Those of you who own/shot/know Merkel DRs in 470 AND 500, what's the current thinking on balancing these guns? I know the same barrel blanks are used making the 470 heavier overall and more muzzle heavy than the 500. I've only handled them and this what I came away with. I know that the rifles come with (always?) some weight in the buttstock for weighting, balancing and maybe reducing recoil. I handled side by side 2 500's, 1 new, 1 used. The used one was muzzle heavy. It had a pad fitted so I figured any weight in the butt was removed. The new one balanced really well actually. Not perfect but quite good. It pointed extremely well. The stock LOP (14 3/8") over the buttplate was perfect for me. In Houston I handled a new 470 and it was muzzle heavy too. I have to assume all new factory guns have the butt weights. It felt more out of balance than the 500 without the weight. It felt a little heavy too. I'd imagine if any butt weight was removed that it would be poorly balanced. Somebody here has had JJ fit a real recoil reducer, JJ said the gun needed it. I think it was a 500. Just wanted to know if my impressions were echoed. I know there are more 470s out there but the 500 seems the ticket.

if you get an oportunity, go to rick's guns on boardwalk, off of broadway in san antonio.... he is a krieghoff dealer, has several in stock... and he does fabulous gunstock work, recoil pads and mercury reducer installs... very nice work....

I handled three in 500 Nitro last year at SCI. I was struck by the fact that all three had different balance points.

465H&H

quote:

Somebody here has had JJ fit a real recoil reducer, JJ said the gun needed it.

Showbart:

JJ installed both a recoil pad and reducer in my .500 NE Merkel.

I love the gun because it fit me like a glove. When I shoulder it, BAM, sights are dead on.

I didn't find it too muzzle heavy even after JJ removed the weight in the stock.

But the gun is heading back to JJ soon. At the last DRSS hunt a very large African PH shot it - he looked like an adult shooting a Red Ryder BB gun - and bent the front trigger way out of alignment and may have bent something on the inside.

It's heading to JJ for repair and a full inspection.

Showbart,
I recently bought a 470 Merkel,I had only once before had the oppurtunity to inspect a similiar rifle & I had found it to be muzzle heavy,my rifle however has a recoil pad with Merkel stamped on it & my gunsmith thinks that there is mercury in the stock,I really like the balance on my rifle,I think it weighs in around 10 1/2 lbs,it shoulders real well & I had it at the last DRSS hunt,it is a real good shooter,three shots,three dead pigs,I am very happy with the rifle & for an entry level double rifle has surpassed my expectations.

I had my 470NE Merkel at the DRSS hunt as well, and I handled both mine, and BILL74's side by side, and both ballanced on the hinge pin Mine is stock, except for a Kick-EEZ recoil pad. And both felt the same in weight! I don't find mine muzzle heavy either! I also have a standard 140E 9.3X74R Merkel double, and it also ballances on the hinge pin, and only weighs 8.3 pounds and is as lively as a little 410 shotgun! I think when most folks find a double to feel muzzle heavy, in most cases the pull is too long for them!

Mac, you're likely right on the long LOP and poor balance. The used 500 had the pad, it was longer, wasn't cut and maybe had less to do with if the lead was still in the butt or not. The new gun factory stock with the hard buttplate presented perfectly with my eyes closed.

NitroEx, doesn't the recoil reducer add a little weight? I've heeded your praise of your 500 along with the few others who chose it and am certain that's the one I want.

465, I was worried about different balance points too on factory new rifles. Likely here, but maybe another forum, a search turned up a few or more posters showing pics of the weights from their Merkel buttstocks. As I recall they posted how installed, how much they weighed and there were variations, maybe whether the gun was 470 or 500 but not always. It seemed inconsistent.

All in DRSS, That damn ice storm! I had planned to go but no way I could've made it. Crap thing is I COULD have made it to DSC and back on SAT before it really froze but I played it too safe. Isn't there another coming up?

Jim, Good talking to you around DSC I'll call down to San Antone tomorrow to check stock. I want to find a used 500 NE. Gotta say I hate to pay tax as a local on high dollar guns.

quote:

Originally posted by 577NitroExpress:
[ At the last DRSS hunt a very large African PH shot it - he looked like an adult shooting a Red Ryder BB gun - and bent the front trigger way out of alignment and may have bent something on the inside.

He must have had one hell of a flinch to do that!

i took the weight out of the stock on my 470 for 2 reasons, 1st it shoved the balance forward & I like the muzzle heavy, and 2nd it was extra weight to carry around. Commonly I lug the rifle around for several days and lots of miles, but only shoot it once or twice

RE Damage to 577's 500 Merkel.

When it was shot the PH fired the rear trigger first, the rifle had a mechanical double, ie both bls fired at the same time. {I was standing less that 3 feet from the shooter.

Recoil slammed his trigger finger into the front trigger [OUCH], this is why some doubles have the front trigger articulated.

Doc 52 came up and I suggested he load one live round into the left bbl and fire it first [rear trigger].
He did that twice, the rifle doubled both times.

When I first got my drilling it did the same thing, pull the rear trigger, both shotgun bbls fired. A trip to JJ at Champlin Arms solved the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

When I first got my drilling it did the same thing, pull the rear trigger, both shotgun bbls fired.

That would have made a great goose gun.

Dan
It did make a pretty good turkey gun, the first time I shot at a turkey [30 yards] I killed 3. Luckly I had 4 tags.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
i took the weight out of the stock on my 470 for 2 reasons, 1st it shoved the balance forward & I like the muzzle heavy...

Well, that makes one of us.