7 shot Merwin

[Dusty Tagalon]

1 of my more recent acquisitions is a 7 shot 32 Merwin. Merwin’s by design can’t show you are on an empty chamber. With a six shot, load one, skip one, you end up on empty. So what scheme do you do with a 7 shot to shoot 5 rounds?
Not really worried about it, I have a Top Break 6 shot Hopkins & Allen in 32 or 1896s I choose or need to drop to if my ammunition drys up.
Brian

[Abilene]

Load 1, skip 2, load four ?  I don't know if a Merwin does the half-cock thing.  As far as showing empty at a loading table, with 6 shooters that hide the rims, some folks have marked the outside of the cylinder for the empty chamber.  Others have used a dowel that can drop down the bore and show empty.

[Dusty Tagalon]

The dowel is strongest! If not on proper chamber, may have 1 extra click. Would like to use it, but have 1896s & Hopkins & Allen 6 shots.
Brian

[Advertising]

[DJ]

My 7-shot double action MH in .32 loads backwards--at half-cock the cylinder easily rotates and clicks counter-clockwise for loading.  It is possible, but requires hammer manipulation, to make it rotate clockwise while loading.  Regardless of which direction you load, when you cock the hammer or pull the trigger through the double action, the cylinder rotates clockwise.

To end up with six cartridges in the cylinder and the hammer down on an empty chamber of your 7-shooter, when loading counter-clockwise you load three, skip one, then three more, cock the hammer (the cylinder will advance clockwise), and lower it on an empty chamber.

If you insist on loading in a clockwise direction you will probably need to pull the hammer back slightly each time you rotate the cylinder--you would then load two, skip one, load four more, cock the hammer, and let it down on an empty cylinder.

If you want to check for yourself and don't have dummy cartridges, number the cylinders with a Sharpie and try it out.  The Sharpie should clean off with alcohol when you're done.
 
The large, six-shot single action Merwin Hulberts are similar, but they are definitely designed so the the cylinder  turns clockwise when loading.  With those you load two, skip one, then three more.  The difference between the Colt's "load one, skip one" and the MH's "load two, skip one" is caused by the lower location of the loading port on a Merwin Hulbert.

[Dusty Tagalon]

Played with empty shells today, load 1 skip 2, load 4, go to full cock let hammer down, use brass rod with red tape to mark on loaded round.
Brian