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

I won an auction yesterday from a dealer I buy from a lot and is pretty knowledgeable. He had a Merkel 16 ga O/U he had dated to 1935. It has nice floral and scroll engraving and decent wood. Very good original looking condition. I am not very knowledgeable about Merkels but wanted an early one to add to a few Beretta S series guns I have from that period. The gun looks to be marked as a complete Merkel gun with the exception of the forend latch which is marked "Mouseaux & Atfeux" in a box, followed by the serial number 3020.

The only possible link could find was Mosseaux & Arfeux, a gunsmith from LeMans. The only thing I can assume is that they made guns for sale through them. If so, they have misspelled the client's name in the engraving. There is no doubt as to the spelling on the gun. It also has an odd high solid rib with a tee at the front with the bead attached to the tee. The breech has a matching contoured block into which the rib lands and a semicircular top. The rib and "sighting device" is around 1/4" higher than the top of the frame. The rib sides over the action has a few tiny vining leaves engrave on the side. The stock is a pretty distinctive style with what could be described as a very shallow Prince of Wales grip with a shallow rollover comb instead of a simple cheekpiece. It looks to be a very good condition gun with several interesting features. It has been proofed at some point in England.

I would like to know if I am correct in my assumption as to the sales agent and if this might have possibly been a one off custom order, given the unique seeming features and the mis-spelling of the seller's name. It also has the owner's initials inlaid in the comb. Also, would a serial number of 3020 be normal for a 1935 gun? This seems low for the history of the maker. It is totally marked as a Merkel Freres, so I would suspect it would carry a normal series number.

I will post some pictures when I recieve the gun.

Does it read >>Merkel Frères<< or >>ATM<<??

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

It reads the typical

Merkel Freres
Suhl (Allemagne)

on the left side at the top of the action. It has no reference to the ATM guns. I am familiar with those. The only non-Merkel mark is the simple boxed name on the forend release. I am pretty certain it was made for the seller, but the name was misselled with a T.

i had looked at that gun - nice condition and with a number of rather unique features. and, although it's been several years for me, i agree that clay is an exceptionally nice guy to deal with. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1189991236

i will be interested in what you learn from the gun....is it a pre-war 200, with fitted thru lumps, or purdy locks? and, i see similar small leaves alongside the rib on several between the wars merkels, and wonder if they conceal a joint in the rib?

Indeed, Clay is a Fine Fella & I think a member of this BBS. He comes up w/ some Gems. Clay is a journalist of sorts & Hosts MPR(Montana Public Radio) where they headline Native Americans & such from the Mountainous West. Clay did some reporting, or similar, from the Bosnia Area, before, during, after the Conflict I seem to recall.


Serbus,

Raimey
rse

I believe he is also Holt's US agent.
I was also looking at another gun and I too now believe that is the purpose of the tiny leaves.

I will break it down and look at all the markings when it arrives.

I am a big 16 gauge fan. I absolutely don't need anymore shotguns at my age, but a 6# 16 with tight chokes and a crossbolt action putting the weight in the center of the gun just screamed dove season to me.

Based on the "sights", I'm guessing it is a slug gun and maybe regulated as such. Whatever, I must say that is one hideous buttstock...
JR

Not much else makes sense, looking at it. That said, if a gun maker is given some facts, in advance, about shot charge and range the gun will be used at, they can typically regulate a shot pattern, and slug placement when building the gun. Steve Bodio asked for, and got a 12 gauge R11 slug gun, that threw IC and MOD patterns with 1 1/8th oz of #6s, and put two Winchester rifled slugs within an inch of each other at 55 yards.

The buttstock didn’t look like that, however.

Best,
Ted

Indeed, that stock is most interesting. Looks like a Humped Back Whale mated w/ a Swan.


Serbus,

Raimey
rse

I remember reading about that, Ted. I think it was from the back pages of Gray's Sporting Journal when Stephen was writing for that publication. He is probably right at the top of my list of great sporting writers.
JR