I've noticed several posts here over the years in which negative comments were made regarding the adjustable regulation feature available on some double rifles. Some folks seem to like it, but most don't. Why is that? I'm familiar with the obvious "pluses" of the concept...what are the "minuses"?

I've had a small-frame Merkel DR in .30-06 with this feature for years now, and have found it very useful. Switch loads and/or bullet weights, spend a little time (or sometimes more than a little!) playing with the adjustment, and go back to shooting tiny groups with your new ammo. Recently, after finally attaining enough maturity to admit that I can't see worth a damn anymore, I mounted a scope on that gun for the first time (the gun came with a scope mounted, but I took it off when I received it). Regulation went out the window a bit, so I fiddled with the handy little setscrews for an hour or so and produced several 1.75-inch groups at a hundred yards (4 shots, 2 per barrel). At -30C I quit before I was completely done...-30 is COLD regardless of which temperature scale you are using!...but the left barrel and right barrel individual groupings are still noticeable within that composite group, and the centres are side-by-side and roughly spaced the same distance apart as the muzzles are, so I am thinking that it will be worth shooting at 200 and even 300 yards to see what happens.

So what am I missing? What possible downside is there to this set-up? The original open sights were fibre-optics (and very nice), so it's not as though this is somehow less "proper" as a sighting system. Scopes have been around longer than fibre-optics, so I'm actually closer to nostalgia with the new set-up than the original one.

Any and all opinions are appreciated. In fact...Shootaway, if you're reading this...or, more likely, having someone read it to you...I'll even take you off "ignore"...for a while...

I'm new to all of the double rifles. Before I picked my Chapuis, I noticed a few rifles (including a Merkel) with the adjustable barrel. I wasn't comfortable that the screw would stay put (thinking it would wear a spot into the barrel after a while. Probably wrong thinking but it did steer me away.

I always wondered myself; I have a Krieghoff and a Baikal with adjustablility and they are the two most accurate DRs I own. Probably the feeling that a solid setup will be more reliable up front. (On a big bore, it might be). Notwithstanding the way the Blaser works, which is not really a double rifle, but two separate tubes inside of tubes. Looks like hell but it works great. No reason I can think of not to build a big DR with that on it.
PS; My Baikal will shoot into one inch all day at 50 yards and my 8mm Chapuis struggles to get into 3 inches, even though I paid extra for one inch. Same with my 9.3 Krieghoff; into one inch easy.

I don't know anything about the Krieghoff, but I've had a couple of the Baikals. The adjustability feature of the Merkel is worlds ahead of the Russian one in terms of ease of use and precision. Easy adjustment for both windage and elevation...vertical adjustments on my Baikals involved a padded pipe wrench a couple of times!

A friend looked at the muzzles of my Merkel and commented that it appeared as though it would be simple to "flow" some solder into the visible gap around the adjustable tube, fixing it in place once it was set the way I wanted it. I looked at him as though he had lost his mind, and he concluded his sentence with "...or not."

Hmmmm...... But that would make it easier to regulate and then where would the fun be in finding the perfect handload

One (of many) things I've learned from several years of reading this board is that double rifles are, to many, NOT just rifles intended to place projectiles downrange accurately. They are cultural touchstones to a way of life that largely disappeared a century ago, and MUST be as close as possible to what Percival or Roosevelt might have used.

O/Us, despite having as long a history as the SXS, simply won't do; any cartridge without a rim is anathema, and something that once said "Nitro Express" is ideal. I think where this reaches it's most absurd is folks who are fine with an extractor SXS but would never use an O/U double because the extra few degrees required to open it takes too long on a reload.

If you want a shooting iron, there is no reason on God's green apple you shouldn't use a .375 Holland Belted in an adjustable O/U if it's well made, accurate and suits you. Or turn your nose up at anything less than an H&H Royal that was shot at least once by Selous, Bell, TR and Ruark. If it floats your boat...

Of course, some makers have tried to substitute adjustability for quality...

There are several small caliber double rifles with adjustable regulation. Some are better designed than others. As our present “KING” often says “Let me be clear!” I simply do not like them for their intended purpose! Used to find the regulation you want then make it permanent, to me, makes some sense,however!

The first and only double I’ve ever owned with this feature was a Valmet 412 over/ under with 375 Winchester barrels. I bought this double rifle BECAUSE it had the adjustable feature, because I wanted to re-chamber it to 375 JDJ because it was rifled with a one in twelve twist, perfect for the .375 JDJ.

I re-chambered it for the JDJ and regulated it, then I wired everything in place so it did not move, and soldered it solid, and then fitted ribs between the barrels. It made a very good hunting rifle to carry all day in the mountains of New Mexico following bear dogs.

That rifle was a very nice to carry on a sling, being short over all, and fairly light, with the 375JDJ being powerful enough to use on anything that I would run into in North America. I wish I still had that rifle! However I don’t trust the adjustable doubles to be 100% dependable enough to stay regulated and not screw up at the most inopportune time!

