SPECIAL ORDER MERKEL 10 GAUGE - TWO BARREL SET - OWNED BY WILLIAM BROKAW - ASSOCIATED WITH ERNEST HEMMINGWAY

Description:
Exceptional & Historically Documented Merkel 301E – 10 Gauge
Two-Barrel Set | William Gould Brokaw | “Mysterious Merkels”
Offered is a remarkably interesting and highly customized Merkel Model 301E in 10 gauge, featuring a factory two-barrel set, originally ordered in 1931 and completed in 1933. This gun was built for William Gould Brokaw, a flamboyant and well-known figure in New York society and a close personal friend of Ernest Hemingway.
This Merkel is referenced in the book Hemingway’s Guns as one of the famed “Mysterious Merkels.” Following Brokaw’s death in 1944, all of his Merkel shotguns were consigned to Abercrombie & Fitch in New York. Ernest Hemingway subsequently acquired several Brokaw guns and is pictured in the book with a closely related 12-bore Merkel, making this example particularly compelling to collectors of Hemingway-associated sporting arms.
This gun represents a study in thoughtful customization and the highest expression of German gunmaking art, incorporating numerous advanced and rarely encountered features.

Notable Custom & Technical Features

• Special factory plating (believed to be cadmium) – chosen for its high resistance to saltwater corrosion and low-friction properties
• Adjustable comb with elevation hardware discreetly integrated into the toe line of the stock
• Provision for weight adjustment in the buttstock, accessed via a hinged door on the left side for circular balance weights
• Ventilated step rib with downward slope toward the muzzle for faster target acquisition and elevated point of impact
• Two-barrel set:
  • 29" barrels – Improved Modified / Full
  • 26" barrels – Improved Cylinder / Improved Modified
• 3" chambers
• Manual safety
• Ejectors, gold-plated, strong and well-timed
• Disc-set firing pins
• Articulated front trigger blade
• Special lightweight cutaway forend
• Action with double underbite and dual Kersten bolts – four points of lockup; among the strongest actions ever devised
• German and London proof marks

Engraving, Presentation & Provenance

• Detailed “WGB” family monogram on the trigger guard
• Gold family crest inset in the forend
• Original oak and leather presentation case with French retailer trade label
  • Notably, the maker’s name on the gun is engraved in French, reflecting the original retail destination
• Accompanied by a detailed original Merkel build sheet

Dimensions & Weight

• Weight with 29" barrels: 8 lbs 3½ oz
• Weight with 26" barrels: 8 lbs
• Length of Pull: 15"
• Drop at Comb (lowest setting): 1 7/8"
• Drop at Heel (lowest setting): 2 3/4"

Condition
Remarkably, this gun remains in unused condition, an extraordinary circumstance given its age, provenance, and level of customization.
Shipping

• Shipping: $150

 

Curio/Relic: Yes
Shotgun Gauge: 10 Gauge

Price: $25,000.00