doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Merkel Combo Gun -- Need Basic Info

Please have a Look at the "Merkel Stammbuch" Page 13. You will see
9 Gun Cards, Several with Scope and of course mounted in the manufacture.
If I'm right, it is the same until today ! (see Page 76)

Gunwolf

....and please note that there is printed on their cards

Fernrohr = Scope

Wird geliefert = is delivered
(they only differ between delivered by "us" or by another Maker (see cards)

Montage = mounted
There is described for Example: " as deep as possible" or "with peepthrough"

Best Regards,
Wolfgang

Texasjack,
I quickly checked, the 11.2 gram bullet is longer than 26mm,the 26mm long bullet was the 9 gram Round soft nose bullet(DWM).
Gunwolf,
you could very well be right,but my experience with another maker is different. I had Heym "mount" a Nickel scope I bought in the Rod and Gun club and delivered to them, on my Heym BBF.It was invoiced from them to me, and all indications on the invoice and discussions with them, indicated they had done the work in their shop.On my second tour,I carried a Sauer BF to them requesting they mount a scope I had on it.They told me then that they had scopes mounted "outside", as a service for owners of Heym guns, but not other makes. The "Meister" walked outside with me and pointed out the shop of Herr Walter Grass and indicated that he was the one that mounted scopes for them.This was to avoid slowing down their production line. I went to Herr Grass's and had him mount the scope on my Sauer.Resulting from this work I made friends with Herr Grass and for 6 years,I spent most Sat.mornings in his shop.During this time I observed him mount several scopes for Heym, as well as other work.He made and insalled the sideplates on the famous Heym/Ruger they made for John Amber.When Tom Turpin reccommended Heym build rifles especially for the American market and drew up the design for it, Herr grass did the metal work on it as well.This rifle was written up in "Gun Digest", some years ago.All this work was done outside the Heym facility, by other workers, but was just as much Heym work as if it was done there.This is no different than having special engraving done outside.Another member of this board,Raimey,makes a study of "touch marks" placed on old guns by outside workmen, so this system has been used many years and is accepted by everyone.While I still may be wrong,it is my opinion that Merkel likely used the same system. For what ever it's worth,Herr Grass was "Meister" at Heym until he went "self standing" in 1969,so much of his previous work was done under their roof anyway.
Mike

All interested parties please feel free to comment on the following "gun story" which stems largely from the gun cards and their interpretation by member "Gunwolf" in Bonn, Germany. I have some questions about whether my conclusions below are in all cases correct. Comments are welcomed, to get this story right. Thanks to all of you!

TexasJack

Two original Merkel �Factory Gun Cards� for this gun have been provided by Merkel to the present Owner. These cards have been interpreted from German to English in summary form by Merkel and in additional detail by a German gun enthusiast now living in Bonn, Germany. These gun cards followed the gun�s component parts through the assembly lines, and the Merkel master craftsmen documented its fabrication and testing each step of the way. The following gun information comes from the gun cards.

The gun was originally completed on 21 August 1928. It was originally a 16 gauge over-under (O/U) shotgun, not a combination (combo) gun. The gun has serial number (SN) 16141, marked on the removable forearm and the barrel. The O/U shotgun barrel has a 2-3/4� chamber and shoots modern 2-3/4� shot shells but not magnum shells. The original stock length was 368 mm (14.5 inches) and this is still the case. The stock has a butt plate made of buffalo horn. The trigger guard is also made of buffalo horn. The front sight is made of ivory (elephant tusks). The barrel was completed in the Merkel factory in Suhl, Germany on 06 August 1928. The stock and its attachment to the action were completed on 15 August 1928. The gun was weighed on 21 August 1928 to be 2 km (6 pounds). It is an engraved gun, Model 200E. It is documented as having �a very good shot capacity/pattern.� It was manufactured as a single order for Captain Hammer, a German Military Officer. It was delivered to its owner on 31 August 1928.

Soon after taking possession of the gun the Owner decided he wanted to add a combo gun barrel to shoot both shot shells and rifle cartridges from the O/U barrel set. This added barrel set was completed at the Merkel factory in Suhl on 15 February 1929. The barrel set has a 2-3/4 inch 16 gauge shotgun barrel over a 7x57mmR cartridge rifle barrel. The combo barrel has ejectors. It is a Model 260E barrel. The commission number is 0339. The barrel is serial numbered 16141 to match the original gun, and the barrel is also newly serial numbered 16867 to reflect it is an added item to this gun. After the barrel was completred it was sent to the scope installation shop where it had a Zeiss Zielvier scope added as a factory original barrel enhancement. (These scopes later were widely used by the German Army for sniper duty.) The scope SN is 32085. The scope has an Abkommen #5 reticle. The scope is mounted on a claw mount set with see-through below the scope to sight the shotgun. The gun has a flip-up iron sight in the rear in front of the front scope mount. The front trigger fires the rifle, the rear trigger fires the shotgun. The shotgun test fire in the factory indicates, �good dispersion, not scattering too much.� The combo gun barrel was finished on 08 March 1929, and the last date entered by Merkel on the gun card was 28 March 1929, about 7 months after the original gun rolled out of the factory (31 August 1928 to 28 March 1929). The Merkel barrel and Zeiss scope have been together now for over 80 years. As far as known, the barrel and scope have never been separated.

In those days in Germany it was commonplace to order a 2-barrel set O/U shotgun with a combo gun barrel in the same order, or to order a second accessory barrel for the gun at a later time. The original shotgun barrel serial numbered 16141 has been lost to history and its current location is unknown. The current Owner of the gun would like to find the original barrel to bring all the original parts of the gun back together. The combo barrel added a few months later in early 1929 and the original action/stock completed in late 1928 remain together, with original factory installed scope also intact. How this combo gun came to America is unknown. It is possible it was a �spoils of war� brought to America by a serviceman after World War II.

