MERKEL SUHL 201, Cal. 12/70

Merkel hunting guns are made in the town of Suhl, Germany, one of the oldest and most prestigious gunmaking centres in Europe. The Merkel company was founded in 1898 by the brothers Albert Oskar, Gebhard and Karl Paul Merkel and quickly made a name for itself through the exceptional quality of its hunting guns. After the Second World War, Suhl was in the Soviet occupation zone and subsequently in the German Democratic Republic (DDR). During this period, the Merkel factory continued to produce fine hunting guns, many of them intended for export. The Böhler steel came from the renowned Austrian company Böhler of Kapfenberg. This steel was prized for its high mechanical strength, the homogeneity of the material, its excellent behaviour under high pressures and the outstanding durability of the barrels.

The gun shown here is a remarkable gun in excellent condition: the Böhler steel barrels are flawless with no trace of rust, 95% of the blueing remains, the wood (stock and forend) is in very good condition with light signs of use, and the action closes perfectly with no play.