Merwin, Hulbert Folding Hammer

by
posted on June 22, 2011
wiley-clapp.jpg

One of those odd guns that has always caught my fancy is the Merwin, Hulbert revolver and one of its more intriguing feature has recently got me “what-if-ing” again. The Merwins are a series of handsome revolvers made during the Frontier era in three sizes and several calibers. Known for their unusual twist-and-pull system of selective ejection, the Merwins were a popular gun in their day, selling slightly behind Colt, S&W and Remington wheelguns.

An optional feature on many of the models was an ingenious folding hammer. Actually this was really a folding hammer spur. In this system, the rearmost extension of the hammer—the checkered part that you put your thumb on to cock the action—was a separate piece of steel. Held in its extended position by a tiny leaf spring, the unusual hammer spur offered the shooter a means of cocking the gun's DA/SA action. Defensive revolvers are most commonly fired by means of the DA trigger, with a long-arc pull of 9 or 10 pounds of pressure. There are times when cocking the action for a more precise shot in SA style with 3 or 4 pounds is desirable. This is the nature of the DA/SA revolver.

Carrying a little gun like this is made easier by the folding hammer. It hinges forward in such a way that the spur snugs down against the body of the hammer, completely out of the way and not likely to snag on pocket edges or coat linings. If you need to use it, you catch the tip with your thumb nail and bring the hammer to full cock. Trigger pressure will release the hammer and fire a shot, but something else also happens. Inertia causes the hammer spur to fold closed when the hammer strikes the frame. You'll have to unfold it to manually cock the action, but as long as you are happy with DA shooting, the folding spur will stay folded and out of the way. Could this system be applied to a modern gun? My fellow gunwriter and shooting buddy Walt Rauch thinks so. He found a gunsmith that built one on a clean old Model 12 M&P Smith, and he now has a neat gun.

Latest

Mf20 Gotw Web
Mf20 Gotw Web

Gun Of The Week: Iver Johnson MF20

In this video, we’re taking a closer look at an AR-style, semi-automatic shotgun that’s made in Turkey by Izmir Armed and carries the name of an iconic American firearm manufacturer. This is the Iver Johnson MF20.

The Armed Citizen® June 13, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

William Jenks & His Early Breechloaders

Along with John Hall, William Jenks was an early pioneer in the realm of the breechloading carbine. However, Jenks' breechloading guns didn't see the widespread acceptance or fame of the Model 1819 Hall Rifle and its later carbine variants.

MidwayUSA Foundation Raises Record-Breaking Amount For Youth Shooting Teams

In just a single day, a record-breaking $168,770 was generated to support youth shooting sports at the fourth annual Day of Clays hosted by the MidwayUSA Foundation in Minnesota.

2025 Handgun Of The Year: Colt Blued Python

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Rifleman Review: Kimber KDS9c

Kimber's KDS9c is one of only a few double-stack, M1911-style handguns on the market that are expressly designed for concealed carry in mind.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.