This is the shotgun in question.
I do not think this Merkel was made for the proffesional meat market hunter.
The lenght of the barrels are 68 cm exactly (about 26 3/4")
Why the full/full chokes?
I really apreciate all your comments regard the "chokes" and the probably reasons they are so tight.
Best,
Beautiful shotgun- Greener style side safety and fine checking on the straight hand stoack and forearm- instead of the oft-seen carving of leapings Valkeries and ruptured Elk--I recall the late Capn. Paul A. Curtis's words about chokes, gauges and market gunners- written in 1934- "Go buy one like mine Cap'n- and have half the choke drilled outta her- ref to a Rem M11- also Curtis mentioned the older heavy 10 bores- and if the gunner was asked how his gun was choked- he'd say "Full and Fuller" when truth be known, it was more likely Mod and Imp Mod-- Also, as I apprenticed as a lad with my 20 gauge M12 (plugged) with an old time market hunter- who shot a 30" Full choke M97 Winchester Black Diamond Grade 12 bore- shooting birds "sittin' on the water" was a waste of shells, as well as unsportsman-like- they are way harder to kill in that mode, no matter the choke or the distance-- those men shot waterfowl for a living and were sparing of their shells, as they were a major cost of being in that business-they didn't "sky-bust" much either-
LC Smith, in their pre-1913 issued catalogs specified any choke was available at the customer's request- but the usual factory choking was Full in each barrel- back then their ads decribed the Full choke as "The Expert Gunner's Choice"--
I believe the reason why so man 12 gauge Winchester pumps are 30" full is the Depression era and basic frugality- If a M12 field gun sold for $39.95 (plus tax) in 1933- and you could get one with a 30" or 28" barrel- Hell's bells- you got more steel with the 30", so that's what you bought-
