Gustav Kersten didn’t play 2nd fiddle to anyone and I would say one might tread on sacrilege saying Gustav Kersten worked for Merkel. Merkel designed their O/Us based on his patented lockup. I don't know if Merkel paid him a royalty or if they had some agreement. But Gustav Kersten was at the very least a very talented inventor and was sourced by many including R. Bessel & Sohn of Bulgaria for his Karpaten Vershcluss, which was the pic I posted earlier and can be found under DRP Nr. 201507. And I’ve seen another example, less the engraving, that has a D.R.G.M. number of 201501 and has a stamp of “G. Kersten, Mod IV” noting he offered several models.

Gustav Kersten stems from a long line of Swedish blacksmiths, one of which was severely wounded in battle in Germany and couldn’t return to his homeland of Sweden. Gustav Kersten joined the Prussian army and elevated himself to the rank of a Master Armourer. While stationed in Strassburg and in the aftermath of WWI, Gustav Kersten decided to reside in Strassburg; hence, the name Strassburg Verschluss. Gustav Kersten had some close connection to Zella Saint Blasii/Mehlis as he arranged an opportunity for Franz Jäger to be an apprentice in the Zella-Mehlis area. Gustav Kersten may have sourced the craftsmen of Zella Saint Blasii for his examples or he may have switched to the Jaeger folks(which had 50 craftsmen pre-WWI) considering the family relationship, which was how components were sourced in Suhl. Franz Jäger wasn’t the oldest of the Jäger children on the farm and had to leave the farm and pursue an alternative occupation to farming. And it was one his sister’s that married Gustav Kersten. Franz Jäger, like Gustav Kersten, had several lockup patents being #209113 of 1906 for the Jäger Vertikal-Blockverschluss and No. 176578, both of which was in combination with the Simson company. Merkel & Blaser have utilized patent No. 209113. Simson was definitely involved with Jäger but I can’t say that Merkel was. But then again the Suhl – Zella-Mehlis was chocked full of craftsmen and everyone knew everyone. One note though is that the craftsmen in Suhl considered the Zella-Mehlis craftsmen to be a rung lower.

From my limited knowledge of Gebrüder Merkel or Merkel Brothers, who were Albert Oskar, Karl Paul and Gerhard/Gebhardt? Merkel, is that in 1898 founded their firm with a huge emphasis on O/U predating the British emphasis by Lancaster(boxlock) Woodward, Beesley(Shotover) & Purdey(Sextuple grip) and I do realize that the latter were of sidelock configuration. Albert Oskar and Gerhard/Gebhardt didn't ghee-haw and Albert Oskar left in 1907 to hang out his own shingle in 1908 and I think MERCO to be their stamp. In 1916 Gebrüder Merkel experienced restructuring as exited as Suhler Waffenwerk Gebrüder Merkel. Times were very tough Post WWI and many, many firms fell by the wayside or were absorbed by stronger firms. Heinrich Barella(January 3rd, 1819 in Soest to 1893 in Berlin), who was the uncle of Heinrich Leue, wasn’t any different and was purchased by the Lignose firm and the Lignose firm was absorbed by Merkel with one date given as early as 1927. There was a strong relationship between the Heinrich Barella firm and Merkel as Barella sourced Merkel for their examples and Bernhard Merkel looks to be the source for the clamshell frames as well as the unique boxlock frames seen on Foerster, Reeb, Schiwy, etc. Merkel may have had a frame forge, but for now I don’t think so and I guess them to have sourced Sauer for their frames. Many, many makers sourced Merkel for their frames. Merkel also purchased an interest at the very least in Gottfried Funk in 1925. Gebhardt Merkel expired in 1933 with Ernst Merkel taking the reins. Merkel received its share of ups and downs and by 1939 Adolf Schade was the owner.

And not to forget another of the Merkel klan, Ernst August Merkel was the son of master engraver Ernst Ferdinand Merkel. Ernst August Merkel had a pre-1900 founding and had one of his sons, Rudolf Otto Merkel, as a principal. Ernst August’s brother’s Otto Gottlieb and Louis Franz Ferdinand worked under the E.A. Merkel umbrella.

I failed to mention that there were other unique doubles with interesting lockups such as those by Karl Friedrich Phillip Stendebach who advertised as Fr. Stendebach, Waffen und Geschossfabrik in Suhl. He had a November 14th 1905 patent for an O/U double rifle under patent 804349, http://www.google.com/patents?id=xnBkAAA...;q=&f=false , and a SxS in 1910.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse