Favourite Gun

[islandgun]

34 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

I tend to like the semi pistol grip although I find the straight hand stock easier with the double trigger 

Stunning wood O.F. Who was the maker ?

On 29/01/2024 at 00:35, Andy H said:

Mine is an old browning A5 i bought at the old Weller and Dufty auction 20 years ago for £18 made in 1907 with super full choke  and I replaced the woodwork 15 years ago with a plastic set as the woodwork has seen better days ( I still have it) , But I can shoot better with that than any other Gun I Have ever bought  or tried including ,Beretta's and browning o/u's.

The best one was when I cleared a 25 skeet with it  and some of the other guy in the squad were so pee'd off they wanted to sell off the competiton grade o/u's when I told them it only cost me £ 18  to buy.

I have a real itch for an old A5

[Old farrier]

11 minutes ago, islandgun said:

Stunning wood O.F. Who was the maker ?

I have a real itch for an old A5

H&H 😂

engraving is quite pleasant to 😂😴

[JohnfromUK]

The 'half pistol' has almost the same hand grip area and angle as the straight.  I have two similar guns, one straight, the other half pistol.  If you look where your hand actually goes, the angle is very similar

 

[islandgun]

2 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

H&H 😂

engraving is quite pleasant to 😂😴

Stunning as well 😲 Must be real pleasure to own and to use

3 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

The 'half pistol' has almost the same hand grip area and angle as the straight.  I have two similar guns, one straight, the other half pistol.  If you look where your hand actually goes, the angle is very similar

 

Beautiful which do you prefer to use ?

[London Best]

1 hour ago, Old farrier said:

I tend to like the semi pistol grip although I find the straight hand stock easier with the double trigger 

I agree. I find a semi pistol grip a real pain with a double trigger.

[marsh man]

I believe your favorite gun was in the era you enjoyed shooting the most , my very first single 12b made by Webley and Scott that I bought from Darlows of Norwich in 1960 was my favorite gun at the time , then just about every gun I have bought since also became my favorite gun right up to the time where it was well pass the sell by date and ended up on the scrap heap , now I am getting towards the end of the road as far as shooting go and none of the five s x s in my cabinet would be classed as my favorite gun for the simple fact they were bought to be used and I haven't had the use out of them like I have my previous guns .

If I had to pick one it would had been a Midland Gun Company 3 inch s x s wildfowling gun that had a full pistol grip 32 inch barrels with full and full in each barrel , I used this gun all the year round for everything and very rarely bought 3 inch shells , that was the main gun in my mid 30s / 40s when you just couldn't shoot enough , you might had shot 10 duck on a flight and you would go again the following night and try to do it again or even better it , the same with Pigeons , if you had a three figure day then you would try to fiddle a day off to have another good go while the Pigeons were still about in numbers , I bought it for 20 odd quid and sold it as a wall piece for around the same amount of money and how I wish it was still hanging up on my wall , most of the others are now laid to rest and forgotten about .  MM

[Old farrier]

21 minutes ago, islandgun said:

Stunning as well 😲 Must be real pleasure to own and to use

Beautiful which do you prefer to use ?

I use the side by side when it’s raining 😂😂

 

[JohnfromUK]

34 minutes ago, islandgun said:

Beautiful which do you prefer to use ?

I use the half pistol grip much less.  I bought that a long time ago (it was made around 1963) and used it quite a bit then, but had poor trigger pulls (much too heavy).  To cut a long story short, I didn't take it to my usual true gunsmith, but to a local RFD who (with my knowledge and agreement) sent it off to the Merkel importers.  Unfortunately there was a long tail of woes of damaged internals, past bodges etc. and it came back over a year later just as bad.  I then took it to my usual gunsmith who got it correct and the trigger pulls fine (and also added automatic safety), but it had rather put a bit of a 'downer' on it for me, so I kept my eyes open for a double trigger version (the single trigger itself does work perfectly, but I don't much like them).

It was a long time in coming, but that is the straight hand (made 1980s).  Again, I had to have the triggers set up properly and a minor tweak to the stock dimensions, but I get on very well with that now.

Both guns have had a 'bit of a life', but if they were pristine, they probably wouldn't have been in my price range.  (Used Merkels are a tiny fraction of the new price).

Merkels look a bit ungainly and 'portly', but they are much lighter on the scales than they look and handle well.  These are both model 303E's.

[Gordon R]

I like the look of Merkels - they exude quality.

[JohnfromUK]

5 minutes ago, Gordon R said:

I like the look of Merkels - they exude quality.

It is worth handling one; they look heavy (due to the deep actions), but this is an illusion and they are in fact relatively light.  The half pistol grip weighs around 7lbs 3 oz, the straight hand around 3 oz more.

Much of the weight is very central, so they feel lively.

[London Best]

2 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

The half pistol grip weighs around 7lbs 3 oz, the straight hand around 3 oz more.

 

Do they come with a trailer?

[JohnfromUK]

Just now, London Best said:

Do they come with a trailer?

