. Thank you!
@@wv9mm I feel like the quality of the MH revolvers is often overstated, and from what I've read from reputable sources of actual MH gun owners, that it comes from a book written about the MH which may be little more than propaganda from an enthusiastic author. From a practical standpoint, there wasn't anything about the MH that couldn't, or wouldn't have been duplicated by any of their contemporary manufacturers. A good gun, by all means. A really good one, even. I can't imagine Uberti making a "budget" repro of this, and it would take years to recoup the R&D either way. Definitely be priced up near their top-break S&W clones in the $1200+ range just because they'd need many years to recoup the R&D costs. But there's nothing about the MH that wouldn't be immediately and vastly improved by modern steels and manufacturing techniques. Sadly though, I doubt we ever see one. It's just not well known enough to sell through top-dollar prices. Plenty of people know the Model 3, so Uberti will eventually recoup enough on that and the price will decline.
@@therideneverends1697 Absolutely. A modern repro of this gun could be fantastic. I'm just saying that people have often taken Sullivan's book as fact, but there's little about the M&H revolver that was head and shoulders above its contemporaries. The S&W top break is a faster way to extract and load an empty revolver, so the only superiority in the M&H design was that it could retain unfired cartridges. But that wasn't perfect, often needing some "wiggling" to get them to settle back in properly. The new rounds still had to be loaded through the gate like most other revolvers. So you've cut one part of the process out, making it faster than the Colt or Remington, but slower than the top-break S&Ws. Still, the 3rd-Model M&H with the top strap is a fantastic gun for the time. I wouldn't say I'd "buy one in a second" because of the likely price, but I'd be sorely tempted.
jtar7242 - you know what this revolver could do? It looks like it could be fired suppressed. Now would someone spend 1200 to own and shoot a suppressable revolver in the same caliber as your lever action brush gun? Probably still no but I know what I’m doing if I ever win the Powerball 😎
This was a particularly good video. I had a chance to handle and fire one of the double-action guns when I was 13 or so, it made enough of an impression that I remember it clearly 44 years later. The owner was of the opinion that it was the best revolver of its time, I didn't know enough at the time ( I knew quite a bit about firearms in general but this was totally outside my experience) to have an opinion but now I would agree.
Please do more on these revolvers. First time I saw one was in Godfather Part II in the flashback half of the movie set in the early 20th century and I fell in love. These have to be some of the most gorgeous handguns ever built and I would absolutely love to own one.
I am moderate gun enthusiast and most of my interest is in its mechanics. You explain it greatly and in simple way. I love your videos. Thank you very very much.
Clemenza, in Godfather 2 (or the better, longer Godfather Saga), carried a Merwin & Hulbert in scenes as youth. Really neat pistol. A few years ago some gun mags had articles on the "soon to be available" repros. Likely reality made them cost prohibitive.
As a reproduction this would be a very inexpensive proposition for the gun itself (ignoring the engraving). From what I saw during the break down there would have been relatively few steps for CNC machining.
I have one of these, had no idea what it was or what it was worth... the craftsmanship is no joke as you are saying... I also have other modern high end firearms and the craftsmanship from them are still not as well made as this revolver...Just an incredible piece of history, I really enjoy looking at it thinking about how the highest and strictest quality control back then was taken seriously 100%...
I'm with you....Merwin & Hulbert guns were some of the finest guns made. It's so nice to see an "original" gun on UA-cam as most videos show reproductions...there is nothing like an original gun from the old west. They all have a unique personality and so much history. All that is lost when you are looking at a reproduction. Your videos are very informative and professional. I even learn things I didn't know when I watch. Thank You for taking the time to post these fine videos.
I have one of these in a .32 short. Very interesting little gun that came to me with interesting story from prohibition era. It is very tight and in great condition with 85-90% nickel plate and is a double action.
I'm lucky having got one original Merwin Hulbert revolver, a 'Frontier' single action model from early 1878, in .44 M & H, with standard handle (not 'bird-head' shape) in great condition with 95% of shiny nickel. Truly a mechanical masterpiece, fantastic to say the least. That vacuum thing indeed does exist, you guys keen on firearms can believe me !! Just the price for it (bought here in Italy from a gunshop owner) was equal to three of my monthly pays, but patience - glad I made it along the time, gun is worth any of my spare minutes to fully enjoy. Hope before too long being able to get another one, but could be a double-action one with top-strapped frame - same seller. However this time price is going to be somehow a real 'issue' ah ah... will see though. Thanx so much for this top interesting video - greetings from Italy. Frank.
