We start out this page with a photo of the Merkel workforce taken Circa 1970 by Helmut Spisla of Suhl. A few of the younger workers were still there in 2000 when we were given a tour of the factory. If anyone can identify the people, please contact me. 

In 2013 a Mr. K. Hill emailed Dietrich with the following four images and the Merkel Production Cards. Dietrich gave him the following translation of the Production cards- “You are lucky that you received copies of the cards from Merkel. The lady (Elke Weiss) who scanned them is now retired and I doubt that Merkel will continue to supply this information. The work order for the original combination gun is very detailed,  spells out that the rifle caliber should be 7 x 65 (with a rim) and 12 Ga. 2 3/4″ chamber, front set trigger with ejectors and with good dark Walnut stock. The scope was a Zeiss Zielvier (4 power) . The monogram on the grip cap with the letters W.L. in Gold is specified, possibly for the name Loffler that appears on the top of the card. But the gun was sent to Emil Saul or Paul, perhaps the dealer who ordered the gun. Interesting is, the gun was first worked on in September 1926 and the last time on November 30, 1926. The first date of work on the shotgun barrels is March 30, 1929 and the last date- May 7, 1929, both very short turn around times.”

Below are images of a high grade Merkel over-under

The following two images show a Gebruder Merkel Carpathianbüchse were found in Dietrich’s archive and were from Mr. Al Rickli. It is serial no. 26798 in 8 x 75R proofed in Nov. 1942. It has side plates and 303 quality engraving.

The following  two images of  two different Gebr. Merkel double rifle drillings

appeared in the GGCA 2020 Calendar and is courtesy of the GGCA.

The following images are courtesy of the Auction Company-

© Joh. Springer’s Erben Handels GmbH, Wien