Merwin and Hubert revolvers in the old west

[leadfool]

For truly cool old west guns, nothing beats the Merwin and Hulbert.  Well there is now a reformed company that is planing to make them.

Their web site has a section on the history of their guns that shows once again that Hollywood is wrong the Colt was not the only gun on the frontier.  


http://www.merwinhulbertco.com/index.php

[YPU]

They also sell custom revolvers, as in decide your own barrel length calibre and so on. I wasnt aware that was possible. Not that I am interested, the thing would be illegal down here.

[commissarmoody]

Kool 

[Galloping Major]

I'll always have a soft spot for Smith & Wessons myself.
Unfortunately, due to the UK's punitive firearms legislation, I have to keep mine in Belgium now. 


www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
 

[YPU]

I'll always have a soft spot for Smith & Wessons myself.
Unfortunately, due to the UK's punitive firearms legislation, I have to keep mine in Belgium now. 


www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
 

You should try the Netherlands some time, we are far more punitive (and hence on of the safes places  )

[Shikari Sahib]

We are not so punitive here, but quite impossible to buy guns if not imported and tested first. And this way is allowed only by big imported companies, due to high costs.
Pity looks very nice.
So I had to keep my Pietta and Uberti 45LC

[leadfool]

Shikari,
Ubertis are great guns,  I own several and have no problems with them.  I have the top break 45 colt copy of the Schofield, Smith and Wesson No. 3.

YPU are the Netherlands really that safe?  or is that just a delusion brought on my being below sea level?  If Englands and Switzerlands gun laws and relative crime rates prove anything it is that guns laws don't effect crime.  Social homeogenity and other factors are much more important.

I didn't post the site for a political discussion but a historical one.  The website's history section points out how common and popular (if hard to pronounce) the Merwin and Hulbert revolvers were in the "old west".  Not everyone had a Colt.

For gaming purposes, it is just another factor to throw into a game if the hero carries an easy to "top off" reload M&H revolver.  Perhaps another character has a easy to completely reload S&W and other characters have other weapons, ie Colt, Remington, Adams, Webley, etc.  In a one on one gun fight game the weapon might make a difference.  Much like it might make a difference in a blade fight to have a sword, a bowie knive or a small dagger. 

[YPU]

I have no freaking clue at crime rates to be honest. 

But I agree, in fact I think there are more then one western movie where two shooters are out of bullets at the same time and victory is not determined by speed of the draw, but speed of the reload.

[Galloping Major]

I totally endorse all that Leadfool says here.

The old "Once Upon A Time In The West Rules" gave stats for use of different firearms models, most rules ignore the different characteristics of firearms, probably because of not wanting to "complicate" things, and/or it's not an area many rules writers have much knowledge of.

I own and shoot quite a variety of firearms, including a good selection of Old West period revolvers and rifles, so I choose different ones for their characteristics depending what's needed for a particular course of fire. I like to reflect the capabilities of different firearms in my games - you guys are right, it introduces a lot more interest. 

www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[YPU]

Then again one can see how it would overly complicate some other games, when they aim to keep it simple.

[Galloping Major]

Then again one can see how it would overly complicate some other games, when they aim to keep it simple.

Yup, when not wanting additional complications, you don't need use them, everyone could work under generic handgun and rifle.

www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[Shikari Sahib]

Many years ago, when I devoted most time to developping or adapting rules to suit my pleasure, I introduced many characteristics in my rules, kind of weapons, range, shooters capacities.....but it works only in skirmish game, just few figures, otherwise became tedious and long.
Eg how much time to reload a cap and ball revolvers? Interesting but worthless.


Turning to weapons I like my Piettas, still wait after 8 months for an Uberti cap and ball , but To own a M&H will be a real pleasure

[leadfool]

Something as basic as single action and double action often gets left out of the equation. 

I am a "gun guy" so I often focus on those factors related to the weapons.  There might be other factors that would affect the outcome of a gun fight that I ignore, but that others would consider important.  I don't know but has anyone thought of the effect of say the weather, or the clothing or the hour of the day on a fight.  Maybe some shooters have better night vision.  Maybe the farmer is better in the morning but the gambler is better at night.  Maybe the Canadian or the Swede is better if it is cold but others are better if it is hot. 

I never got into the advanced squad leader WWII game system but we used to joke that the system was so inclusive of factors it that it took 30 minutes of real time to play out 5 seconds of game time and that you had to calculate what each soldiers chance of burping or coughing was for each given round of combat.

You can always make it so detailed that it is simply no longer fun.

[Galloping Major]

Something as basic as single action and double action often gets left out of the equation. 

I am a "gun guy" so I often focus on those factors related to the weapons. 

Me too 

But I know exactly what you mean re taking into account too many other factors not already built into the character - it could just drain the enjoyment of the game.


www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[Shikari Sahib]

Me too 

we are three all