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Gallery
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Clock-Type Spring
Patented during the Civil War, the Mershon & Hollingsworth mechanism involved a clock-type spring wound with a fold-out handle.
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Normal Fire
The button on the winding plate is a lock-out latch that allowed "normal" revolver operation.
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Hammer Block
A manual hammer-block latch prevented the hammer from cocking while the spring was being wound.
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Assembly Button
A small tab on the latch engaged a step on the hammer. Note the hand-checkering on the latch assembly button.
American troops took a healthy interest in Axis small arms during World War II. Sometimes they were simply looking to collect a war trophy. On other occasions, GIs and Marines looked to use those firearms against their former owners.
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