well I sprung for it. in a few weeks, I can do a thorough compare and cipher the history.
The only other merkels I have seen below 10,000 serial number were made by merkel for other shops: O Geyger, Stoeger, or were made by related family members for their own accounts, such as Abesser and Merkel, Oskar Merkel, Bernard Merkel, etc.
From my limited experience of only a few hundred merkel examinations, I have never seen a Gebruder Merkel from the 30's that had a serial number out of sequence with the chronology of date. simply put, the merkel factory numbered the guns sequentially from 10,000 starting in about 1920. Those guns from the factory that were destined for other accounts (stoeger for example, or O Geyger, or others) had the GM-in-a-shield makers mark, and serial numbered for those accounts. I suppose it is quite possible that a gun started for another account, and numbered for that account, could easily have been rerouted to the Gebruder Merkel finishing and engraving line, as an explanation of the "exception that proves the rule".
Or the name could have been added later by an embellisher.
Once in hand, and after firing, and perhaps opening the chokes from their .028 constrictions. At only 5 pounds 2 ounces, this can make for an easy carry upland gun. hope I can shoot it!