One of my neighbors had two of these. He said the one was in 38 and the other was in 44-40. In 1975 they were immaculate with no pitting or surface blemishes that I saw (tho I did not handle them myself). Both were frontier 3rd models with top strap and longer barrel.Something Ian doesn't speak about which my neighbor explained and demonstrated with loads and emptys. The feature was extremely valuable to a cavalryman. The gun could be emptied and reloaded or "topped off" at full gallop. Empties would fall out AND any unfired would NOT.Someone below asks the question why couldnt it be loaded with the cylinder forward. BECAUSE the cartridge rims had to index on that inner ring for later extraction.
Had to revisit this video. Gorgeous guns, and from everything I read and hear about them, terrific quality too. That solid frame pocket army in particular would seem like a winner. Alas...
WOW!!!! These are absolutley STUNNING!!!!!Another phenomenal video, Ian. You are really doing a fantastic work. Absolutely perfect, and I thoroughly enjoy every one of your videos. They are always very informative and I've learned something new every time I've watched one.Congratulations, and keep up the good work, guys.
Cool. Learned something new. And I'm replacing my Schofield-.45 gunfighter daydream with a M&H double action Frontier on my hip in a Mexican holster and an M&W Model 3 army in a shoulder holster. And I desperately want Uberti to make one!
that is the finest revolver I have ever seen in the solid frame short barrel that did not sell . If that gun was made in 357 magnum today or any caliber really I would own several . Man that would be a great pistol action with modern ammo like 357 mag !
I've seen guns like this in books when I was young but I never knew about their operation. They're a really cool design that someone should have picked up and carried on in other companies after Merwin died.
Rawhead Rex I agree! What a shame to let that design go to waste! I'm surprised Colt didn't buy the MH design and incorporate that design Into their firearms.
Ian, good job with showing those weapons. Sometimes the best doesn't always mean the most successful. That's a shame. Those are incredibly fine pistols. Extreme high quality for their time. Or any time for that matter. Thanks for the education on these weapons.
Awesome video. What an epic design and manufacture of an western era revolver. I handled one a long time ago and was amazed at the high quality machining and design. Thank you Ian.
Many thanks Ian. You make us aware of so much of the history of firearms. This episode is really special as it highlights,to me at least , a preciously unknown maker of what appear to be a superior quality pistol.
Ah! Elmer "Don't Call Me Fudd" Keith, the father(?) of the Magnum bullet! A man known for developing bullets that were overloaded with gunpowder which challenged the strength of the weapons they were used in... 😓 Thanks, I couldn't understand the cough name.😅
Winfield Johnson Elmer Keith is an old timer who would hand load his rounds super hot to test the capabilities of the bullet and gun... he innovated the .357 magnum round by stuffing a .38 special almost full with modern powder...then he made the casings longer so people wouldn’t blow there guns apart by accidentally chambering what was, at the time, the most powerful hand gun cartridge in the world.
Love these videos You talk about the fit and quality of the firearms, from the minute you picked it up and started operating it I was thinking how beautiful the mechanism sounds. You really can hear the quality. I've got a number of modern revolvers and I wish they operated as smooth as these.
I love a good history lesson and enjoy owning and shooting firearms. Your channel is a perfect fit. Gonna binge watch a butt load of these. Thanks for the fascinating and absorbing video. Subscribed!
Thanks for the great presentation on the superb collection of Merwin & Hulbert pistols. I was looking for details on these pistols as friend of mine in the States showed me his Merwin & Hulbert on Skype last night (it belonged to his wifes Grandfather, it's the early square butt Frontier version. It certainly was an advanced design for that era. Thanks again much appreciated.
It was popular in the east as well. It was sometimes referred to as the 'Shop Keeper' or 'Watchman' because of its popularity with merchants and policemen.
Thanks Ian. Another excellent video. There was some talk of a manufacturer remaking the M&H and I think they even took some deposits on the first guns, but whichever firm it was they got cold feet, didn't go forward with remaking it, and returned the deposit money. Too bad, the cowboy action market would have loved it, but of course it would had a higher price point due to the unconventional, but superior, M&H design.
What a Firearm Masterpiece. Merwin had such a creative and functional superior designing ability. Extracting only the spent cartridges is simply Brilliant. If he had lived longer, We definitely would have had many other unbelievably cool firearms. I'm so glad you showed these pistols. I've been into firearms my whole life and never knew these revolvers existed and never seen this type of revolver reloading system. Thank you for introducing me to this fascinating and beautiful firearm.
Around 2750 just factory cost, that was a low estimate to get investors. The other issue was some of the parts are hand fitted and they don't have any tolerance schematics the factory burned down around turn of 1900s and they lost all records, the model I have is the only one known to exist.
