Is this revolver MFG legit?

[hickstick_10]

http://www.merwinhulbertco.com/about.php (website is safe)

I was wondering about these guys for some time, I would really REALLY like a M&H revolver in 44 special, but it seems these fellas are keen to take your coin as a "deposit" and so far have no pictures of finished guns. I did email the company bout a year ago, but it sounded like a business man with sparkly whites was getting ready to give me the "rubber glove treatment", and didn't really answer any of my questions.

Anyone dealt with them? M&H would sure make a nice CB gun:coffee:

[MtGun44]

Small manufacturers that are starting up are typically short on capital. I have no idea
about this particular company, but taking substantial deposits is a pretty questionable
way to capitalize a new product, if that is what they are doing. Many small companies
just can't quite beat all the issues getting started. I hope they have a good business
plan and enough money to get started, but I would personally keep my hands in my
pockets until I could hold one in my hands.

I truly do hope that they are successful, but the prices seem pretty unlikely to attact a
lot of buyers. I hope I am wrong.

Bill

[bob208]

remember auto mag?? they took alot of people's money then folded. i would not send any company money till they had a finished firearm with the number on it.

[pmeisel]

Taking deposits... but no indication of production schedules.... spells going-out-of-business-before-they-get-started to me

[MtGun44]

Automag????? I bought a .44 pistol from them, had a few issues, but they stood behind it
and were shipping pistols for at least 3-4 year, probably much longer. I think you have
them confused with someone else.

Bill

[ReloaderFred]

They were on display at the SHOT Show last month in Las Vegas. We looked at them and I held one in my hand, but didn't talk to the reps. They were pretty busy during the time we were at their booth.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[hickstick_10]

They were on display at the SHOT Show last month in Las Vegas. We looked at them and I held one in my hand, but didn't talk to the reps. They were pretty busy during the time we were at their booth.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Hmmmm strange, even one of the "owners" claims there would be no finished revolvers at the Shot Show on the companies forum.http://www.forum.merwinhulbertco.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1463&an=0&page=0#Post1463. Not even a single picture of a finished gun to be seen anywhere.

Was it a newly manufactured sample you held? Was it made of steel and not a plastic prototype?
Most importantly, what did you think of the pistol?

I've been searching up and down the net for a picture of a newly made merwin and hulbert, found a couple pics of a grip frame and a plastic prototype so far, but nothing else as of yet.

[9.3X62AL]

What Fred said. Dunno if they were pre-production samples or what. But caveat emptor, always. Maybe they're trolling around for one of the big Spaghetti Winchester/Colt makers to snap them up or invest.

[HeavyMetal]

Taking "deposits" has been a standard way for any small business to get enough "orders" to get a bank interested enough to float them a loan to get started manufacturing and filling said orders.

Then along came Dornius & Dixon and the ill fated but very popular Bren 10! This outfit left a really bad taste in a lot of consumers mouths and much of the problem was spending cash on stuff they didn't need before they needed it!

Case in point was 1000 custom walnut pistol case's for engravd Bren 10's they never made! That money should have gone to buying mags! I can't tell you how many I saw that finally got to buyers, that had to threaten law suits to get product they had payed for 3 years earlier, that did not have a single magazine with it!

I actually met one of the founders at the old three day gunshow that used to be held at the LA Fairplex in Pomona back in the day.

They had a full on display, with three guns to fondle, and they were pounding the deposit band wagon real hard!

I might have joined the many customers they "flim flammed" had I not gotten just a really bad vibe off the guy guy pitching these guns, Slimey was the most descriptive word I can use to descibe the gut feeling I got.

Suffice it to say that the Bren 10 Fiasco really put the hurt on a lot of good guys that wanted to bring a decent gun and business into life.

Back to the present and the Merwin & Hulbert Clones.

I've seen the web site and photo's look good, calibers sure do give me a thrill ( love the thought of a 44 special) but I think I'd want to run both a BBB check and some financial D&B stuff before I wrote them a check.

This is the worst possible time, financially, to start a business but if they can make it happen now the future will always be good for them.

What this means for me personally is that it will have to be on the shelf at a dealers store before these guys get a penny from me.

[hickstick_10]

Ya since it seems no pictures of a finished gun exist, I'l wait till some are on dealers shelves, there's supposedly a dealer for M&H set up in Canada, if the revolvers ever materialize.

You'd think they'd have ONE model to show, but so far zip.....:(

[hickstick_10]

Sorry for the zombie thread, but I was checking out the old merwin and hulbert website and the "old" company seems to have dissapeared and a "new" company formed. http://www.merwinhulbertco.com/ new website without the forums, so its tough to follow whats been going on. I never ordered one, but have been really hoping these guys would be a success.

Anyone knows whats going on with them? Near the end some of the guys posting on the forums seemed a little fed up with what was going on.

Not trying to cast a black shadow over the company or anything, just that there is precious little information about whats been going on with the revolvers. Has a gun been made? Have orders been filled? Or have people just given up?

[pmeisel]

I took a look at their website. And googled a few documents, the two most useful of which you will find below.

The Merwin Hulbert and A-Square ventures as they were a year ago are financially defunct. There is a new effort to reorganize, and the leaders of this venture say they intend to honor the deposits made. It looks like they are making every effort to be up front and legitimate, but it also appears they are short on capital.

If I had a lot of money and wanted one, I would inquire about a deposit and possibly an investment. (I'm talking a lot of money like 8 figures in front of the decimal point.)

If you are tight on cash I'd watch closely and wait it out. They have a shot but they need an angel investor with deep pockets. Manufacturing is a capital intensive business.

They're trying to make a roux, but they need flour and butter and maybe a chef.....



http://www.scribd.com/doc/87203859/Sharps-Rifle-Company-Inc-Introduction-Document

http://www.douglas-budget.com/glenrock/article_d3628d36-7a8f-11e1-8d4b-001a4bcf887a.html

[scattershot]

Wouldn't you think after a couple of years that they would have a sample or two, or maybe a picture?

[williamwaco]

I don't like the sound of these comments but this information is reliable

AND it is not restricted. If they were out to "get" you, they would restrict access to this information.


Registrant:
Sharps Rifle Company, Inc.
109 East 17th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82001
US

Domain Name: MERWINHULBERTCO.COM



Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Sharps Rifle Company, Inc. wjmartin@sharpsriflecompany.com
109 East 17th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82001
US
802-763-2553

Record expires on 01-Jan-2019.
Record created on 15-Feb-2012.
Database last updated on 1-Jul-2012 22:29:29 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS71.WORLDNIC.COM 205.178.190.36
NS72.WORLDNIC.COM 206.188.198.36

Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
Creation Date: 12-JAN-2004
Updated Date: 14-APR-2012
Expiration Date: 01-JAN-2019

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