SOLD Merkel Drilling, 12 Ga/12 Ga/ 7x65R, Better Wood than most drillings

Merkel, boxlock ejector, 25” bls., M&F, 2 ¾ “ chambers, Straight Grip, Field Forearm with Deeley pull-down latch, Double triggers with separate safety and barrel selector to switch to rifle barrel, finely matted rib, case-colored receiver, (scroll engraving on receiver, trigger guard, both tangs, Anson forearm iron, release lever, barrel chambers, and muzzle). 

The safety is manual and on the left side, standard on German guns. Sights consist of a bead front with a flip-up notched rear. The selector on the top tang lifts the rear rifle sight and switches to fire the rifle barrel. For bird hunting, the scope can quickly be removed. It is mounted in high-end quick-detachable claw mounts with a 4x36 German-made B.Nickel scope, Wt. 7 lbs. 10 oz. without scope, 8 lbs. 8 oz. with scope, 14 3/8” LOP. Claw mounts today cost about $1800 to have installed properly. Reticle is the German #3 (pointed post between broken horizontal line).

If you were to make a list of all the great features that could be built into one most improved Anson & Deeley action, it would look like this:

       --         Scalloped wood to metal receiver (for aesthetics and strength)
           --         Purdey double underbites
       --         Greener cross-bolt

          --         Sideclips (also called clipped fences)

          --         Receiver ledge
       --         Self-cocking

     --      Cocking indicators

     --    Interceptive safety sears
       --        Holland & Holland Southgate automatic ejectors
 

Now try to find a shotgun or drilling with all these features… no American gun, no English gun, no French gun, no Belgium gun, no Italian gun, no Spanish gun… today ONLY the German “Suhl-made” Merkel, a “best gunmaker” offers all of these in their present-day line and has been for over one-hundred years. This drilling has all these features and Merkel has an outstanding reputation for quality workmanship and a long historical tradition for creating elegant game guns. 

This fine drilling was made in Suhl in the former East Germany (GDR). George Caswell of Champlin, Inc. explained it best when he reported that he vid the Merkel factory in Suhl during the GDR period and learned that the same guns were made under three brand names with no differences other than the inscription: Merkel, Simson, and Fortuna… all brands of renown at that time depending on which market they were headed for. This unusual gun is marked: FORTUNA – SUHL – Suhl, MADE IN GDR, GERR. MERKEL …apparently intending to cover three different markets: Eastern Europe, the markets of the West, and those local.
 

Underside of reciever is inscribed with the Suhl gunmaker logo. It is fitted with European sling swivels in shotgun style, ¾” swivels on the rifle barrel and stock.

Stock: Oil-finished, hand- checkered walnut stock with more wood grain figure than is usually found on drillings of this period. Comb is Bavarian with nicely shaped shadow-line cheek piece and pistol grip. Pistol grip cap is horn with engraved screw (all screws are engraved) and butt plate is maker’s Suhl checkered bakelite with Suhl gunmaker logo and engraved screws.

Condition: The barrel steel is marked “SPECIAL GEWEHRLAUFSTAHL.” Bores are bright for the shotgun barrels, and the rifling is strong with no pitting in the rifle barrel. The barrel bluing is 99%, the case colors may be the same as when they left the maker, the wood shows minor handling marks, a small scuff on the rim of the cheekpiece and a very tiny indent in the edge of the buttplate, checkering is 99%, still sharp, no diamonds missing or chipped.  

Scope has period leather lens covers and drilling and scope has been fitted to after-market leather case with leather Merkel label.

If you have been wanting to own one drilling, this is a great example and you can’t do better than this for the price.

Seller is the author of The Rifleman’s Rifle (Winchester pre-64 Model 70s) and will furnish a Letter of Provenance that this gun is from his collection. Please check out author’s feedback on ebay under rcrwin70roger. 3-day non-firing inspection for full refund, shipping is $50 to buyer’s FFL, payment by MO, certified check , wire transfer or personal check with wait for validation. For questions, call (678) 971-4173 and ask for Roger.