Yeah Randy Quaid played as Clell Miller....however I was told the real Clell Miller carried two Smith & Wesson Schofield SA 44.40 revolvers that were chrome-plated.
@@dankoblinski3441 The Schofield contract started in 1875, Miller was dead in 1876. I doubt he would have live long enough to have got a Schofield. It was most likely another S&W No. 3 he carried. Pretty sure they would have been nickle plated, not chrome.
Great video as always, Ian. These guns are really interesting, and I could see this thing being really highly sought after in that period. Very interesting stuff!
05/12/18 Received my copy of "Guns of the Old West" magazine yesterday and began reading it today. One of the articles is "Godless Guns" by Larry Ford which details some of the guns used in the Netflix series "Godless" and, one of the guns mentioned by the author was a Merwin Hulbert revolver. While I would never identify myself as anyone other than amateur on guns, I would have expected at age 68 to have, at least, heard of this gun model. Came to UA-cam to see if it was reviewed by someone. Yes! Forgotten Weapons, this has been an OUTSTANDING review! Thank you! I now have a clearer understanding of Ford's explanation. Liked/subscribed/belled. Now, I will look up this 7-part miniseries on Netflix.
A great weapon with a ton of advantages the only drawback that I can think of if ever needed to do a fast reload the barrel would be hot as hell to handle
They are great shooters. My Grandfathers 44-40 M&H's were accurate, very accurate!!! These were the guns that got me started in reloading revolver ammo!!! That 44-40 case was a real bear to reload for. I learned all about attention to detail reloading for the 44-40!!!
this whole video i get going "holy cow!" these guns are fantasticly designed! i cant believe iv never heard of these before and seeing them makes me ITCH to get a pair of the model 3 pocket armys for CAS. if uberti doesnt make reproductions of these i pray to god they decide to soon because they are so... just so awesome!
WOW ! These are absolutely stunning early revolvers and shamefully, I had never heard of them before this 'Gun Jesus' educational video appeared on youtube. Thanks for taking the time to show us these remarkable revolvers, very much appreciated ! Also, I did laugh out loud at that 'cough'/Elmer Keith moment, when you was mentioning higher than normal pressure reloads I was thinking of good ol' Elmer Keith myself, good to know that we are on the same wavelength. Keep up the great work, I do so love your videos both in the style that you shoot them and the content that you include.
My Dad had one in 44-40 DA 3rd model if I recall. It disappeared from his collection in about 1965. He was always swapping guns I think he traded it for a Colt 1909 in 45LC..
I have a Merwin Hulbert double action small frame pocket .32 with the hinged trigger spur that my Great Grandfather won in a card game.
My grandfather had a won a marlin .22 in a card game, my first name is also Merwin
ulfhunden I've inherited from my father a 4th gen frontier model 44 cal with folding hammer. I've been told a folding hammer in a 44 cal is super rare. Mine also has a nickel finish. Wish it was blue instead. Mine MH is in mint condition too. I looked my MH up in a gun value book and it says it's valued at 7500.00 that was back in 2010. These 44 cal MH bring good money if they're in good condition.i don't think my MH has ever been fired before. No marks on the cylinder from firing it. There's even some Case Harding around the trigger. Beautiful colors. Kinda like the old Colts had.
Same here except mine has a property of stamp cause it was a cops back up in denver it's a .32acp
“I got a rock”
- Charlie Brown
@@jeffreydahmer3995 No it's Jeffrey
My favorite M&H facts:
1. Sole revolvers to drop only their spent cartridges.
2. Only 5% of production were made with a blued finish.
3. The reloading/disassembly method also made barrel changes quick and easy.
I've seen a dual barrel M&H in a collection, you could have a 3 1/2"or 7" barrel on your pistol, just change out the barrel/cylinder assy.
Rock Island Auction Company How many 4th gen 4440 with folding hammer? I've got one in almost mint condition.
Kyllein MacKellerann my dad had a 3rd model pocket army with both barrels and matching serial numbers
Any idea what these sold for at the auction?
The Enfield mk1 revolver had a design that drops only spent cartridges, too.
Man you can literally hear the quality of machining every time you manipulate any part of it, even through video. I had never seen these before. I love the quality and innovation there.
L TR I got one and I know what he means. Mine really does it good. I can let go of the cylinder and it will fly backwards really fast. That vacuum on the MH is no lie! lol
I encountered one of these when I was 19 (that's 46 years ago). I loved them then and I still do. As a fitter & machinist/engineer I was ecstatic over the quality of design and workmanship. How one came to the colony of Victoria, who knows, but their history really shows that just because your product is excellent, doesn't mean you have a winner.
