doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Merkel Question

Well I will have to add one for the other side,the Belgian Superposed is far better fit and finish then the bowling ball,jam the forend on, Japan made Citori.That said there is place for each in the collecting hunting world.

I also like the prewar Merkel's better,the guns from the 50's are second best.
here is a neat youtube video of the current Merkel factory.(CNC,laser cut checkering...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27RdPDPl2gg

"Perhaps all the owners of Japanese Brownings and recent Merkel offerings would sense or hold the opinion they are better."

Actually I am always searching for that Weimar Merkel Gebruder because of the romance, current replacement values [at my price of course]and I like to tell people how old it is.
But finding one without some flaw,you pay dearly.
I passed on a sidelock 1956 gun because it had a crack behind the lock,and worn out checkering for 4k.
The 300 series prewar o/u boxlock had all the locking you could ever brag about[ a plus -add to above],but its overkill [look at kreighoff/perazzi/beretta locking].
If Merkel remade the 300 series TODAY,it would be a vastly superior gun to the old 300 [read metalurgy].
The nut you would have to come up with for that new 300 would put you into FAmars territory.
It also a question of the specific gun you are looking at.
Ive seen GDR guns identical to 50`s guns,and Ive seen GDR guns that were no better than Boitos.

Thanks Dave K for the video. I saw them doing lazer and hand chckering, I wonder which model gets lazered,or hand checkered?
In regards to the Browning comment, I was at lunch and only had a short time to write, so I will elaborate:
In The Summer 2000 issue of Double Gun Journal, An article David McKay Brown appeared. When asked who his competition was, David didn't say, Purdey, Holland, etc. He said his stiffest competition was Browning and Beretta. They both have proven designs that are superbly reliable. As far as hand made guns, I have bought three Grulla and two went back because of defects in the barrels. I also read an article in Shooting Sportsman about a FAMARS Pigeon Gun's forend becoming stuck when the gun heated up when being shot. After these experiences, I have come to believe that I would rather have a computer do the machiningand regulating, and a human do the engraving and final finish work On a Production Browning, or Beretta the engraving and stock leave much to be desired, However I did a custom Citori a couple of years ago and it turned out fantastic. One can also do this with a Beretta through Cole Custom Guns. My point is, as a mechanism, Miroku has a super product, made to tight specs.

You mean maybe 30's guns? 50's guns were GDR guns.

Thanks to all those who participated!

Off the top of my head I can't remember when exactly Merkel brought out the current O/U model but if you have one it certainly is not the same gun as the earlier model. The receiver is longer and the firing mechanism is different. Whether better or worse is a matter of opinion.

The German Government used to subsidize labor costs to the tune of 50%.
When the wall came down, that stopped. Suddenly, the Merkel guns- those upon which The Merkel legend was built cost the company ...twice as much.
That was the major reason they folded.
One attempt after another failed to resurrect the old Merkel company, so... the name and rights were sold. A couple of times.

Current offerings under the name "Merkel" are a mere resemblance of the older Merkels. There is no comparison in the quality. Quality is inherent. The old ones had it, thus, became a Legend. The new ones pale Greatly in comparison, coming the closest, only in general appearance.
I suspect those who would consider that to be a matter of opinion, may be biased in their opinion because they own a newer offering. But quality is inherent, not a matter of opinion.
Those which are earlier are a silk purse, current offerings, just a mere resemblance.

Actually, the subsidy made little difference under the old East German regime--at least for buyers in the United States--because we slapped a heavy duty on anything coming from Commieland.

Hi Guys,
I have just purchased a Merkel 47e and I would like to know how to age the gun? It is a gdr gun and I traded for it. Any help will be appreciated. New at the Game.

Ron

The article is probably referring to the action changes made after reunification. Flat spring to coil, etc.
I would consider Merkel's to be of 3 types. Pre-WWll, Communist era, and post unification.
There are plenty of differences denoted to bracket the guns this way. I don't remember if the articles were by Doug Tate or Clair Kofoed, but they were in SSM, around 2004.
I looked at a 1950's, 303? that had excellent deep relief engraving. But I was saddened that the firing pin holes were so whopped out that it was a firing pin eater. The remedy was bushing, but I was told then that the geometry of the strikers on that model routinely ate away the holes in the breech face. Something to think about in O/U's.