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Post by twomoons on Apr 24, 2009 17:15:41 GMT -5
Well ths afternoon a friend dropped over to show me the collection of German shotguns he bought. I got to look at a Merkel, A Hanel, a couple of Husqvarna's and a couple of Simson and Suhl. These were all frm the 1940's to the 1960's and most were in at least 75% condition. He brought the collection over because I had a 45 Auto he wanted and i ended up trading a 45 Auto High Standard for a fine 90% Simson and Suhl sxs shotgun. The gun has 28" tubes and is choked full and full with 2 3/4" chambers 12/70 . The action is plumb tight on face and has ears and greener cross bolt. and the gun has cocking indicators. The gun is moderatly engraved and is fitted with sling swivles. The stock is nice if plain walnut and it is checkered at 20 to the inch with a horn cap and buttplate. The triggers are double and nicely ofset so the faces are right in line. All in all it is hard to tell the difference between this gun and the Merkel he had, other than the fact that the Merkel would have cost me $1000 and I have $450 in this one. Now I have a DD problem, which gun to kill a turkey with. I should take out my Charles Daly O/U but I just haven't the heart to shoot it anymore. The barrels on the Suhl both print right together but I will have to see how it patterns as both barrels are .680 and the bores are tight. I am guessing full and fuller, this is NOT a steel shot gun.
Well actuall it is a steel shotgun, but not a steel shot shootng shot gun... I better quit before I get Bounce confused.
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Post by twomoons on Apr 24, 2009 18:42:12 GMT -5
Just a quick update, don't try out your new 6 3/4 pound European 12 gauge with Remington 2 3/4" magnum #5 turkey loads, its a hurtz donut!!!
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Post by Jack on Apr 24, 2009 20:19:01 GMT -5
Sounds like a great find, Twomoons. Hey, wait a minute.. .. 'turkey gun'. .. is it camo?  |
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Post by klsm54 on Apr 24, 2009 23:07:52 GMT -5
Just a quick update, don't try out your new 6 3/4 pound European 12 gauge with Remington 2 3/4" magnum #5 turkey loads, its a hurtz donut!!! Magnum loads? I hope you aren't falling into the "Red Syndrome".. ;D |
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Post by twomoons on Apr 25, 2009 14:42:23 GMT -5
No I bought a box of Remington super turkey loads in the 80's and still have 19 of them left. I decided to us Wal Mart #6 game loads with this gun. I will still probably shoot my B/P double gun.
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Post by twomoons on Apr 25, 2009 21:30:45 GMT -5
Well, I did some carefull checking and I just about came out even on this deal. The Simson and Suhl that I got is not a per war hight dollar gun. This is a 5-1958 made East German shotgun made in the same factory as the Merkel, Hanel, J p Sauer, ect. These were all good quality hunting guns made for the European trade and only the Merkel was imported to the US. According to my sources the Simson name was used and the actual gun was a CHEVY to the Merkel CADDY. The Merkel featuring better engraving, higher quality wood ect. The reason that these are coming in now is that all the East German surplus is being brought over. The $450 I have invested is just about top dollar for what I have at this time, althugh I do think this is a better gun than the current CZ being imported. The other thing is that in typical european fashion these guns are made for a lot lighter loads than American guns. The 2 3/4" european loads are still 1 oz. of shot at about 1200 fps and this is where the gun really patterns best. Hence my choice of standard 1 1/8 oz game loads rather than the turkey magnums. I learned a lot about these in the past 24 hours. I will probably ream and hone the choke out of the first barrel rather than mess with spreader loads as full and fuller with 1 Oz. of lead isn't any good for hunting here anymore. Ducks take steel and that takes a different gun, and even with wild flushing pheasants the first shot doesn't need to be full. My favorite game gun was an Ithaca 26" Churchill choked I/C and Mod and that was the best pheasant gun I ever shot and I held my own on ducks too. I sold it when steel came out as the gun was no longer an all round gun.
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Post by dovehunter on Apr 26, 2009 7:18:28 GMT -5
Moons:
You're right about those super lightweight pre-war European doubles kicking like mules. Both my 16 ga. Sauer and my under-lever hammer gun are much lighter than my 20 ga. Stevens 311 or my Zoli Silver Snipe. My 12 ga. Greener and S&D (I've been told that it is Belgian-made) are also just about as light. I've got so I don't shoot anything heavier than 1 oz. in the two 16s and 1-1/8 oz loads in those two 12s. It's probably better on the guns and I know it is better on my shoulder.
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Post by Bill on Apr 26, 2009 15:42:37 GMT -5
I just got in a bunch of those same guns Two Moons. These were guns that have been brought in from Sweden and there are Husqavarna's and Saur's and AYA's and even some 50's Russian SXS's. All in the $450 price range ans some of them are hammer guns. Those old Huskie's with the underlever and hammers are kind of neat though and might be fun shooters. Also make good cowboy action guns except that their not too fast. ;D
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Post by twomoons on Apr 27, 2009 15:56:15 GMT -5
They make good all round hunting guns. The underlever is different to use and requires some practice to do a quick reload but there is a way. Not quite as fast as a top lever but since i only need a couplle birds for a meal and I always get two with the first loading.... I currentlly have a couple damascus doubles a 2 1/2" 16 Husky and the 12 Simson and Suhl so I am pretty well stocked.
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