Not fair. Colt gets all the glory. An 1877 is beautiful, but after that its clunky and overcomplicated at the very least. Colt 1878 cylinder lockup is horrible too.
The pistol is featured in Bone Tomahawk. Patrick Wilson Reloads it correctly in the film.
Gonna check that out 👍
Wow, another "Forgotten Weapon" that I have never heard of but which is facinating to learn about. Great job Ian.
Yap
I know!! I can’t wait to start this video but I can’t stop jacking off!!!
The ability to swap out different length barrels quickly and easily is one more aspect that made these revolvers so unique.
Not to mention possible caliber interchangeability!
@@greghardy9476 sort of. the rim diameter would need to be similar otherwise it wouldn't catch on the back of the gun for extraction, it would however allow for swapping between 44 russian and 44-40 for example, or between different 45 cals.
That is insane
Just watching you manipulate those instruments showed the quality of manufacture, I'm drooling over here. Think I've finally found my favorite classic revolver.
HSS Revenir if you get one you won't be disappointed at all! The machining is a work of art! I've got a 4th model DA in 4040. With folding hammer. Which is rare in 4040 caliber MH. Lots of the smaller caliber had folding hammers. I have never seen any in 4040 have a folding hammer before. Besides mine.
That design is god damned brilliant. So many small, yet relatively simple mechanisms that not only made the weapon easy to use, but more tactical than competing models. Amazed I haven't heard of these... then again, what else is forgotten weapons for?
+YCCCm7 While its design is undoubtedly very clever and its quality is fantastic, making this one very cool gun that is still underappreciated, I'm not sure that it is appreciably more "tactical" than its main competition. The Smith & Wesson No. 3 is probably the fastest to unload (all at once with the top break) and reload (two cartridges at a time, practically, with all chambers exposed), but even this advantage didn't allow it to dominate over the Colt Single Action Army, which had other advantages in use such as better balance and feel (according to many--in general many people just liked it more), and a hammer that was easier to reach. The Merwin & Hulbert was quicker to unload than the Colt, but not quite as quick as the S&W, and was as slow to load as the Colt. Additionally, it had some of the disadvantages of the S&W, such as its longer hammer reach (I think).
The fact that the M&H retains unfired cartridges, allowing for topping off, is a neat feature, but I'm not sure how often this would be done in the heat of combat. If it were as simple and convenient as topping off a shotgun or lever-action rifle, then OK, but with the M&H there are two steps and you have rotate the cylinder to the empty chambers, which requires looking through the loading gate.
As for fame among the public today, the Colt SAA likely won out because most movie and TV westerns featured it, and that was probably because most people think it's the nicest-looking revolver. The S&W No. 3 and its ilk were also rather popular in real life and were favored by many, including some in the military, for their reloading speed, but even it hasn't garnered much notoriety among the public, so the M&H really has no chance.
@@rbrtck Funny, I prefer the look of the S&W, M&H and certain British revolvers of the period to the Colts; the Pocket Army (birdshead) M&H and the New Model no. 3 S&W in particular.
It really sucks there isn't some company making guns of this same design today. That would be so cool!
There was one that somebody tried to start, but it went under before it could produce a single revolver.
@@Devin_Stromgren I remember that company. I exchanged a few emails with the guy who was trying to remake the guns, and I was interested in buying if he managed to make them. He was soliciting down payments to try and help him gather the startup funds, but I didn't bite, given all he was ever able to produce was computer images. No pics of production tools set up in a factory, no pics of partially machined frames and barrels, etc. I had a feeling then that all this would ever be was vaporware, and I was right. Pity, as I'd really love to have a reproduction of an M&H double action pocket army model with the 3 1/2 bbl, and made with modern metallurgy to handle smokeless powder cartridges.
@@Hibernicus1968 I was just reading up on that debacle, found a forum that had posts from that guy who was attempting to produce it...apparently another company that does produce firearms purchased the name and rights and CAD designs, etc and also proceeded to refund the down payments that people thought they'd never see when the whole deal folded, something they probably could have legally wormed out of...so that might seem to indicate a desire to not have the name or assets tarnished by the bad dealings of a former incarnation...which means perhaps at some point you might actually see a product like you wanted. If you're into motorcycles at all you'd recognize some of this kind of story from the saga of Indian motorcycles, which went through problems and failures at the hands of several would-be brand renewers before getting one that actually had the chops to make it stick.
