This is a pretty decent little Merwin Hulbert and Company Double Action Pocket Revolver in .32 Caliber with 5 shot cylinder, 3" barrel, and patented folding hammer spur.   These were actually built by Hopkins and Allen for MH&Co. and probably the best guns they ever manufactured in terms of design and quality.  The finish is standard Nickel plating but what makes this one a bit more unique are its original ivory grips.  Over the years, we've seen a lot of Merwins but ones with special grips have usually been on the large framed revolvers or the fancier engraved pocket pistols.  The ivories on this one are old, starting to yellow with a little checking at the base.  We pulled them to check underneath and they are stained with old grease and rust that exactly mirror the iron grip straps they're affixed to. They're solid with no chips, cracks, or repairs.  The metal  has 75% original nickel plating with some speckled patina and wear that is mostly confined to sharp edges and sides of the barrel from holster wear.  Worn spots have turned to a nice patina giving this revolver good contrast...especially around the cylinder flutes.  Nickel is a bit frosty and worn but shows no signs of flaking or bubbling.  Nice markings include "32 CAL" marking on the left side of the frame and Merwin Hulburt & Co. barrel address with patent dates ranging from 1877 to 1882.  The unique folding Hammer spur is also nickel plated and has a patent date on the right side in tiny font.  This Merwin has all correct numbers with matching assembly and sub-assembly no.'s on the barrel, frame, and cylinder.  The sub-assembly numbers are located on  the hammer and the folding spur.  Finally, the serial number is located inside the grips on the side of the frontstrap.  The bore is good overall for something built in the 1880's..with good rifling but a little frosty with light pitting from being used with 19th century black powder.  The action works nicely in both single and double action modes including half-cock.  These have a really unique loading system where the barrel tilts on the axis of the cylinder pin and then slides forward.  The back of the barrel is cupped around the front of the cylinder...so the cyl travels forward with the barrel and the spent shell casings are supposed to fall out in one stroke.  Merwin Collectors will sometimes mention the word "suck" in explaining the sound the barrel and cylinder make as they are placed back against the frame.  With a little oil on the cylinder pin, this one will still make that "suck" sound as the barrel is placed back to the frame. This is a nice little gun and its hard to find a good Merwin in this price range these days. If you consider what a pair of original ivory grips would cost alone, this one is a bargain.

Item# 0906

SOLD