MERKEL O/U NEED HELP

[Jerry Harlow]

I have no clue about this gun other than I know of its quality. I found the number 638 under the barrels which I understand is the manufacture date of June 1938. Serial 25,XXX. LEFT SIDE: ERNST STEIGLEDER, BERLIN RIGHT SIDE: GEBEUDER MERKEL, SUHL. 29", 46 & 55 points for chokes. 2 3/4" CHAMBERS, SOLID RIB

The interest I have is this is what my dad should have sent home after fighting through France, Germany, and Austria (71st Inf. Div.). He was probably being paid more than he had been before the war, and had to stay in Salzburg, Austria until March '46. I'm sure guns were readily available even for purchase, but don't know if a T-5 would have been able to send one home.

Please provide any opinion on this gun and an estimate of the value would help.

Thanks.

[charlie cleveland]

I m no help jerry but that is a quality looking gun....did your dad bring it home...my dad brought a 7.7 jap rifle back it was as new had matching dannet...sold it back in 1966 for 50 bucks...charlie

[Jerry Harlow]

I m no help jerry but that is a quality looking gun....did your dad bring it home...my dad brought a 7.7 jap rifle back it was as new had matching dannet...sold it back in 1966 for 50 bucks...charlie

No he didn't Charlie. He was in Austria after the war for nearly a year and if he had thought about it could have probably bought some nice doubles for a song in post-war Austria. Maybe he could not get them home, or maybe he did not try. But I am sure many did. I read about the American soldiers buying Brownings after they resumed production in Belgium, and I am sure many of the German long guns here today were war trophies, shipped back by some lucky soldier.

I know someone on her has some experience with Merkels and hope they will give some advice before it gets away from me.

[Bob Hayes]

I had almost the identical gun found here in Florida at a gun show.
Same gun almost but with more engraving and 30" barrels and full and fuller.Strong ejectors and indicators along with a soft check pad.Awesome gun that I wish I had never sold.
It was a 12ga and it could roll doves at extreme range stone dead.

[Bob Hayes]

Here are a few pictures

[Brian Dudley]

I am not sure what exactly you are looking for as far as information.
As to value, there are tons of merkels on the internet sites. It would not be difficult to put together a market value based on those listings.

[Jerry Harlow]

I am not sure what exactly you are looking for as far as information.
As to value, there are tons of merkels on the internet sites. It would not be difficult to put together a market value based on those listings.

Did not find "tons"; found none like this. Asking price on the internet means nothing. I'm asking what it is worth, the true value.

[allen newell]

God bless your Dad for his service to the Country.

[Dave Noreen]

I don't know much about Merkels but a long-ago president of the Seattle Skeet & Trap Club, Peyton Autry, did an interesting article in the July 1975, The American Rifleman, pages 19-21, about his getting top of the line Model 303E and 304E Merkels made when Merkel was in East Germany.

In the article Peyton describes the pre-war boxlocks as the Model 200E and Model 201E with finer engraving. The Model 203E, the Model 303E and Model 304E as hand-detachable sidelocks.

[Jim McKee]

Another way of determining if a 200 or 300 series Merkel - if there are bites shown in the 300 series below

[Jerry Harlow]

In my photos one will notice the fore end wood does not latch flat against the top wood. I wonder if this is a problem that goes beyond looks and affects function? Everything worked well with strong ejectors, cocking indicators work, and tight as a bank vault but I don't want to put money into a gun that needs work (which I seem to do every time).

[Arthur Shaffer]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but these stories of WWII "adopted orphans" always makes me recall the puzzlement of my dad's story of trying to return home with war trophies. He always told me that he had a half duffle of Lugers etc that he tried to bring home, but he and his entire unit finally dumped them before debarkation due to the constant hassle they were given over them. I never understood this after the constant stories I heard from other GI's.

