doublegunshop.com - home

hey jager, nice to see you have returned...

Ed, his posts are from five years ago.

Yet another Gebrüder Merkel ATM(AUTOMOTO) has crossed my computer. This one is a Modell Nr. 210 w/ Sideplates. It was started in November 1929 and is a Kombo of 16/65 - 9X57R. All German Proofmarks on Boehler Steel tubes. What is most interesting is the Gebrüder Merkel Work Card for Nr. 17521. The scattergun tubes experienced proof w/ French Shotshells. The 9X57R chambered tube experienced proof w/ 3 grammes of Rottweil Blattpulver Nr. 5 and also w/ 3 grammes of French Powder BN3F.

Looks to have been commissioned by a Magasin Reims or Magasin in Reims. The Kombo now resides in Belgium.

Imgbox isn't working for now so fotos will be later.


Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

imgbox still is AWOL so I am trying imgur....














I find the work-card most interesting as the Kombo is all German & Suhl made but caters to an end user fluent in the language of Française.



Hochachtungsvoll,

Raimey
rse

Salut,
Catalogue ATM de 1950

Great Info and effort there Fab500. So, Merkel re-established the link w/ >>ATM<< and continue after the War.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

FAB always comes through! Thanks. Excellent information.

I would really like to know the full story on the Merkel - >>ATM<< story; like how the original connection was made, what relationship the two concerns had and how Merkel came to fill an >>ATM<< catalogue with their wares. I guess it would be like Merkel making something for one of the Kettners and stampin' their name atop but all the text is in the language of French and the platforms were pretty much a make-over to placate the French Hunters being the end user.


Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Hello everyone,

I am the owner of this Merkel Model 210 from Belgium.

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank Raimey for posting my firearm and for all the help he has given me during my research. He also encouraged me to join DoubleGunShop, and I am very pleased to become a member of this community.

Thanks to Merkel, I was fortunate to receive a copy of the original factory work card (Gewehrkarte), which has revealed some fascinating details about this particular firearm. I have recently started a detailed research project on this Model 210 and hope to learn even more from the knowledgeable members here.

The recent discovery of an ATM catalogue from 1950 by forum member Fab500 makes this question even more intriguing, as it suggests that the relationship between Merkel and ATM continued after the Second World War.

The original factory work card clearly shows that this firearm was entirely manufactured by Gebrüder Merkel in Suhl while incorporating features intended for a French-speaking market.
The "ATM" and "Merkel Frères" markings were already specified on the factory work card, and the rifle barrel was regulated using French BN3F powder.
This strongly suggests that these markings formed part of the original factory order rather than being added later by a retailer.
This naturally raises a broader historical question that goes far beyond my own firearm and touches on what may be an important chapter in Merkel's export history.

Did Merkel have similar commercial relationships with importers or distributors in other countries?

For example:

- France ("ATM"/"Merkel Frères")
- Belgium ?
- The Netherlands ?
- Great Britain ?
- Scandinavia ?
- The United States ?

Many German gunmakers of the period supplied retailers or national distributors with firearms carrying their commercial names, logos, or catalogue-specific markings while retaining the original manufacturer's serial numbers and factory records.

At this stage, however, I have no evidence that Merkel had similar arrangements outside the ATM example. My current research only demonstrates that such a relationship existed with ATM. Whether comparable agreements existed elsewhere remains an open question.

I would be very interested to hear if other members have encountered Merkel firearms bearing distributor or retailer markings from other countries, or if anyone has documents, catalogues or factory records that could help shed more light on this fascinating chapter of Merkel's history.

As my research progresses, I will be happy to share additional photographs, documents and any new discoveries.

I look forward to learning from the experience and knowledge of the members here, and I hope that together we may be able to better understand this fascinating chapter of Merkel's history.

Best regards,

MaitreLucius

Welcome.

I don’t know how well connected the two firms were, but, I have seen guns marked Sauer that were Beretta products.

Good luck with your research.

Best,
Ted