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LOT 3366
Exceptionally Rare World War II German Luftwaffe Merkel Over/
Under Shotgun - Serial no. 26872, 12 gauge, 27 inch solid rib bbl., blue/ casehardened finish, walnut stock. This is a very rare and highly sought after German Luftwaffe Merkel over/under shotgun. Solid rib barrels with a single front bead. Choked full and full with 2 3/4” chambers and extractors. Scalloped action with Kersten cross-bolt double triggers, tang safety. German flying eagle over swastika (Luftwaffe) on the right side of the lower barrel. The stock and forearm are of finely checkered first grade European “Nutze” walnut,
and the barrels are manufactured from the finest Krupp steel (Laufstahl) and
stamped as such. The Luftwaffe eagle is stamped on the right side of the buttstock and it is fitted with a hard rubber butt plate. Length of pull is 14 3/8”. In early 1941 Mussolini begged Hitler for German troops, weaponry and aircraft to help retain a slipping hold on his desert empire in Africa In mid-1941 J. P. Sauer & Sohn of Suhl, Germany, was given the German Air Force contract to supply the M-30 Drilling for installation aboard Luffwaffe aircraft flying in support for Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
In 1942 and 1943, the Drilling was standard equipment for the Me-109 fighter and Stuka bombers in North Africa. The purpose was to shoot animals for survival and
the Drilling could have taken any game on the African scene. They were also used for trap shooting, which was an obligatory exercise to sharpen the eyes and reflexes of the Luftwaffe fighter pilots. “Drilling” is a German word which when literally translated
One seldom encounters the Sauer Drilling, and even fewer Merkel Over/Unders, as so few were made.
CONDITION: Fine overall with 85% plus blue on the barrels with some minor pitting on the breech end of each barrel and some light spotting on the left rear lower barrel. 60% slightly faded case colors remain on the action. The stock is very fine and shows light handling marks and a few light pressure dents with a fine original finish. Checkering shows light wear and some light bruising. Mechanically excellent. Writer has seen only a few of these and can attest to the fact that this is an extremely rare example of a World War II firearm that is truly unique.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
248 means a three barreled gun. The M-30 Drilling was the finest survival arm of WWII.