@@Hibernicus1968 Little gun companies like that should really look into Kickstarter or some kind of crowd funding nowadays. A problem Ian and Karl often point out is that the gun community talks bigger than they walk, they say they will buy shit, shit gets made and they don't. Leaves the producers in debt. Down payment at a reasonable price to help the company get going with a reasonable size and reasonable expectations. Can't get the funding, well at least it fails on the website before they buy everything and become in debt themselves.
The problem is that it would be a very niche market, and the guns would not be cheap which would even further reduce the amount of people who would actually buy one of these. It's one thing to say that you want one of these, it's another to plop down $1500-$2000 for one.
I saw that second gun and thought it was worn or dirty. You tilted it into the light and I saw a little portrait of a harbor with a dock, lighthouse, and sail boat. And then tons of floral art. That gun is beautiful!
That's incredible. Such an exquisite, elegant design! A mechanical wonder. Although the single-loading hurts it against later top break or swing cylinder desings, everything else just looks that more refined, modern and sleek than any of the "classic" revolvers that remained unchanged to this day. Double action, selective ejection, rock-solid locking and load-bearing... Can't believe I missed this installment of FW. Thank you!
In the days of loading gates (when these were produced) this was the faster reloading pistol.
This gun is gorgeous. I’m dumbfounded why this isn’t in more media with how fancy and “tacticool” it would have been with all its features.
Best channel on UA-cam for anyone who loves old revolvers like these. Thank you so much for all you do.
Tony Montana even spaceguns
Did not know these precious revolvers existed. They are truly beautiful. Thanks for your (as always) great presentation!
Come on Uberti
Too bad a company like Charter Arms don't make a model of these.
@@wv9mm I feel like the quality of the MH revolvers is often overstated, and from what I've read from reputable sources of actual MH gun owners, that it comes from a book written about the MH which may be little more than propaganda from an enthusiastic author. From a practical standpoint, there wasn't anything about the MH that couldn't, or wouldn't have been duplicated by any of their contemporary manufacturers. A good gun, by all means. A really good one, even.
I can't imagine Uberti making a "budget" repro of this, and it would take years to recoup the R&D either way. Definitely be priced up near their top-break S&W clones in the $1200+ range just because they'd need many years to recoup the R&D costs. But there's nothing about the MH that wouldn't be immediately and vastly improved by modern steels and manufacturing techniques. Sadly though, I doubt we ever see one. It's just not well known enough to sell through top-dollar prices. Plenty of people know the Model 3, so Uberti will eventually recoup enough on that and the price will decline.
@@theveteransergeant i mean with C&C the reproductions could actually be tighter than the original
@@therideneverends1697 Absolutely. A modern repro of this gun could be fantastic. I'm just saying that people have often taken Sullivan's book as fact, but there's little about the M&H revolver that was head and shoulders above its contemporaries. The S&W top break is a faster way to extract and load an empty revolver, so the only superiority in the M&H design was that it could retain unfired cartridges. But that wasn't perfect, often needing some "wiggling" to get them to settle back in properly. The new rounds still had to be loaded through the gate like most other revolvers. So you've cut one part of the process out, making it faster than the Colt or Remington, but slower than the top-break S&Ws. Still, the 3rd-Model M&H with the top strap is a fantastic gun for the time.
I wouldn't say I'd "buy one in a second" because of the likely price, but I'd be sorely tempted.
jtar7242 - you know what this revolver could do? It looks like it could be fired suppressed.
Now would someone spend 1200 to own and shoot a suppressable revolver in the same caliber as your lever action brush gun? Probably still no but I know what I’m doing if I ever win the Powerball 😎
I’ve never heard of these before but man do I love them. Such a cool design.
I love finding out about obscure weapons from the cowboy era. I hope ian keeps finding more pieces of history like this to educate us on!
This was a particularly good video. I had a chance to handle and fire one of the double-action guns when I was 13 or so, it made enough of an impression that I remember it clearly 44 years later. The owner was of the opinion that it was the best revolver of its time, I didn't know enough at the time ( I knew quite a bit about firearms in general but this was totally outside my experience) to have an opinion but now I would agree.
Absolutely amazing design and craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing this with us Ian
Oh my god those were so ahead of there time and super under rated
Please do more on these revolvers. First time I saw one was in Godfather Part II in the flashback half of the movie set in the early 20th century and I fell in love. These have to be some of the most gorgeous handguns ever built and I would absolutely love to own one.
Sedan57Chevy I got one and they are well built just as good or even better than a Colt SAA. I've got a few of them too.
I am moderate gun enthusiast and most of my interest is in its mechanics. You explain it greatly and in simple way. I love your videos. Thank you very very much.