One other thing I have never been able to grasp is the need to change loads in a double rifle. The double rifle is designed to use one soft and one solid of the same weight and velocity. Every double rifle I have ever owned shot the heaviest bullet for the chambering regardless of being soft or solid. IMO there is no need for anything else for the smallest thing you shoot to the largest thing you shoot. Solids for the small guys, and the elephants, and quality soft points for everything in between! Even in my bolt and single shot rifles I work up a load with the heaviest bullet weight for that chambering and adjust my iron sights and scope for that load.

Of course that is only my opinion, and not necessarily a RULE that others are required to abide by!


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I have seen the Merkel 141 regulation move over time. Years ago I used to import a lot of small frame Merkels, I stopped because of problems with the guns, moving regulation was one of them.

Adjustable regulation is a inexpensive way for the mfg to make a gun. The mfg does it to hold down the cost not because it is a good idea.

jwm,I read your post a couple of times and dont know what you are saying-I might be too dumb to understand.Whatever it is I dont play with garbage.I pay for a good rifle that shoots where the bead is pointed at every time.The older I get the less patient too.My advice is get something good,make sure it hits what you are aiming at then dont screw with it-keep it for hunting.If you could afford two ,you could play around with the other but there is no need to.You should learn to shoot with less expensive bolt guns.A double is for hunting and not the shooting range ,IMO.That is all I have to say.,

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I read your post a couple of times and dont know what you are saying-I might be too dumb to understand.,

George, maybe it would be a good idea to say who's post you are talking about! That would make it easier to answer any questions you might have about the post!

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I have a 20ga rifle with adjustable regulation. For this situation I can live with adjustable regulation, since it is, at least to me, a royal pita to load 20ga slug ammo, and none is available for initial regulation other than the factory stuff which changes all too frequently, and almost impossible to replicate because of the dearth of slugs, sabots for them, etc on the market.

For a rifle with a brass case, once the load is known it can be duplicated in great numbers for long periods of years or decades since bullets and powders don't change too frequently. I see very little reason for a double rifle to have adjustable regulation. Just something to go wrong (often at the worst moment.)

JPK

I had assumed that the adjustable feature was a cost cutter for Merkel, and that's okay by me. The fact that I like it is just a bonus. I've only performed the adjustment 3 or 4 times over the last couple of years, mostly because of the intermittent availability of various reloading components. I reload only for economy...I don't enjoy it at all...so when I find a load that works, I like to load up a whack of ammo. Often, by the time I want to make up more, some bullet, primer, or...most likely...powder will be hard to find. This way I can keep shooting what I have, rather than wishing I had what I could shoot.

I've seen no evidence of the regulation shifting yet. My 600 rounds of brass are on their 4th reload now, so I have about 2700 rounds through the gun so far. Bought it used, with a professed round count of 500 rounds. I hunt the gun a lot locally (deer, coyotes, bear, moose) and now that I have finally scoped it I'll use it a lot more, but in reality it's mostly a plinker. I actually had it for quite some time before I even discovered that it has a set front trigger!

I intend to continue enjoying my poor man's plinker. I may even get a chance to try it on DG this year...we have a rogue skunk dug in under one of our sheds! Thanks for the comments, gentlemen.

quote:

Originally posted by jwm:
I had assumed that the adjustable feature was a cost cutter for Merkel, and that's okay by me. The fact that I like it is just a bonus. I've only performed the adjustment 3 or 4 times over the last couple of years, mostly because of the intermittent availability of various reloading components. I reload only for economy...I don't enjoy it at all...so when I find a load that works, I like to load up a whack of ammo. Often, by the time I want to make up more, some bullet, primer, or...most likely...powder will be hard to find. This way I can keep shooting what I have, rather than wishing I had what I could shoot.

I've seen no evidence of the regulation shifting yet. My 600 rounds of brass are on their 4th reload now, so I have about 2700 rounds through the gun so far. Bought it used, with a professed round count of 500 rounds. I hunt the gun a lot locally (deer, coyotes, bear, moose) and now that I have finally scoped it I'll use it a lot more, but in reality it's mostly a plinker. I actually had it for quite some time before I even discovered that it has a set front trigger!

I intend to continue enjoying my poor man's plinker. I may even get a chance to try it on DG this year...we have a rogue skunk dug in under one of our sheds! Thanks for the comments, gentlemen.

I dont buy that crap-sell it to some fool.

Shootacow: Imagine how easy your life would be with adjustable regulation... No files, no pocket full of front sights... That Merk 141 is MADE FOR YOU brother...

Okay, shootaway, I admit it...I lied...you aren't a gentleman. I was just being polite.

I think JDA-CO has the right idea about you...adjustable regulation might help. Try one setscrew through your forehead, and one through the temple. Windage and elevation.

quote:

Originally posted by jwm:
Okay, shootaway, I admit it...I lied...you aren't a gentleman. I was just being polite.

I think JDA-CO has the right idea about you...adjustable regulation might help. Try one setscrew through your forehead, and one through the temple. Windage and elevation.

Dude... That's freaken funny!

Yeeeee haaaaaa..... Here we go....