Possibly, but only for a pair! 

[London Best]

1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said:

Possibly, but only for a pair! 

I was only joking with you. But that is far too heavy in my world where anything over 6lb. 8oz. is a heavy gun. I do have one weighing 6lb. 12oz. and an old hammer gun weighing 7lb. but both feel heavy to me.

[Penelope]

18 hours ago, Konor said:

Lovely guns and totally different. I like the old 1 and 1/2 oz wildfowlers . My cousin had a T. Bland “ The Brent “ when he was younger. I was very envious , I was shooting an AYA Cosmos at the time and I shot a lot of geese with it inland and used it with a .410 adapter for close range rabbit shooting around gorse but The Brent was different class.

Konor, I have a 30" Midland, 3" 1 1/2oz gun and my dad has a G.E.Lewis 32" barrelled, 3". Lovely guns.

[JohnfromUK]

3 minutes ago, London Best said:

I was only joking with you.

I know, and taken in jest anyway 😄

4 minutes ago, London Best said:

But that is far too heavy in my world where anything over 6lb. 8oz. is a heavy gun. I do have one weighing 6lb. 12oz. and an old hammer gun weighing 7lb. but both feel heavy to me.

Yes - my old hammer guns weigh a little over 7 lbs.  The Merkels, jesting aside, do look much heavier than they feel.

You will at least admit that with straight hand and double triggers (an auto safety) I and along the right path in several respects.  I agree that there is a small matter of weight, and the elephant of the barrels being the wrong way round, but some compromises are good for you (I'm often reminded).

[London Best]

18 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

I know, and taken in jest anyway 😄

Yes - my old hammer guns weigh a little over 7 lbs.  The Merkels, jesting aside, do look much heavier than they feel.

You will at least admit that with straight hand and double triggers (an auto safety) I and along the right path in several respects.  I agree that there is a small matter of weight, and the elephant of the barrels being the wrong way round, but some compromises are good for you (I'm often reminded).

I know it’s all in the eye of the beholder, and I am not denying their quality, but with the deep action and chunky looks Merkels are just sooo ugly.

[bruno22rf]

Gun that I've had the most enjoyment from - Lincoln Jeffries Lightweight.

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Gordon R said:

I like the look of Merkels - they exude quality.

I’ve always thought so too. 👍

[Konor]

2 hours ago, Penelope said:

Konor, I have a 30" Midland, 3" 1 1/2oz gun and my dad has a G.E.Lewis 32" barrelled, 3". Lovely guns.

I liked the practicality of the older 3 inch chambered guns and pre lead restrictions used one with 1 and 1/2 oz 3s for my goose shooting. If I was still living solwayside I’m sure one suitably modified for non lead would probably be my favourite duck gun.As it stands now I use a Beretta 3 and 1/2 inch semi auto and an AYA number 3 magnum for my coastal fowling. I’ve a 3 inch chambered C&H Konor that I enjoy using inland ,still with lead. Come retirement this year I think I’ll have a reassessment and get back to my wildfowling roots and might start shooting guns with a bit more character like your own Midland and your Dad’s Lewis. I find I prefer the surroundings of the coast for my shooting and I think some older fowling pieces would complete the picture.

Edited January 30 by Konor

[islandgun]

3 hours ago, Konor said:

 I find I prefer the surroundings of the coast for my shooting and I think some older fowling pieces would complete the picture.

My sentiments also, I enjoy the guns their history and also the research needed to find suitable reloading recipes to suit [plus components 😉]

Edited January 30 by islandgun

[Penelope]

18 hours ago, Konor said:

I liked the practicality of the older 3 inch chambered guns and pre lead restrictions used one with 1 and 1/2 oz 3s for my goose shooting. If I was still living solwayside I’m sure one suitably modified for non lead would probably be my favourite duck gun.As it stands now I use a Beretta 3 and 1/2 inch semi auto and an AYA number 3 magnum for my coastal fowling. I’ve a 3 inch chambered C&H Konor that I enjoy using inland ,still with lead. Come retirement this year I think I’ll have a reassessment and get back to my wildfowling roots and might start shooting guns with a bit more character like your own Midland and your Dad’s Lewis. I find I prefer the surroundings of the coast for my shooting and I think some older fowling pieces would complete the picture.

We both had ours opened out to 1/4 and 1/2, pre lead ban as the goose shooting was all in Scotland mostly over decoys, as full and full was a little tight for that game.

I'll happily put 1 1/4oz (36g) steel 1's through the Midland.

[Konor]

27 minutes ago, Penelope said:

We both had ours opened out to 1/4 and 1/2, pre lead ban as the goose shooting was all in Scotland mostly over decoys, as full and full was a little tight for that game.

I'll happily put 1 1/4oz (36g) steel 1's through the Midland.

My Konor is choked 1/4 and 3/4 . I will likely open the left barrel out to either 1/4 or 1\2 .if I opt to shoot steel through it. I’m loath to change it from original so I’ll have to have a hard think on the options.