Clemenza, in Godfather 2 (or the better, longer Godfather Saga), carried a Merwin & Hulbert in scenes as youth.
Really neat pistol. A few years ago some gun mags had articles on the "soon to be available" repros. Likely reality made them cost prohibitive.
diasirea Big Valley had and few MH in it.
diasirea Red Dead Revolver
As a reproduction this would be a very inexpensive proposition for the gun itself (ignoring the engraving). From what I saw during the break down there would have been relatively few steps for CNC machining.
@@duanesamuelson2256 Considering they were made back then and still reasonably priced, they are surely even cheaper to make now.
I have one of these, had no idea what it was or what it was worth... the craftsmanship is no joke as you are saying... I also have other modern high end firearms and the craftsmanship from them are still not as well made as this revolver...Just an incredible piece of history, I really enjoy looking at it thinking about how the highest and strictest quality control back then was taken seriously 100%...
I'm with you....Merwin & Hulbert guns were some of the finest guns made. It's so nice to see an "original" gun on UA-cam as most videos show reproductions...there is nothing like an original gun from the old west. They all have a unique personality and so much history. All that is lost when you are looking at a reproduction. Your videos are very informative and professional. I even learn things I didn't know when I watch. Thank You for taking the time to post these fine videos.
I have one of these in a .32 short. Very interesting little gun that came to me with interesting story from prohibition era. It is very tight and in great condition with 85-90% nickel plate and is a double action.
Never heard of that and I am fascinated how clever that unloadmechanic is. Impressive design!
I'm lucky having got one original Merwin Hulbert revolver, a 'Frontier' single action model from early 1878, in .44 M & H, with standard handle (not 'bird-head' shape) in great condition with 95% of shiny nickel. Truly a mechanical masterpiece, fantastic to say the least. That vacuum thing indeed does exist, you guys keen on firearms can believe me !!
Just the price for it (bought here in Italy from a gunshop owner) was equal to three of my monthly pays, but patience - glad I made it along the time, gun is worth any of my spare minutes to fully enjoy.
Hope before too long being able to get another one, but could be a double-action one with top-strapped frame - same seller. However this time price is going to be somehow a real 'issue' ah ah... will see though.
Thanx so much for this top interesting video - greetings from Italy. Frank.
One of my neighbors had two of these. He said the one was in 38 and the other was in 44-40. In 1975 they were immaculate with no pitting or surface blemishes that I saw (tho I did not handle them myself). Both were frontier 3rd models with top strap and longer barrel.Something Ian doesn't speak about which my neighbor explained and demonstrated with loads and emptys. The feature was extremely valuable to a cavalryman. The gun could be emptied and reloaded or "topped off" at full gallop. Empties would fall out AND any unfired would NOT.Someone below asks the question why couldnt it be loaded with the cylinder forward. BECAUSE the cartridge rims had to index on that inner ring for later extraction.
He did talk about that.
Wow , I have really gained an appreciation of these pistols from watching this video. I had never heard of them before. Thx Ian
One of my all time favorites. The precision of the machining absolutely floors me.
Considering what they had to work with back then, the precision is impressive.
So much better than most other revolvers of the period!
Had to revisit this video. Gorgeous guns, and from everything I read and hear about them, terrific quality too. That solid frame pocket army in particular would seem like a winner. Alas...
And I thought I could no longer be amazed and enthralled. Fantastic piece of engineering and machining.
WOW!!!! These are absolutley STUNNING!!!!!Another phenomenal video, Ian. You are really doing a fantastic work. Absolutely perfect, and I thoroughly enjoy every one of your videos. They are always very informative and I've learned something new every time I've watched one.Congratulations, and keep up the good work, guys.
the tolerances on these are incredible, most modern fitters would struggle to machine that well.
Pietta and uberti still don't make guns this good
Cool. Learned something new. And I'm replacing my Schofield-.45 gunfighter daydream with a M&H double action Frontier on my hip in a Mexican holster and an M&W Model 3 army in a shoulder holster. And I desperately want Uberti to make one!
Thanks for this video. I have often heard of the Merwin & Hulberts but have never seen this detailed information. Great video.
Out of all of the handguns I've seen on here this has to be my favourite the mechanics are just awesome
that is the finest revolver I have ever seen in the solid frame short barrel that did not sell . If that gun was made in 357 magnum today or any caliber really I would own several . Man that would be a great pistol action with modern ammo like 357 mag !
Thanks for showcasing some splendid machine work and hand gun design.
This channel has rapidly become my all-time favourite YT channel! 🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️
I'd heard of the guns, but I'd no idea they were so well made. Really beautiful gun.
