Merkel Shotguns

[twomoons]

I got a chance this week to handle several older Merkel shotguns. In particular I liked a sxs with the humped european stock and a nice o/u with side panels screwed to the barrels. I could really find very little difference between my Suhl and the Merkel. The Merkel did have better figured wood and a little better engraving. I have one Merkel apaprt in the tank now getting ready for a stock repair.

[klsm54]

I've always like Merkel shotguns, both their side by sides and the stack barrels. I handled a couple newer ones at a show back a few years ago and they seemed to fit pretty well.

I always figured if that boat comes in, a new Merkel might look good in my hands... Never knew anybody with any of the vintage models.

[Bill]

Pre WWII the Merkel Plant had 9 different company's building guns there. Simpson, J.P. Sauer, Merkel, to name a few. All built off the same action but all finished out just a bit different. Plus Merkel sold actions and barrels to different gunsmith and they were built up into what is called guild guns. Guns with no makers name on them. All still good guns. After the plant ended up behind Russian lines after the war the guns were still being made and smuggled across the lines and sold in other country's. When the wall went down Merkel again became a going concern and again is making guns for export.
If you have a gun made after WWII and before the wall fell its probably a gun that was sold in either Sweden or one of those country's or smuggled into German for sale. A lot of the military people brought them back with them when they found they could buy them cheap on the open market and bought some really nice guns cheap.
Since the wall fell they are not cheap anymore. A decent 47EL will run you about $4000 and really isn't any better than the bring backs except for a better stock design. The hump back stock as Two Moons calls it is better designed for a heads up type of shooting and actually is a poor design as the European's decided for some reason that a very light cheek weld with the way to go and the American's went with a straighter stock and a harder cheek weld. The right dimensions is the only way to cut felt recoil and anything else will actually boot you worse than you think.

[twomoons]

Yes and with that light cheek weld is a CHEEKPIECE??? I am currently shooting a Suhl and a couple of Husky's and am plumb happy. I just wish I could find a nice 20 sxs that was about the same price as my Suhl. I fell in love with the 20 in the late 60's and gave it up with the advent of steel shot. If I remember right the reason Merkel's are so spendy here has to do with the cold war and import duties. If I remember right back in the 60's you could get a Merkel but import duty was 62% of the price of the gun so those coming in were way high. I can't remember wether it was Zutz or JB Wood that was so fond of the Merkel.

[gunut]

I know Zutz was big on Merkel O/Us....I have 2 Merkel SxSs a 147 12ga and a 47e 20....both nice guns....