(# 10) I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO INITIATE THE BIDDER SCREENING PROCESS BECAUSE OF TOO MANY "DEADBEAT BIDDERS" PLACING BIDS ON EXPENSIVE ITEMS AND THEN NOT PAYING FOR THOSE ITEMS. PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AT 386-749-4104 OR THROUGH THE AUCTION ARMS "ASK THIS SELLER A QUESTION" LINK FOR AUTHORIZATION TO PLACE A BID IF YOU DO NOT MEET BIDDER SCREENING REQUIREMENTS AND WANT TO BID ON THIS ITEM. PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE. TWO(2) PAYMENTS IN 30 DAYS, THREE(3) PAYMENTS IN 60 DAYS, ETC. PAYMENTS IN 30 DAY INCREMENTS UP TO 10 PAYMENTS IN 270 DAYS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT USING THIS PLAN, PLEASE CALL ME AT 386-749-4104. CONTACT ME FOR PLAN CONFIRMATION BEFORE PLACING A BID.+++++ THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST DESIRABLE MERWIN REVOLVERS YOU WILL EVER SEE!!! This exceptionally rare and all original condition SILVER PLATED with "New York" or "American Scroll" style engraving and Mother-of-Pearl grips Merwin, Hulbert & Co. Double Action Medium Frame Third Model .38 caliber Pocket Revolver is in wonderful "Excellent" to "Near Mint" condition! It has outstanding "suction", an important condition aspect where Merwin, Hulbert & Co. revolvers are concerned. Silver plated and engraved Merwins of any type are incredibly rare and hardly ever come on the market, as once a collector of Merwins obtains one for his collection, he inevitably keeps it. This beautiful Merwin would be a fantastic and unique addition to the collection of any advanced collector of Merwin, Hulbert & Co. firearms! This Merwin is chambered for the proprietary .38 MH caliber black powder centerfire cartridge, and will also chamber the .38 S&W cartridge. This revolver has the two(2)screw sideplate on the left side of the frame. It has a 3.5" round ribbed barrel, standard open flute five(5) shot cylinder, a knurled tip folding hammer spur and an uncommon large webbed trigger. There are only two(2) pins in the frame retaining the trigger mechanism, one(1) directly over the trigger itself and one(1) over the rear of the triggerguard, instead of the usual three(3) pins found in this area of the frame. I have never seen another Merwin configured like this. I believe this means this may be a very rare variation of this model. (See picture # 7.) The outstanding machine work and highest quality hand fitting makes these revolvers something to be amazed at even today! There is some very, very minor original silver finish loss or fading caused by polishing the silver plating over the years. This polishing of the silver plating over a long period of time has also caused a softening, or loss of sharpness, in the edges of the engraving. This is common in silver plated firearms, as well as other silver and silver plated items, of all types. Silver is considered to be a "soft" metal and is relatively easily abraded or worn down. I have not polished the silver finish on this Merwin since I obtained it, as I rather like the patina which has developed on it over the years. I will leave polishing it to a bright shine to the new owner. Overall, this fabulous Merwin retains 99% plus original silver finish and is in excellent working condition, with the barrel, cylinder and frame fitting tightly together and the trigger/folding hammer mechanism working properly in both single and double action modes. The sliding loading gate works perfectly, with no looseness or play. The takedown/reassembly process is fast and easy, with everything working as it should, and the fit and lockup is tight. Stamped on the left side just above the trigger is ".38 CAL.". The assembly number "265XX" is stamped on the rear of the cylinder, at the rear of the barrel beneath the breech and on the butt. The assembly number can also be designated as "26" over "5XX" and "26/5XX". The serial number "70XX" is stamped on the left side of the grip frame beneath the left grip panel when the panel is removed. This is an all matching assembly number Merwin, just as it left the factory. This Merwin has the square butt "sawhandle" type grip frame. The original Mother-of-Pearl grip panels are in "Excellent" overall condition, and display a great deal of "fire" or "brilliance". There is a very tiny chip missing from inside the toe of the right side grip panel. (See picture # 9) The letters of the Merwin, Hulbert & Co. address with patent dates stamped on the top of the barrel strap are clear and distinct, with some fading along the front right edge, probably caused by pocket carry of this fine Merwin. The last patent date is "JAN. 9. 83". All five(5) chambers of the cylinder are in excellent condition. The bore shows some very light "pinprick" pitting and still has sharp, well defined rifling. This revolver appears to have been fired on a very limited basis. Having been made about 1883, this neat little pocket revolver would have been perfect for use in the "Old West" as a pimps' or a gamblers' fancy hideaway gun, or kept in the purse or pocket of an elegant "lady of the evening". It could also just as easily have been carried by a real lady or gentleman member of the wealthy "upper class" of that era, or for many other types of self defense use. More detailed information regarding Merwin Third Model Pocket Revolvers can be found on pages 49-57 of the second edition of "THE STORY OF MERWIN, HULBERT & CO. FIREARMS" by Art Phelps. This book is the classic reference guide for firearms produced by this company. To quote from page 91 of this book, "Merwin, Hulbert & Co. were catering to a lucrative market and offered elegant engraving, finishes such as gold wash and SILVER PLATING, and deluxe fitted casings to suit the tastes of both the customer and the times. For, during the 19th century, the same as now, highly embellished firearms were prized as symbols of quality and status.". Merwin, Hulbert is known to have employed Louis D. Nimschke, a famous New York firearms engraver, to decorate and embellish some of their revolvers for presentation to dignitaries, and for special order requests. While this revolver does not bear any Nimschke identification marks, it is well know that at least 15% of Nimschkes' engraving work is unmarked. The engraving on this fabulous Merwin is of extremely high quality, perhaps the work of Nimschke himself. A beautifully cased .38 caliber First Model Pocket Revolver having ivory grips with interchangeable barrels signed as engraved by Louis D. Nimschke is found on page xxxx as plate number XXXIV in the classic Nimschke engraving reference book L. D. NIMSCHKE: FIREARMS ENGRAVER by R.L. Wilson. (c. 1965) The actual engraving "blueprints" as designed and drawn up by Nimschke for this Merwin are found on page 42. The only SILVER PLATED Merwin revolver pictured and described as such found on page 89 in this book is a .38 caliber revolver very similar in appearance to the one which I have listed at auction here. I believe the fact that there is only one(1) silver plated Merwin pictured in this book is a telling indicator of the fact of just how rare silver plated Merwins actually are! Merwin, Hulbert & Co. revolvers are finally beginning to get the respect which they so richly deserve from firearms' collectors. Following Colt, Remington and Smith & Wesson, these revolvers were the fourth most popular revolver to be carried in the days of the "Old West". There is an excellent description written by noted "Old West" gunwriter Dennis Adler regarding M,H & Co. Pocket Revolvers in an article entitled "LAST CHANCE POCKET PISTOLS" on page 54 of the Fall 2006 issue of the "GUNS OF THE OLD WEST" magazine, in which the virtues of these highly concealable and effective little revolvers are extolled. To quote directly from this article, "They were the best of the west, or should we say, the best of the vest.". This is high praise, indeed! $60.00 S&H and insurance. Certified bank check. Payment due within seven(7) calendar days of end of auction. Sold "AS IS.". My description is detailed and accurate. This antique revolver is over 125 years old and has been used. There is no warranty, express or implied, as to its' continuing safety or functionality. This revolver is an antique so it can be sent directly to the winning bidder in most states without the need of a FFL holder to transfer it to the winning bidder, per Federal law. However, some states' laws require that even antique guns have to be transferred by a FFL holder in that state, and also that the antique gun be shipped by a FFL holder from my state. (Florida-contact me at 386-749-4104) It is up to you to know the requirements of your state as to whether you can receive this antique revolver directly or whether you will need to find a FFL holder to legally transfer it to you. An additional charge of $30.00 will be added to the total amount due if a FFL holder is required on my end of the transaction. A copy of your state picture ID showing your name, current address and that you are over 21 years of age is required by me, along with a signed atatement that you can lawfully own this antique firearm in your state. This revolver is being sold as an antique and highly desireable collectable, very rare firearm. As with all antique or other used firearms, this revolver should be examined by a professional gunsmith to determine whether it is actually safe to fire or not, if you decide that you want to shoot it. WARNING- THIS REVOLVER SHOULD ONLY BE FIRED USING BLACK POWDER LOADED CARTRIDGES, OR SUBSTITUTES THEREOF, IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT FIRING IT! This top-of-the-line silver plated and engraved Merwin would be great for any "Old West" era or "Victorian" era costume competition. You could not be more authentic in your choice of firearm to complement the apparel of an elegant lady or refined gentleman!
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