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Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Sweden

Well, I see what you meen but..... Smile

I've been working with computercontrolled metal machines and yes, you are right. There is no problem to get down to thousands of a milimeter in tolerans every time. But then again this is guns that are supposed to live for a long time and to be maintained with love too.

I can't see why a gun with parts made 1959 should be better that a one made from pre II ww parts?
The machines wasn't so much better but the labour cost was higher and therfore I belive that you cold use less time on each gun.

I also do some blacksmith jobs and my experience from that is that the materials nowdays may be wery WERY sofistikated in it's strukture, but it's still better for me to use an old piece of irom from the scrap yard when it comes to forming it on the anvil.
Old iron is siply cleaner, softer and kepping the heat in another way so to say. And when making a damast steel knife blade it sticks together much easier when I use old "clean " inbetween the carbon steel layers.
So some things where better back in the old days, when it comes to metal Smile

Sure, now the guns should be made for steele instead of led so the steel is tuffer.

It's more a matter of feeling, just like old cars?
But if you have been welding metal sheets on both a new toyota and on a -59 chevrolet then you know what you prefer to weld in the future!
Thicker and more forgiving, (but wery bad corrosions protection on the chevy).

Why do english "best guns" cost more. I't can't be JUST the wood and the scrimchaw?
But if you got a oldtimer like Boss & Co gun, I'd be more that happy to give you a newer Baikal in return.... Wink

Call me nostalgic but I love the feeling that a real person has been working with my gun and not just computers and robots, I also prefer art made by man instead of massproduced printings and plastic sculptures. They may be better in perfection and maby the will last for a longer time but they got less soul.
And when it comes to shotguns it's not a matter of thousands of an millimeter that counts. On a rifle it does, but when I hunt flying birds it's more about feeling than super precision.

Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 16 Location: North of Phoenix

I have a post war (1958?) 16 ga. Simson. It's a very prussian shotgun with 2-3/4" chambers, double triggers and 28-inch barrels. It's well built, locks up like a vault and will be shooting long after I'm gone. It shoots where it's pointed, and it seems to know where the pheasants are headed and shoots to that point. It must be the gun, because I'm not that good usually.
It's not as pretty as a Merkel, but its just as effective and not nearly as pricey. I may have to find its siblings in 12 and 20.

I recently posted a query on a GECO sxs I had on the way and it has arrived. Typical Prussian honey, and a line for line copy of my Merkel 8 of about the same vintage with the exception of the frame specific sizing.

Today I carried it to my deer lease for a couple rounds of 5 stand on our range. This range is what I consider very tough with a lot of FAST long range crossers both high and low. It was pure pleasure to shoot and handle.

1969 vintage, with about 95-98% blue and great case colors. Wood shows some handling nicks but nothing bad. The only downside is that new "Merkel like" stiffness when opening. It's tough! When I get the tubes opened up a bit it should be the deal on quail and pheasant. AS it is now it worked great on those 40-50yd clay buzzbombs when I got the lead right.

With the same purchase I picked up a Simson 12 with english stock and it shows all the same quality of the little 16bore and my Merkel. No time to shoot it yet, that little 16 has my heart for now.

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