I have a couple of Merkel double rifles and I’ve never doubled the 470NE in slightly over ten years. The 140-2 .470NE extractor rifle, the older one with shoelump barrels instead of the mono-block ejector ones of the newer rifles.

My triggers are set lighter for the right barrel than for the left barrel, on the 470NE and I have had three people double that rifle. All of them firing the back trigger first. I ,on the other hand, routinely fire my 470 using the left barrel first and as I said have never doubled it. The other is a 140E-1, 9.3X74R selective ejector rifle with a set trigger on the right barrel. I also has a lightern trigger pull on the right barrel, plus the set feature makes it into a “HAIR” trigger when it is engaged. I have doubled that rifle one time, on about the first 4 or 5 shots when new, but in that case I felt my finger strum the back trigger under recoil, my fault not the rifle. This rifle is also a shoelump barrel set.

I find that two things make a person double a double rifle! #1 the length of pull is not right for the shooter, and # 2 the hold is not firm. In the case of those three guys who doubled my 470 all were absolutely NEW to double rifles, but all were shooting the back trigger first.

On the recoil reducer in the stock I have no knowledge of this problem because mine do not have them.
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