doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need info on Merkel dbl rifle and drilling

I was wondering if anyone here can help me to identify what I believe to be a couple of pre-war Merkels. These two guns have been in my family for a very long time. Unfortunately the history and any information about them has been lost. Please excuse the quality of the photos and the fact that I hadn't cleaned the guns up much when I took the photos. The wood on both guns have quite a bit of sweat/body oil/dirt on them but it cleaned off nicely.

The first is a double rifle. I'm guessing the 8JR stamp on the barrels indicates 8x57JR caliber. It also has 2/31 on the barrels, that would mean it was made in Feb 1931. I noticed on this gun that the barrel serial number does not match the receiver number. I'm guessing maybe the original barrel was damaged or something and this is a replacement. I'm not to sure what the "WK" marking on the barrel is. The only thing I could guess is maybe it was an outsourced barrel made by Wilhelm Kelber. No idea what model this might be. The trigger guard appears to be made of horn. I have not been able to find any other Merkels with the same engravings on it.

The second is a drilling. This one seems to be very unusual. It appears the barrels and receiver are nickle plated. Have not seen this on any Merkels. I'm guessing the circle with a 16 in it means 16 gauge. The third barrel is 9.3x72R. There does not appear to be a serial number anywhere on this gun. The only thing that might be a serial number is the "A57" stamped on the underside of the barrels and on the receiver. This one also has the horn trigger guard. The wood on this gun is very dark. I love the pop up sight on this one. Have no idea the model number of this one either.

Any information anyone can give me would be much appreciated. The below link is for the photos.

Photoworks Pics

It appears that you pretty much have your answers correct.

True the brothers Kelber were a huge tube source for the brothers Merkel and of course others. The brothers Merkel were very able and could adapt to very narrow time constraints. If I recall correctly they could produce a custom drilling in about 5 weeks, if need be, which is pretty remarkable to say the least. But they did have their sourcing lines as well as production lines firmly established. The DR, which is some sort of Kerner-Anson or A&D(maybe a model 142???), has the intertwined "WK" in which the "K" is encirced by a "W" which appears somewhat as a heart on the Krupp cast steel tubes. Some subscribe to the thought that the mark denotes that Wilhelm Kelber fitted the tubes to the action/profiled and/or finished the tubes. But why would there be a separate mark on each individual tube? The reason is that it is the forge mark of Wilhelm Kelber while the script initials "W.K." near the forend lug note that he fitted the tubes to the action was well as finished/polished/rifled/profiled the tubes. The proof date for the DR is February 1931 thru the Suhl proofhouse. The triggerbow guard is horn and the father of Ernst August Merkel, of the firm E.A. Merkel, Ernst Ferdinand Merkel was an engraver.

Merkel's A&D drilling had a model number of 141 & 143 but I can't remember the Blitz model right off. I don't think the tubes of your Blitz drilling are nickel plated. The frame either has a coin finish or is an alloy frame. The acquisition of Gottfried Funk, or some portion thereof, in 1925 might explain the alloy frame. The encircled 16 would be the gauge and notes 65mm chambers, was well at one time also noted black powder but the scattergun tubes have the Suhl Nitro stamp. There looks to be another stamp, or scratch, just below the "72" near the forward barrel lug. Can you verify or snap a better image? I don't see a date stamp but would date it post 1912 and pre-1923.

The "D.R.G.M." on the cartridge trap is for some small innovation thereof.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

If I recall there are no other markings on the barrels. Unfortunately I don't have access to the gun to snap another photo anytime soon.

Thank you for all the info so far. You've added a lot I did not know. Any thoughts on the lack of serial number on the drilling?
You mentioned Blitz, I'm not familiar with that term, can you explain? Are the bright barrels unusual?

You mention Merkel A&D, what does A&D stand for? You also said the DR might be some sort of Kerner-Anson, does that mean it may not be a Merkel?

I apologize for so many question, I'm quite intrigued by these guns.

Kathal:
On the serial number: there looks to be a "2" on the inside of the left tube so maybe there was an additional set? Are both triggers single set? Multiple barrels sets were common with orders to Merkel. The strikers are bushed and disk set, so if it had an additional set I'd guess they weren't scattergun tubes, but who knows. A Blitz action was cheapers and easier to make with the components attached to the triggerplate, whose contour at the frame sometimes also gives it away. An Anson & Deeley(they were 2 British chaps at Westley Richards who developed the boxlock) version had the frame/receiver milled to accept the components and Merkel's top shelf model drilling was called "Specialität". Some thought that the A&D was a bit more stable than the Blitz but it all comes down to economics. I'm partial to German steel so yes I'd say the tubes would be very bright or reflective inside. So are you referring to the outside? I see that the DR had Cast Krupp steel and I'd guess that in the 1930s it had a percentage of nickel and other percentages to keep with advancements in metals but I don't recall what the Blitz Drilling tubes were: Krupp also? I'd guess the "A57" to be the serial number which is not typical for Merkel. Is the typical Gebrüder Merkel stamp on the standing breech? Are they any Merkel marks on the drilling? I see a "W" or "M" on the lower tube just below the left tube and there are some other marks like a "D" which may indicate that Merkel sourced the drilling. Also a pic of the area between the flats and the forend lug may be beneficial. Immanuel Meffert is usually given 1st credit for the alloy frames with a smaller emphasis on Christoph Funk, or that he also offered an alloy frame drilling at the time. Emil Funk was at the helm but I don't think process was perfected until the early 1930s(1933?) when the Siemens-Martin electro process(Spezial-Einsatz Stahl) was introduced. So it may just be that the outside has a coin type finish.

Usually when you have the screw at the top of the rear of the frame/receiver, it hinges an overhanging scear and with that set screw sometimes it is of the Kerner-Anson design but I don't see the lower pin which holds a spring. But Merkel made the example with some subcontractor work and it may be that their DRs are equipped with overhanging scears for safety. In considering all the Merkel klan, they were the go to guys for special orders and may have been the source to the German trade for the clamshell, mini-clamshell and pipe style(1/2 pipe in your DR case) side frame reinforcement.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Here's a E.(Emil or Erdmann??) Schmidt & (I.A.??) Habermann blitz drilling showing the action.



Kathal's example



Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Ellenbr,

Once again thank you for such in depth information. I'm still curious what you think of the coating on the barrels. I have been looking for a few weeks now and haven't come across any pictures or references regarding a drilling with shiny barrels. The barrel finish looks the same as the receiver finish. I've noticed the other markings you pointed out on the drilling, unfortunately the only markings are the ones in the pictures. There was no marking on the flats and nothing that looked like any trademark stamp. After going back and giving it a hard look I'm not to sure it is a Merkel. The engraving doesn't seem to be the same style (although I'm probably not nearly knowledgeable enough to make that call). There is an emblem on the trigger guard that is a S and K on top of each other. Does that mean anything to you?

Kathal:
Haven't a clue on the cypher. I don't think it is a Merkel and if it doesn't have the "GM" cypher on the left side of the rear barrel lug and on the frame, I have serious reservations about it being a Merkel. Let me ask a few folks on the shiny tubes. The engraving might be by Franz Keller(?), but let me compare it.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse