Barrel length 71 cm (28"), stock length 38 cm (15"), overall length 115 cm (45,25"), choke cyl. & 1/2 (cyl & M), weight 2,9 kg, year of manufacture 2005, German proof, condition 2
Demibloc barrels, engine-turned rib, brass front sight, ejectors, engraved barrel roots, sliding tang safety, single trigger with barrel selector in blade, bulged bright bascule, reinforced barrel flanks, disc-set strikers, Anson & Deeley box lock, double barrel hooks, Greener crossbolt, animal piece engraving, letters "EL" inlaid in silver-gray on upper lever, cocking indicator, fore-end with Deeley latch, walnut stock, stock masterfully refinished, crossbolt overpainted, rubber recoil pad.
Superbly restored shotgun, original choke bores as marked on barrel 1/4 and 3/4.
In Suhl, Thuringia, known for weapons manufacturing, the brothers Oskar, Karl Paul and Gebhard Merkel founded the company Gebrüder Merkel Suhl in 1898. Like many other factories located in the city, they produced various hunting weapons but also armament components. After the end of the Second World War, the company suffered the same fate as many other factories in Suhl; production was either discontinued or nationalized, the latter happened at Merkel. Business continued under the name VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk "Ernst Thälmann". This was a so-called Volkseigene Betrieb of the GDR. After German reunification, the company underwent various phases of change, restructuring and ownership. Today, it produces modern hunting rifles with a new setup. While a number of traditional gun manufacturers left Suhl, Merkel today remains in the well-known gunsmithing town. Prominent features of Suhl hunting rifles are above all ornate box reinforcements, curved bascule and the frequent use of the Kersten crossbolt. The Merkel Group includes the Simson and Haenel brands, among others.

Category: Shotguns