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Bird Buster 
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Atlanta,Ga.
Posts: 480
Joined: Dec. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 20 2012,1:14 |
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 Possibly considering picking up a slightly used 1620 Merkel that is listed at $3500.00 Is this a fair price? How do those that own one feel about this model? I have handled several and they really feel nice but do they just make the birds fall out of the sky by just pointing it at them? That is the kind of gun I need to offset my shooting skills.
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| Post Number: 2
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gunsrus
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: SOUTH SHORE MASSACHUSETTS
Posts: 4156
Joined: Jan. 2008
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Posted on: Feb. 20 2012,1:21 |
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Make sure it fits . Merkels are the best bang for the buck (new 16 ga on a 20 gauge frame around 6 lbs) . It will outlast you and generations to come . Stokes Arms has them new around $4350 but I think they are having a problem getting them into this country for whatever reason . Two years ago you could find them on the net and look for your dims without a problem . Not so many out there now . Depends on condition . I like mine . As new if you like it , buy it .
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| Post Number: 3
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Degle
Group: MEMBER
Location: SLC, Utah
Posts: 33
Joined: Sep. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 20 2012,5:54 |
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I bought a new 1620 two years ago for 3K. It was not in my preferred configuration (didn't have two triggers), so I sold it for about the same $. I have been looking around for another 1620 lately, and it appears the best you can do on a new one is a little over 4k. Used 1620's have been scarce for quite a while. If the gun is unaltered and it is in excellent condition, $3500 isn't a bad price. There really aren't many other options in 16 ga boxlocks on 20 ga frames.
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| Post Number: 4
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Country Nate
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Jackson Center, PA
Posts: 795
Joined: Dec. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 21 2012,4:06 |
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It seems the DT, straight stock, fetch a little more. I tried to find a nice used one for a reduced price and all I can say is good luck. Ended up getting a new one over at Stokes Classic Arms in Ohio. Only had it for about 6 weeks, and they will pry that gun from my cold dead hands.
I shoot it better than any gun I have ever owned.
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Did ya ever notice theres always someone that argues against what you have to say?
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| Post Number: 5
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Hunshatt
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: pointing out Bonasa's shortcomings
Posts: 20038
Joined: Apr. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 21 2012,6:11 |
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sold mine....
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"we only get one shot at life. I intend to use it all up as best I can. Thus, double guns, setters, cane rods, sour mash whisky and traveling are 'enhancers' that take me in the direction of the primary goal"
Chuckarman, bird hunting Icon......6/17/2010
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| Post Number: 6
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TJC
Group: MEMBER
Location: Lancaster, NH
Posts: 1324
Joined: Nov. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 22 2012,6:47 |
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I started with a Merkel 47E and moved on to a 1620 a few yrs ago.
Great gun. Light enough and in a great guage.
Had mine fitted with Briley Thin Walls.
Love the gun and won't sell it ever. It will be passed on to my son at some point. Hopefully not any time soon.
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In retirement every day is good.
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| Post Number: 7
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Dogwood
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Michigan
Posts: 903
Joined: Sep. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 22 2012,10:41 |
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(TJC @ Feb. 22 2012,6:47)
QUOTE I started with a Merkel 47E and moved on to a 1620 a few yrs ago. Great gun. Light enough and in a great guage. Had mine fitted with Briley Thin Walls. Love the gun and won't sell it ever. It will be passed on to my son at some point. Hopefully not any time soon.
I did the exact same thing and agree 100%.
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Never thought the day would come whereby an absence of tattoos and body piercings would render me a radical non-conformist.
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| Post Number: 8
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shinbone
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Littleton, Colorado
Posts: 1043
Joined: Aug. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 22 2012,12:06 |
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I bought a used mint 1620 with DT and straight grip about 4 years ago for $3300, which I think was a pretty good deal. I had Briley thin wall chokes installed, had the stock bent to fit me. It is a great gun.
--shinbone
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| Post Number: 9
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| Post Number: 10
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Bonasa
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Struggling to educate señor Hunshatt
Posts: 3670
Joined: Nov. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 29 2012,10:04 |
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(LostintheOzone @ Feb. 26 2012,5:44)
QUOTE
(Hunshatt @ Feb. 21 2012,3:11)
QUOTE sold mine.... That's real helpful. Care to elaborate?
X2
Any opinions on this new LL Bean anniversary Merkel 147SL 20 ga. gun?
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"The gun is seldom responsible for the misses. The fault lies with the chap who is looking down the barrel." Burton Spiller
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| Post Number: 11
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Hunshatt
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: pointing out Bonasa's shortcomings
Posts: 20038
Joined: Apr. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 29 2012,10:15 |
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(LostintheOzone @ Feb. 26 2012,5:44)
QUOTE
(Hunshatt @ Feb. 21 2012,3:11)
QUOTE sold mine.... That's real helpful. Care to elaborate?