A couple of years ago I finally found a clue on a genealogy site. I ran across a listing that showed him as a 1945 immigrant into New York! I found a flight manifest showing his name, rank, serial number (all correct) along with names of his service mates I recognized. He was drafted in July 1940 in the first peacetime draft, due to muster out Dec 15, 1940. He actually was discharged in late 1945. Due to his age and experience, he was placed in a group called the Persian Gulf Command. They included about 300 men, and their commander reported directly to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. No line command at all. This was due to the political nightmare of the operation with the Russians, US, and British all jockeying for postwar position and the tenuous stability of the Shah's relatively new monarchy. They were tasked with operating the suppley rail system to move lend lease supples to Russia. He served in Persia until near the end of the war and spent the last few months in a holding pattern in Marseilles. My only conclusion was that the entire command consisted of only a few plane loads of people. They were not attached to any Army or Division and so not included in the return plans of anyone. The simple solution was apparently to fly them home into a civilian airport where they were required to go through customs. That was likely the issue leading to the disposal of all the war trophies. He always told me he hated flying, but he never mentioned this occasion, which was probably the only flight in his life. One of the great regrets of my life was that I never found out in time that after his death in 1980, the Russian govenrment created a series of Presidential medals which were presented to the members of the Command at a White House ceremony. They were given to the survivors and their families but many were not informed because the records of most army veterans of the period were destroyed in the massive fire at the records center in St Louis.

[charlie cleveland]

great storey my hats off to men like your father....charlie

[Bill Murphy]

The gun in question is what I know as a 200E. The 201E in the catalog picture looks identical to a 200E. What is the difference? I don't know. Maybe the engraving is slightly different.

[Arthur Shaffer]

The 200e was the base gun with simple english style engraving. The 201e has deep relief german style hunting scene engraving. Both were very well done on all of them I have seen. They appear on Gunbroker occasionally. For a long time last year, someone had a 200e in 16 gauge with a non adjustable rear sight for sale. Not beat up but well used, and a little odd for shotgun use with the sight. Not rifled though so not really a cape gun style firearm. It went begging at $2100. I think it would have sold quickly if a conventional O/U.

[Bill Murphy]

Art, the catalog picture of the 201E does not show any high relief or game scene engraving. In fact, it looks almost identical to the OP's 200E.

[Jim McKee]

A copy of the build card from Merkel will tell if it is a 200 or 201

[Arthur Shaffer]

Art, the catalog picture of the 201E does not show any high relief or game scene engraving. In fact, it looks almost identical to the OP's 200E.

What year was the catalog? I don't have and have never owned a Merkel catalog, so I can't speak to that. I just did a Google search for Merkel 201E and the first 10 or 12 that popped up all show 201E's with game scene engraving. Rock Island, Morphys, Christies and others are consistent along with several knowledgeable (my opinion) internet posters. This link:

https://www.hallowellco.com/traditional_merkel_grades.htm

leads to a link at Hallowell that shows the difference and describes them.

Don't know what to conclude about the catalog, but there is a lot of information that says otherwise. The only variant I found was a game scene engraved gun for sale listed as a 200E, which I had to suspect was actually a mis-identified 201E by a poster with limited knowledge.

A second search turns up numerous listings too, which consistently show scroll engraving.

[Jim McKee]

The catalog was from the early 1930s. The 200 is listed as having line engraving. The 201 is listed as having English style engraving (no mention of game scenes but it could have been special ordered).
It appears that the Hallowell photos are Merkels made post WWII as if shows a superior quality mark on the left side when the action is opened.

[Jerry Harlow]

Thanks to all who replied. The gun is most definitely a 200E. It is at a bargain price but the loose forend, cut stock and Pachmyr pad, and excessive chokes in a 2 3/4" gun would make it useless to me.

[tom tutwiler]

I had a 200E 16 gauge with double triggers for a few years. Case color hardened and pretty simple line engraving. Neat gun as it also had a front articulated trigger. Kind of a purple cow as they say. Sold it to fund the Fox addiction. As far as I know the difference between it and the 201E was indeed heavier germanic type engraving. Also, not sure if the 201E was case color hardened or a grey receiver to show off the engraving. Mine was made in 1955.