Hardly ever seen in Western films is the Merwyn and Hulbert revolver of the late 1870s in .44-40 caliber. It�s a somewhat complicated arm and, sad to say, most actors are not schooled in the operation of firearms for them to use it with ease. To date, they have not been reproduced so if you see one in a Western, it�s a bona fide frontier gun. Our armorer, Larry Zeug, painstakingly researches original photos to authenticate the uses of other sidearms besides the Colt Peacemaker.
 
 

Guns we�ll be seeing more of thanks to companies like Navy Arms with their issue of the Smith & Wesson Schofield. The original is a model 3 Smith & Wesson in .44 Russian caliber. It was used by Sam Elliot as Virgil Earp in Tombstone and Angelica Huston as Calamity Jane in Buffalo Girls.
 
 

A few years ago we were given a script on the Pleasant Valley War. It�s an excellent story, one well worth doing. However, the script is in litigation and who knows if it will ever be made. In preparation for the film, we had this rig copied from the photo of Commodore Perry Owens. It�s placed with a �76 Winchester in .45-60 cal. We know Commodore Perry Owens used a Winchester when he was sheriff of Yavapi County, but none of the research describes if it�s a �76 or �86. If anyone can document what it was, it would be very helpful. We know that, in the famous photo with this gun rig, Commodore Perry Owens is holding an Officer�s Model Trapdoor.

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