Brilliant review! Thank you for your attention to detail in the fine engineering of these revolvers. Wish they still made them today.
Amazing design. Beautiful looking pistols.
I've seen guns like this in books when I was young but I never knew about their operation. They're a really cool design that someone should have picked up and carried on in other companies after Merwin died.
Rawhead Rex I agree! What a shame to let that design go to waste! I'm surprised Colt didn't buy the MH design and incorporate that design Into their firearms.
Ian, good job with showing those weapons. Sometimes the best doesn't always mean the most successful. That's a shame. Those are incredibly fine pistols. Extreme high quality for their time. Or any time for that matter. Thanks for the education on these weapons.
Sanford Hoffman I've got both Colt SAA and MH and I agree MH is way better built. Not to say Colt is bad.
Ingenious design from an older era... I hope information like this survives to inspire inventors thousands of years in the future.
Awesome video. What an epic design and manufacture of an western era revolver. I handled one a long time ago and was amazed at the high quality machining and design. Thank you Ian.
The Elmer Keith was one of the highlights of the video. Lol
+Sanford Hoffman Missed that - thanks for mentioning - got me off to wiki - meaning I learned more. :D
Heather Spoonheim Glad I could help in the learning process. Interesting story. Responsible for the .357 magnum.
+Sanford Hoffman Yeah, read the whole wiki page about him - interesting character for certain.
Heather Spoonheim Very true. I'm not sure if I've even read the wiki article on him. I'll have to take a look myself. :)
I actually missed that on the first five times I watched this video.
I was reminded of a revolver I restored for a friend, the H&A Safety Police in .32 S&W caliber made around 1907. There are similarities.
Never heard of Merwin and Hulbert before. Very interesting design. Great!
I read about these many years ago, and always wondered how it expelled only the fired shots. Thanks for demonstrating that.
Many thanks Ian. You make us aware of so much of the history of firearms. This episode is really special as it highlights,to me at least , a preciously unknown maker of what appear to be a superior
quality pistol.
Beautiful firearms, the mechanical workings are just ingenious!!! Excellent video👍
That Elmer Keith cough was pretty hot
What's with the Elmer Keith cough? I've never heard of that.
Ah! Elmer "Don't Call Me Fudd" Keith, the father(?) of the Magnum bullet! A man known for developing bullets that were overloaded with gunpowder which challenged the strength of the weapons they were used in... 😓
Thanks, I couldn't understand the cough name.😅
Winfield Johnson Elmer Keith is an old timer who would hand load his rounds super hot to test the capabilities of the bullet and gun...
he innovated the .357 magnum round by stuffing a .38 special almost full with modern powder...then he made the casings longer so people wouldn’t blow there guns apart by accidentally chambering what was, at the time, the most powerful hand gun cartridge in the world.
@@emiliochavez5121 Yes, I know all that, but what is with this ,"Elmer Keith Cough"......?
@@winfieldjohnson125 For a critical part of the story (and why Ian said that).... ua-cam.com/video/3t5X8f__vpk/v-deo.html
This is the most beautiful and practical revolvers I ever saw in this channel
Love these videos
You talk about the fit and quality of the firearms, from the minute you picked it up and started operating it I was thinking how beautiful the mechanism sounds. You really can hear the quality.
I've got a number of modern revolvers and I wish they operated as smooth as these.
I love a good history lesson and enjoy owning and shooting firearms. Your channel is a perfect fit. Gonna binge watch a butt load of these. Thanks for the fascinating and absorbing video. Subscribed!
Thank you for posting this video of some of the more unusual, but well made and designed, revolvers of the old west.
Thanks for the great presentation on the superb collection of Merwin & Hulbert pistols. I was looking for details on these pistols as friend of mine in the States showed me his Merwin & Hulbert on Skype last night (it belonged to his wifes Grandfather, it's the early square butt Frontier version. It certainly was an advanced design for that era. Thanks again much appreciated.
I had no idea they so well built.
These revolvers just look robust and confidence inspiring.
Just inherited a M&H .38 pocket revolver. These are awesome old west guns.
It was popular in the east as well. It was sometimes referred to as the 'Shop Keeper' or 'Watchman' because of its popularity with merchants and policemen.
Thanks Ian. Another excellent video. There was some talk of a manufacturer remaking the M&H and I think they even took some deposits on the first guns, but whichever firm it was they got cold feet, didn't go forward with remaking it, and returned the deposit money. Too bad, the cowboy action market would have loved it, but of course it would had a higher price point due to the unconventional, but superior, M&H design.
