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

He was traveling back and forth between New Mexico and Mongolia at the time, and didn’t want to pack a rifle and a shotgun. From what he wrote, I think most, if not all, of the small game was taken with rather large eagles his hosts raised, after sight hounds that rode on the horses with them, pushed it out of cover. I don’t remember reading or talking to him about big game, but, his hosts did raise sheep, and he ate plenty of it while he was there.

That phase didn’t seem to last too many years, and he sold the gun when he wasn’t going back and forth any longer. I think he knows where it is, and has tried to buy it back a few times, to no avail.

Best,
Ted

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Actually Clay used the term "Swan Neck" in describing the stock.
I will find out friday when it arrives, but one thing that drew me to it was the fact that the stock appears to have quite a bit of cast off, which I really prefer when shooting. If you look carefully at the pictures it looks like it is not due to the stock alignment with the action but was produced when shaping the rollover. The stock is made of quite a nice piece of wood when compared to most 200's I have seen and has very fine checkering. These features and the 3020 number on the fore arm all give the gun a real French look but it appears to be a fully built Merkel with a French gunsmith/dealer name added. It makes me wonder if it was built especially for them or if they may have ordered the gun as marked and completed it as a custom stocked gun. The stock looks like nothing I have seen on a Mefkel. A study of all the marks will be interesting, such as the original proof etc. I had considered the fact that it may be a slug gun, but that could be a plus. The barrels are choked and I have never particularly seen that regulation for slugs in a shotgun led to bad patterning or regulation for shot. I have seen more doubles for shot that had poor regulation period.

The French gunmaker who stocked this gun, while I watched him, a long time ago in St Etienne, told me this was a swan neck stock. Folks here, or, guys that had Browning Superposed guns called it a perch belly stock. ‘Cause, that’s what they call them.

Now, I get that a French guy did mine, and a German guy did yours, but there seems to be a big difference in interpretation ‘twixt those two guns wearing the same description.

The curve seems to be on the bottom in the French guys interpretation, and, on the top in the German guys version.

I like it as well as I like any version of stocking, seems to shine with a lightweight bird gun. Wouldn’t want a 9 pound trap gun stocked like that, however.

Best,
Ted

The old saying "There is no accounting for taste" is proven once again.

The Merkel stock seems to combine a hogsback comb line with the swan neck toe line.

Both are a touch too "continental" for my personal taste.

Swan's Neck Stocks are my preference. And I wouldn't really refer to it as a Perch's Belly as I have never seen a Perch that Big?

Serbus,

Raimey
rse