Just didn't like it.. as I remember it was the numbered 2 or 3 1620 brought in by GSI. Cased and all that... Nice wood, the fit numbers were within the margin of error for me... I shot it reasonably well.... the CC was wearing off incredibly fast (not that really bothered me) as a piece of machinery it was ok.... But I wasn't excited to shoot it, or see it in my safe.... so it went...
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"we only get one shot at life. I intend to use it all up as best I can. Thus, double guns, setters, cane rods, sour mash whisky and traveling are 'enhancers' that take me in the direction of the primary goal"
Chuckarman, bird hunting Icon......6/17/2010
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| Post Number: 12
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Brian Meckler
Group: MEMBER
Location: California
Posts: 757
Joined: Mar. 2004
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Posted on: Mar. 01 2012,2:28 |
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I have had 3 of them. I keep buying and selling the Merkel 1620s because of the cult following they seem to have on the various BBS around the internet. I have parted with the last 1620 I will ever buy (well I think). My take on the Merkel is that they are nice and very stout but the quality is a little lacking. I know I am crossing a line with some bad mouthing a 1620 but that's my honest opinion. All 3 of the Merkels I have owned have had terrible triggers and their finish is slightly on the crude side. when one opens or closes the Merkel there is a feeling that the maker did not spend a lot of time fitting the barrels to the action. The other complaint I have is the stock dimensions; that is they are sucky (technical term) The LOP is too short and the drop is too much. They also have zero cast. This adds up to a hard gun to shoot well. Your milage may vary however.
On the more technical side they do not throw the greatest patterns unless you are using fiber wads. I believe they are one of the few makers still using straight Conical chokes instead of parallel-conical choke design. I have found this older choke design works best with a fiber wad, but inside of 30 yards the whole above paragraph may only be academic.
So what do I like? A custom Spanish gun. I have had my share of these too and like an old dog I feel very comfortable owning one. They still represent the best value and they are balanced like a gun costing 4 times more.
Thanks for reading
Brian
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| Post Number: 13
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tut
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Hamilton, VA
Posts: 1459
Joined: Aug. 2007
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Posted on: Mar. 01 2012,9:14 |
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Myself and two other guys all bought 1620's. All were sold afterwords. Mine had the engraved game scenes and theirs were the case colored model.
Two of the three had POI problems. Mine and another one shot low. How low, well on paper probably both guns center of pattern was a foot low from point of aim at 40 yards. Accordingly, for our preferred game (grouse/woodcock) they didn't work well.
The case colors on the base 1620 model lasted less then a season and they were 75% gone and we are talking after only being taken on a few hunts.
PS. I'm not anti-Merkel at all. I still own an older 122E 16 gauge and its fantastic. 28" barrels, false sideplates with very nice engraving, barrel wedge engraving and nice English Walnut. Shoot it very very well. Weight is 6 lbs 12 oz and it will shoot any load well and its my favorite pheasant gun when I head out west.
My buddy owns a 147E in 28 gauge and a 47E in 16 Gauge. They are his go to guns and he shoots nothing else.
I just believe the quality now is not what it was 10 or 15 years ago (or longer).
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| Post Number: 14
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Degle
Group: MEMBER
Location: SLC, Utah
Posts: 33
Joined: Sep. 2005
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Posted on: Mar. 01 2012,10:02 |
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The fit and finish on mine was quite acceptable. The gun was VERY tight when new and it took several hundred rounds for me to be able to open it without using brute strength. The poi was a perfect at 40 yards, patterns were 50/50 and barrel convergance was great. The case colors were unfaded after one hunting season (though I always wore gloves when carrying it). The only reason I don't have that 1620 anymore is because I prefer double triggers. I will own another some day if I can find one at a resonable price.
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| Post Number: 15
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shinbone
Group: 2013 CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Location: Littleton, Colorado
Posts: 1043
Joined: Aug. 2007
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Posted on: Mar. 02 2012,9:05 |
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Whether a person likes a particular shotgun entails a lot of subjectivity so to each his own, but I am very happy with my 1620 purchased used in mint condition about 4 years ago.
The gun was so tight it was hard to open, the fit and finish was very good. The barrels were well regulated. I had Briely Thin Wall chokes installed and the patterns are fine, but that doesn't say much about the factory chokes.
I patterned the gun and measured the difference between point of aim and point of impact for purposes of bending the stock to fit me. The difference between POA and POI was typical for me, and I simply had the stock bent so that POA and POI now coincide, which is something I do with any shotgun I decide I will be keeping for awhile.
My 1620 would be my everyday-go-to-gun for all my upland hunting, except I discovered Fox shotguns. The 1620 is still a great gun for me, and its barrels are steel shot compatible, unlike the Fox, so it still gets used in steel-shot-only areas.
JMHO
-shinbone
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