What a Firearm Masterpiece. Merwin had such a creative and functional superior designing ability. Extracting only the spent cartridges is simply Brilliant. If he had lived longer, We definitely would have had many other unbelievably cool firearms. I'm so glad you showed these pistols. I've been into firearms my whole life and never knew these revolvers existed and never seen this type of revolver reloading system. Thank you for introducing me to this fascinating and beautiful firearm.
I would love to have one. A double action would make a good carry gun today. 44-40 is cool.
I wonder what it would take to do new production of those..... Thanks Ian and RIA for sharing these with us.
Around 2750 just factory cost, that was a low estimate to get investors. The other issue was some of the parts are hand fitted and they don't have any tolerance schematics the factory burned down around turn of 1900s and they lost all records, the model I have is the only one known to exist.
I've never heard of these guns until this video. That rotating barrel & cylinder assembly scheme is really cool!
A double-action Hulbert was used by character "Clell" in the 1980 movie "The Long Riders".
Yeah Randy Quaid played as Clell Miller....however I was told the real Clell Miller carried two Smith & Wesson Schofield SA 44.40 revolvers that were chrome-plated.
@@dankoblinski3441 The Schofield contract started in 1875, Miller was dead in 1876. I doubt he would have live long enough to have got a Schofield. It was most likely another S&W No. 3 he carried. Pretty sure they would have been nickle plated, not chrome.
Great video as always, Ian. These guns are really interesting, and I could see this thing being really highly sought after in that period. Very interesting stuff!
I want one. What great engineering.
the mechanics are really impressive!.
Amazing, love the frontier model.
These are incredibly fascinating to learn about! Up until today, I'd never heard of them, but they were really innovative guns!
I got an engraved one double action in 32 Smith and Weston loves these guns
I'm amazed at the ingenuity of some people. They're pieces of art I say.
I first saw these in The Godfather Part II and had no idea what they were, so I looked them up and now I’m here😊
05/12/18
Received my copy of "Guns of the Old West" magazine yesterday and began reading it today. One of the articles is "Godless Guns" by Larry Ford which details some of the guns used in the Netflix series "Godless" and, one of the guns mentioned by the author was a Merwin Hulbert revolver. While I would never identify myself as anyone other than amateur on guns, I would have expected at age 68 to have, at least, heard of this gun model. Came to UA-cam to see if it was reviewed by someone. Yes!
Forgotten Weapons, this has been an OUTSTANDING review! Thank you! I now have a clearer understanding of Ford's explanation. Liked/subscribed/belled.
Now, I will look up this 7-part miniseries on Netflix.
Gorgeous guns.
Very interesting!
Well made (designed) revolvers!
I love the way you let us know the lesser known guns.
Nice looking guns, look reliable too.
A great weapon with a ton of advantages the only drawback that I can think of if ever needed to do a fast reload the barrel would be hot as hell to handle
Seriously well designed and made revolvers! Thanks for the heads up on a great gun design
I don't know why, but I really love that unloading mechanic. I would love to own one of those some day. Fun and interesting video again! Thanks :D
@ForgottenWeapons The sound you make at about 10:45 is absolutely hilarious.
Coughs* ("Elmer Keith") Pure gold Sir, pure gold
..bless you Ian !
Love the extraction contraption.
Bring these back to production.
They are great shooters. My Grandfathers 44-40 M&H's were accurate, very accurate!!! These were the guns that got me started in reloading revolver ammo!!! That 44-40 case was a real bear to reload for. I learned all about attention to detail reloading for the 44-40!!!
have to say that second model is an awesome handgun! good video Ian
this whole video i get going "holy cow!" these guns are fantasticly designed! i cant believe iv never heard of these before and seeing them makes me ITCH to get a pair of the model 3 pocket armys for CAS. if uberti doesnt make reproductions of these i pray to god they decide to soon because they are so... just so awesome!
WOW ! These are absolutely stunning early revolvers and shamefully, I had never heard of them before this 'Gun Jesus' educational video appeared on youtube. Thanks for taking the time to show us these remarkable revolvers, very much appreciated !
Also, I did laugh out loud at that 'cough'/Elmer Keith moment, when you was mentioning higher than normal pressure reloads I was thinking of good ol' Elmer Keith myself, good to know that we are on the same wavelength.
Keep up the great work, I do so love your videos both in the style that you shoot them and the content that you include.
Magnificent! Never heard of these before, what wonderful handguns - superb engineering. Thank you for the video.
My Dad had one in 44-40 DA 3rd model if I recall. It disappeared from his collection in about 1965. He was always swapping guns I think he traded it for a Colt 1909 in 45LC..
Very beautiful revolvers.
Why have these things slipped under the radar… these things are incredible