Steel100 Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 I'm looking at a Merkel O/U 203E 12G shotgun. A little different to the Italian guns, I think. They have the three-piece fore-end. Does anyone have any experience / knowledge? Merkel produce some super rifles but I have absolutely no knowledge of their slightly older design shotguns. I think these date from the eighties or early nineties. Thanks! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargo Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 Had one , very old 1930’. Was horrid - low in the stock and recoiled a lot Tried a newer 203 and was better but still very low stocks and deep actions. Built to last and expensive new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 (edited) There are better O/U guns, far far better and FWIW the resale value will be horrendous. Those two awful, awful excrescences on the breech face. And a cross bolt! What for? Browning don't use them, Miroku don't use them, Beretta don't use them. They slow down extraction of an unfired cartridge and simply aren't needed. And if they do need readjusting expensive. Pointless parts. But a Browning, buy a Miroku, buy a Beretta, heck, for a single Merkel cost you could buy a pair of pretty much anything else! Edited July 9, 2023 by enfieldspares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr grumpy Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 One of the nicest handling shotguns that i've ever tried.great enineering but looks wise,a true marmite gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
button Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 27 minutes ago, enfieldspares said: There are better O/U guns, far far better and FWIW the resale value will be horrendous. Those two awful, awful excrescences on the breech face. And a cross bolt! What for? Browning don't use them, Miroku don't use them, Beretta don't use them. They slow down extraction of an unfired cartridge and simply aren't needed. And if they do need readjusting expensive. Pointless parts. But a Browning, buy a Miroku, buy a Beretta, heck, for a single Merkel cost you could buy a pair of pretty much anything else! Beretta SO, DT and ASE all have cross bolts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 30 minutes ago, button said: Beretta SO, DT and ASE all have cross bolts You are right. But I'd beg to be forgiven in that I was trying to refer to the "standard" Beretta (if there ever is such a thing) rather than the higher end models). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 I have a Merkel 203E and 2 x 303E. The 303's are better guns. I can 'amplify' on any more detailed questions you like to ask. Don't buy new - depreciation is horrendous. Mine were all bought used at a fraction (around 15%) of the new price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 Merkel O/U's were good guns in their day and far superior to anything made in Britain . The East and West German gun trades like that in Britain failed to modernise and update designs . They are game guns designed with the Continental hunter in mind , not for large bag driven game or clays .They followed a fairly universal German / Austrian pattern used successfully for many years for both shotguns and rifles . They did suffer from quality problems ,leading up to and after German reunification , the lower guns branded Simsom were less problem being double trigger . The single trigger was similar to that of Westley Richards , over complicated and could be troublesome and tended to need heavier pulls than more modern O/U's , so I would go for a double trigger. Ejectors again could be a problem but relative easy to correct unless you need an new extractor . They were expensive new and overpriced in my opinion . Personally I would not but one unless it was relatively cheap and I was on good terms with a competent gunsmith 😬. Never owned one but I did do repair and warrantee work for the importer over a period of years so got to see the down sides . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 14 minutes ago, Gunman said: Merkel O/U's were good guns in their day and far superior to anything made in Britain . The East and West German gun trades like that in Britain failed to modernise and update designs . They are game guns designed with the Continental hunter in mind , not for large bag driven game or clays .They followed a fairly universal German / Austrian pattern used successfully for many years for both shotguns and rifles . They did suffer from quality problems ,leading up to and after German reunification , the lower guns branded Simsom were less problem being double trigger . The single trigger was similar to that of Westley Richards , over complicated and could be troublesome and tended to need heavier pulls than more modern O/U's , so I would go for a double trigger. Ejectors again could be a problem but relative easy to correct unless you need an new extractor . They were expensive new and overpriced in my opinion . Personally I would not but one unless it was relatively cheap and I was on good terms with a competent gunsmith 😬. Never owned one but I did do repair and warrantee work for the importer over a period of years so got to see the down sides . Out of interest, did the AYA Coral (Merkel lookalike) suffer the same problems only I had one (straight hand stock & double triggers) and it seemed very well made with no issues during my ownership? OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel100 Posted July 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Thanks for the replies. Most interesting! A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted July 13, 2023 Report Share Posted July 13, 2023 On 10/07/2023 at 09:59, Old Boggy said: Out of interest, did the AYA Coral (Merkel lookalike) suffer the same problems only I had one (straight hand stock & double triggers) and it seemed very well made with no issues during my ownership? OB Only ever handled a couple of Coral's , had to replace a lever spindle in one but thats all ,so sorry I have no comment one way or the other about them . They were not made by Merkel nor did they make them for Merkel as has been suggested in the past by some souces . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted July 13, 2023 Report Share Posted July 13, 2023 3 hours ago, Gunman said: Only ever handled a couple of Coral's , had to replace a lever spindle in one but thats all ,so sorry I have no comment one way or the other about them . They were not made by Merkel nor did they make them for Merkel as has been suggested in the past by some souces . Thanks anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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