I’ve been shooting a 47e in 16 ga for around eight years, the working man’s Merkel. They flat out shoot! I’ve been dreaming of owning one of these for a looong time. Thanks for the salt in the open wound (tee hee)!
Just picked one up myself. It was a little pricey but too good to pass up after much, much deliberation. These are great and incredibly well made guns!
I have a number of shotguns, mostly american made and I didn’t realize how heavy and cumbersome they were until I hunted with this Merkel 1620 E
L. What a treasure to hunt with. It makes me feel better than I am.
I have hunted with a real battery of side by sides for over fifty years of active bird shooting and none has come close to the handling of my Merkel 1620EL. It is a joy to shoot and carry over the long haul and busy days afield. The balance is superb. The slim nature of its construction lends to quick mounting and swing.If only I could have had such a fine arm as a young man.
That is a stunning shotgun in every aspect. I have recently discovered the Merkel shotguns and have gotten a 47E 20 ga. into my hands. I had no idea how wonderful a “tool” could be…just a simple and utter PLEASURE to use and carry in the field. Paired up with my new German Shorthaired Pointer who is as hunt-able and receptive to any sort of versatile training as I could have hoped for…you can call me one happy guy!!! Not to get all sappy but this combination is one of the fully content moments for me as a man….when everything is just “right” you gotta’ savor it!!
Welcome to the world of fine side-by-side shotguns and wonderful bird dogs! When you put that combination on a fat covey of wild quail then you will reach nirvana!! Thanks for visiting the site Scot.
Thank you BirdHunter and thank you for the site…I like it. This is my fifth GSP and he is at 6.5 months. Of the five dogs (GSP’s) I have had in the past I only hunted the first which I got at a mere 20 years of age and had not a clue as to what I was doing. As luck should have it I lived within walking distance of thousands of acres LOADED with quail. Deputy Dog and I were off to a great start with the cheapest single shot 20 ga that I sacrificed macaroni and cheese to get…but then we were forced to move back east where no birds existed and funds were non-existent. Deputy fathered a litter that we raised as well as his siblings amongst my family members and friends, but hunting dogs they were not. As pets they were neutered out of respect to the breed. We laid the last of Deputy’s blood down about a year and a half ago. We had lamented even before her passing about having had her fixed. After a one year hiatus following her passing the search began and our new boy was located in Kansas out of Princes Quality Gun Dogs…low and behold a litter is available and what’s even better is the mother comes from Dunfur Kennels in WA state which just so happens to be the kennel where Deputy Dog was acquired. A review of the pedigrees reveals that our new boy is all but brothers save time removed to my always missed Deputy Dog. We have named him Kansas and he is all of the dog Deputy always was and had the potential to be save my abysmal finances at the time to properly train him. I am now 43 years of age and all of the love and admiration for all of our past dogs as well as current resources are poured into Kansas to somehow recapture those moments in the field as a bald faced young man with my boy Deputy. Having discovered the beauty of a Merkel is just icing on the cake…having the same blood that I started with in a dog and had thought were lost to the ages literally keeps the line going…Deputy Dog was the first dog I ever owned as my own and his blood will be with me until my day has come…Kansas is more than I could have ever hoped for and again…my introduction to the handling and fantastic engineering of a Merkel shotgun just makes it all that much better.
My Mother always told me…there is beauty in simplicity and I think I just may have truly heard her for the first time.
I recently purchased a Merkel 1620e. The chokes are VBZ and 1/2. I measured the chokes and they measure Cyl and IC. Is it possible the bores are more open .670 as opposed to .662, and the construction is actually ic and mod? Thanks
Birdhunter
Beautiful gun.
Thanks Matt!
Hey what breed are your beautiful spaniels?
I’ve been shooting a 47e in 16 ga for around eight years, the working man’s Merkel. They flat out shoot! I’ve been dreaming of owning one of these for a looong time. Thanks for the salt in the open wound (tee hee)!
Just picked one up myself. It was a little pricey but too good to pass up after much, much deliberation. These are great and incredibly well made guns!
I have a number of shotguns, mostly american made and I didn’t realize how heavy and cumbersome they were until I hunted with this Merkel 1620 E
L. What a treasure to hunt with. It makes me feel better than I am.
Those Merkels are great guns!
I have hunted with a real battery of side by sides for over fifty years of active bird shooting and none has come close to the handling of my Merkel 1620EL. It is a joy to shoot and carry over the long haul and busy days afield. The balance is superb. The slim nature of its construction lends to quick mounting and swing.If only I could have had such a fine arm as a young man.
I agree Dr., they are terrific guns! Maybe if you had one in your youth it would not have been appreciated as it is now.
That is a stunning shotgun in every aspect. I have recently discovered the Merkel shotguns and have gotten a 47E 20 ga. into my hands. I had no idea how wonderful a “tool” could be…just a simple and utter PLEASURE to use and carry in the field. Paired up with my new German Shorthaired Pointer who is as hunt-able and receptive to any sort of versatile training as I could have hoped for…you can call me one happy guy!!! Not to get all sappy but this combination is one of the fully content moments for me as a man….when everything is just “right” you gotta’ savor it!!
Welcome to the world of fine side-by-side shotguns and wonderful bird dogs! When you put that combination on a fat covey of wild quail then you will reach nirvana!! Thanks for visiting the site Scot.
Thank you BirdHunter and thank you for the site…I like it. This is my fifth GSP and he is at 6.5 months. Of the five dogs (GSP’s) I have had in the past I only hunted the first which I got at a mere 20 years of age and had not a clue as to what I was doing. As luck should have it I lived within walking distance of thousands of acres LOADED with quail. Deputy Dog and I were off to a great start with the cheapest single shot 20 ga that I sacrificed macaroni and cheese to get…but then we were forced to move back east where no birds existed and funds were non-existent. Deputy fathered a litter that we raised as well as his siblings amongst my family members and friends, but hunting dogs they were not. As pets they were neutered out of respect to the breed. We laid the last of Deputy’s blood down about a year and a half ago. We had lamented even before her passing about having had her fixed. After a one year hiatus following her passing the search began and our new boy was located in Kansas out of Princes Quality Gun Dogs…low and behold a litter is available and what’s even better is the mother comes from Dunfur Kennels in WA state which just so happens to be the kennel where Deputy Dog was acquired. A review of the pedigrees reveals that our new boy is all but brothers save time removed to my always missed Deputy Dog. We have named him Kansas and he is all of the dog Deputy always was and had the potential to be save my abysmal finances at the time to properly train him. I am now 43 years of age and all of the love and admiration for all of our past dogs as well as current resources are poured into Kansas to somehow recapture those moments in the field as a bald faced young man with my boy Deputy. Having discovered the beauty of a Merkel is just icing on the cake…having the same blood that I started with in a dog and had thought were lost to the ages literally keeps the line going…Deputy Dog was the first dog I ever owned as my own and his blood will be with me until my day has come…Kansas is more than I could have ever hoped for and again…my introduction to the handling and fantastic engineering of a Merkel shotgun just makes it all that much better.
My Mother always told me…there is beauty in simplicity and I think I just may have truly heard her for the first time.
Wow, that is a great story! I wish you and Kansas many years of bird hunting joy together. Thank you for sharing!
I recently purchased a Merkel 1620e. The chokes are VBZ and 1/2. I measured the chokes and they measure Cyl and IC. Is it possible the bores are more open .670 as opposed to .662, and the construction is actually ic and mod? Thanks
Hi David, I am sorry but I don’t know anything about Merkel bores or chokes.