Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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The XL version of the species enjoyed sales throughout the eastern states of America during the final years of the nineteenth century. An 1880 catalogue of Merwin, Hulbert & Company in New York advertised the XL Bulldog as “made by Hopkins & Allen” and in later years the same firm continued to list it in four versions. Six-shot models were available in calibre .32 Rim Fire and .32 Central Fire, while five-shot versions were offered in calibre .38 Central Fire. All were fitted with 3-inch octagonal section barrels, while the latter model was also offered with a five-inch barrel. Stock plates were available in hard rubber, ivory and pearl, or even in a wide variety of exotic stone. (A calibre .44 version had been listed by G. W. Claflin of New York in 1886, although that type seems to be rare.) The May 1887 catalogue of Merwin, Hulbert & Co. at 28 West 23rd street, New York City, continued to include the XL Bulldog as one of six other solid frame revolvers, each with the prefix “XL.”

Another notable American gun maker, Harrington & Richardson, had also decided to add a Bull Dog model to their series of double-action revolvers by the year 1887. It was introduced in two versions, a six-shot calibre .32 rimfire and a five-shot calibre .38 rimfire, as virtual copies of the Iver Johnson model.