One for the grand kids

One of the first guns that dad let me use when I graduated from the SKB sxs 12g I first used for duck hunting as a 10 year old (In retrospect, a silly gun for a kid - while light it kicked like a horse) was his Simson u/o. It was a great gun, came up like a dream and for a few years I used it extensively. I remember the opening of 1985 well; we each killed a limit of birds at the Willow Pond and the old Simson smote mallards from the sky like the Hammer of Thor. I shot a lot of ducks and a few pheasant with that gun. It had been dad's 21st present; and as such a not for resale item.

It was the one gun for which I felt an attachment at much more than a "here's my killing tool" level... unfortunately she had to be retired when the barrels separated due to moisture ingress into the rib or some such affliction. Sad.

About a year ago I was browsing around and saw a Merkel 201e in 20g for sale. Immediately I went on alert - this sort of gun just doesn't appear very often in NZ, and certainly not in 20g. At the time I just couldn't afford it, so pushed it to the back of my mind with a few thoughts about the lucky so and so who would be buying a dream (of mine, anyway) gun. When the same gun was recently advertised again, I was lucky enough to be in a position to make an offer. And so, it was with bated breath that I opened the package containing the gun.

She's a stunner.

Kirsten lock on a Blitz action; choked Improved and Improved modified, really nice engraving and with sling swivels (I'll actually buy and use a sling). 26" barrels, she'll be a joy to carry around for light game.

Like dad's Simson, she comes straight up; LOP is slightly shorter than my 20g Caesar Guerini. I may add a recoil pad (depending on a test fire session).

This will be a gun that I'll most likely never part with - one for the grand kids I reckon.