The 2 gun cards follow.

Looks good
How does she shoot?

Skeettx, I have shot one shotgun shell. Did fine. Ejector worked and shell was pushed parially out of the chamber when broken open. I shot the rifle 5 times, all 7x57 not 7x57R -- wrong cartridges!! But no harm was done. Each time it shot fine, and was very accurate at 50 yards, but ejectors had no rim to eject spent casings, and they were hard to remove by fingernail. So far, this is a fine gun. I have ordered 7x57R online and should get it soon. I will then shoot it more, check accuracy, and check cartridge ejector. I don't plan to shoot the shotgun much, but will the rifle.

TexasJack

Only thing I see "Wrong" is the length of pull for the stock. That 368 would be in MM's not CM's, unless there is a decimal in there as 36.8cm's. 368cm's would be about 144.88" (12 feet 7/8 inch) long, doubt you could reach the trigger.

2-piper you are correct. I will change cm to mm. Thank you.

TexasJack

Revised "gun story" text follows. Additional comments encouraged. I want to get this both CORRECT and COMPLETE. I have not understood the factory rifle testing and its results, although it is discussed somewhat above in comments already posted. Perhaps someone can help here.

Two original Merkel �Factory Gun Cards� for this gun have been provided by Merkel to the present Owner. These cards have been interpreted from German to English in summary form by Merkel and in additional detail by a German gun enthusiast now living in Bonn, Germany. These gun cards followed the gun�s component parts through the assembly lines, and the Merkel master craftsmen documented its fabrication and testing each step of the way. The following gun information comes from the gun cards.

The gun as originally configured was completed on 21 August 1928. It was originally a 16 gauge over-under (O/U) shotgun, with just one O/U barrel, and did not have an extra combination (combo) gun barrel. The gun has serial number (SN) 16141, marked on the removable forearm and the barrel. The O/U shotgun barrel has a 2-3/4� chamber and shoots modern 2-3/4� shot shells but not magnum shells. The original stock length was 368 mm (14.5 inches) and this is still the case. The stock has a butt plate made of buffalo horn. The trigger guard is also made of buffalo horn. The front sight is made of ivory (elephant tusk). The barrel was completed in the Merkel factory in Suhl, Germany on 06 August 1928. The stock and its attachment to the action were completed on 15 August 1928. The gun was weighed on 21 August 1928 to be 6 pounds (2.7 kg). It is an engraved gun, Model 200E. It is documented as having �a very good shot capacity/pattern.� It was manufactured as a single order for Captain Hammer, a German Military Officer. It was delivered to its Owner on 31 August 1928.

Soon after taking possession of the gun the Owner decided he wanted to add a combo gun barrel to have both shotgun and rifle capability from the same O/U barrel. This added barrel set was completed at the Merkel factory in Suhl on 15 February 1929. The barrel set has a 2-3/4 inch 16 gauge shotgun barrel over a 7x57R cartridge rifle barrel. The combo barrel has ejectors for both shotgun and rifle. It is a Model 260E barrel. The commission number is 0339 (WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?). The added barrel is serial numbered 16141 to match the original gun, and the added barrel is also newly serial numbered 16867 to reflect it is an added item to this gun. After the added barrel was completed it was sent to the scope installation shop where it had a Zeiss Zielvier scope added as a factory original barrel enhancement. (Later these scopes later were widely used by the German Army for sniper duty.) The scope SN is 32085. The scope has an �Abkommen #5� reticle. The scope is mounted in a claw mount set with a see-through opening below the scope to sight the shotgun and the rifle via the flip-up rear iron sight in front of the front scope mount. The front trigger fires the rifle and the rear trigger fires the shotgun. The shotgun test fire in the factory indicates, �good dispersion, not scattering too much.� The added combo gun barrel was finished on 08 March 1929, and the last date entered by Merkel on the gun card was 28 March 1929, about 7 months after the original gun rolled out of the factory (31 August 1928 to 28 March 1929). The Merkel action, stock, barrel and Zeiss scope have been together now for almost 85 years. As far as known, the barrel and scope have never been separated.

In those days in Germany it was commonplace to order a 2-barrel set O/U shotgun with a combo gun barrel in the same order, or to order a second accessory barrel for the gun at a later time. The original O/U shotgun barrel serial numbered 16141 has been lost to history and its current location is unknown. The current Owner of the gun would like to find the original barrel to bring all the original parts of the gun back together. The combo barrel added a few months later in early 1929 and the original action/stock completed in late 1928 remain together, with original factory installed scope also intact. How this combo gun came to America is unknown. It is possible it was a �spoils of war� brought to America by a serviceman after World War II.

The 2 gun cards follow. Comments from readers are encouraged concerning the �gun story� above in the context of the gun cards and general knowledge of fine German guns.

"The commission number is 0339 (WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?)"

qiite simple, it's the internal order number for this gun in the Merkel factory!
We won't forget Georg Honold, see your first post, he is in the game too! His name is to be seen on the cards too, with date, this means, he was involved in the order! See Card one and two beneath the headline beside the commission (order) number with pencil: Card 1: "Honold 9.VIII.28" Card 2: "Honold 8.II.29"
As I told, he was a Gun Trader in the city of Ulm in that time.
Now the whole thing becomes a sense: Hauptmann Hammer ordered a Merkel Gun at the Gun Trader Georg Hunold and this man ordered it at the Merkel factory, so it is " # Commission Hammer" as shown on the card!!

best,
Gunwolf