Jesse James, Bass Reeves, Pat Garret, were all users of what was considered to be the best made and most innovative of the Large Frontier Revolvers, the products of Merwin, Hulbert Co. including the very well known example we have here a 3rd Model Pocket Army in the man killing .44-40 caliber. Known as the “Skull Crusher” due to the heavy extended birdshead grip. This is a great example with the deluxe factory original Mother of Pearl grips and the company standard nickel finish. The gun has seen little actual use with a mint bore and no evidence of corrosive black powder use and about 85% of the original nickel finish remaining. Mechanically the gun is tighter than Dick’s Hatband and if you carried it today you would be considered to be well armed.
At the time of its widespread use on the Frontier of the Old West, the Merwin Hulbert Large Frame Revolvers were highly thought of, and we can use an analogy were the “Hk squeeze cockers” of their day;an extremely well made and advanced design for the serious gunman. They could be unloaded and reloaded more quickly than any other revolver of the day and they were much stronger and were built like a Swiss Watch with tolerances that are the equal of anything made today, 150 years later. Indeed a serious attempt was made to reproduce them in 2014 and it came to naught because of the high cost that would be involved in re-creating such intricate perfection. If you watch Netflix’s newest Western “Godless” you will see these revolvers in action. Back in the day, this was the pistol carried by the well heeled and the well off……..The thinking man’s smokewagon! It is the gun that I would want on my lap under the poker table! PRE98 ANTIQUE
