Here is a bit of drilling porn for your viewing pleasure. The top gun is a Merkel 96 in 16-gauge over 9.3x74R. The bottom gun is a Simson 75 in 20-gauge over 5.6x50R Magnum. What is great for me is that all of the controls are on top, since I never could get used to a Greener-style safety. With this pair, I am ready for anything.

I Un-Friend you!


...unless I get to shoot both.


Rate a "two-cool"

I feel lust in my heart!
I like the engraving on the Simson and the caliber shotgun combo is great, a perfect light gun. But the Merkel steals my heart, just the perfect field gun. With those short barrels and the sixteen gauge frame, it looks like it has that quick feel with authority. What a great pair.
Bfly

Very nice pair of Drillings.

Nice pieces in great combinations!! I love drillings. Got 4 of the blamed things!!!

The Simson will become my prarie walking gun. I am putting together loads for it this week since Huntington's got my reloading dies and RWS brass to me. The Merkel is a very lively bird gun and has accounted for a bunch of pheasant. It is my woods gun, and I am hoping to kill a bear and/or elk with it this fall.

I can say first hand that Merkel handles as well as my Simson 16ga SXS, maybe better. It was hard to open my fingers, once they closed around your Merkel.

Probably best that I don't handle/shoot the little Simson.

Two really nice guns. Drillings are a well kept secret and the most versatile of all guns. Get a good one, and that's all one needs.

Unfortunately, they are also like peanuts, you can't seem to stop after you have had one. I would love to have a twin to my Simson in 20-gauge over 6.5x57R or 7x65R, then a 12-gauge over .30-06, then a . . . .

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
Unfortunately, they are also like peanuts, you can't seem to stop after you have had one..

That's the truth! However, I'm currently sans drilling but not for long.

LOVE the Merkel and you're "ready for anything" is absolutely true. Did you have those scope mounts put on the drillings or did they come with them? I had claw rings made twice for really old bases. Plus I foolishly opted for a "period" scope instead of a leupold, like you've done, and it could never reach out accurately past 100 yds.

Very nice!

Both guns had bases for pivot mounts when I bought them, so I just needed the mounts. The Merkel wears a 1-3/4x6 scope and the Simson wears a 2-1/2x8. I prefer a claw mount but not enough to spend the extra money to change, and these mounts allow for a lot more flexibility in scope choice, both now and if I change my mind.

Profound statements from Mr. Stewart and loud-n-boomer. Once one drinks the Kool-Aid it's difficult to stop.