MERKEL O/U NEED HELP
 

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.

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.

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.

Here are a few pictures

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.

God bless your Dad for his service to the Country.

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.

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