Looking for information on an old Simson Suhl SxS

A

Aabradsh

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Hey guys

I'm looking to get my hands on a quality old sub-gauge double gun for grouse hunting. my budget is ~1500-2000. I've done a little research on what to keep my eyes open for and have herd some about quality guns of lesser-known makers, that should be within my budget. My local gun shop often has guns like this on their consignment rack. They currently have a decent looking L.C. Smith 16ga, but it has a swamped rib that I'm not overly fond of, so I left it there (unfortunate, as it appears quite well made). But another gun that caught my eye was a Simson Suhl 16ga. it has 26" barrels, extractors, decent looking engraving, appears to be in good shape, and seems to fit me quite well. Their price tag is just north of $1200. my only hesitation is I had never heard of that maker and the only research I can find tells me they were owned by a Jewish family pre WW2 and were shut down during the war, then reopened by East Germany into the 50's. One source on a forum said they are of good quality but I'm hoping to hear that from a couple more people and maybe get a little more info on them before I buy.

Any information would be appreciated. Good information sources would also be handy and any other recommendations of makers in my price range would be great.

Best regards
 
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A lot of people won't look at these guns because they were made by East Germany after taking over several family owned businesses. Merkel, Sauer. Simson to name a few. All these guns were then pretty much the same except for the name put on them. As far as quality, there is nothing wrong with them as far as I'm concerned. I have about 8 of these Merkels and Simsons and they are great. This is my opinion and my history I gave is very simplified. As far as price on the 16 gauge you are looking at, it might be on the high end. I haven't bought any side by sides lately so am not up on current prices.
 
Gunsaholic has given a good, quick thumbnail of who Simpson is. Pre WWII they made some spectacularly beautiful guns.....as good as anyone.

I would also agree that the price seems a bit high if it's a post WWII gun. Those I would typically expect to see between $300 and $900 depending on gauge and condition. Take a look at site sponsor Intersurplus. They typically have a bunch of these guns.....it's a bit meaningless whether the name on them is Simpson, Sauer or Merkel.
 
I scored a nice Simson with the Q1 designation ( "better than most" is my summary of what that means) from Intersurplus for under $300. I think I got lucky on this one. There's a few Simsons and Sauers that come up on the EE for about $500 in perfect condition. You have to watch for the stock cracks behind the action, caused by the scallop shaping of the steel where it meets the stock....too much wood/ metal contact and a poorly designed shape of the rear of the action.

Most of them have a little cheek piece which not everyone loves but it comes up and fits me perfectly. Many of these guns come out of Scandinavia where they've had 50+ years of hard use. Many are pretty beat up. I certainly wouldn't pay any more than $500 for a post war one.
 
Arcosdad said:
I scored a nice Simson with the Q1 designation ( "better than most" is my summary of what that means) from Intersurplus for under $300. I think I got lucky on this one. There's a few Simsons and Sauers that come up on the EE for about $500 in perfect condition. You have to watch for the stock cracks behind the action, caused by the scallop shaping of the steel where it meets the stock....too much wood/ metal contact and a poorly designed shape of the rear of the action.

Most of them have a little cheek piece which not everyone loves but it comes up and fits me perfectly. Many of these guns come out of Scandinavia where they've had 50+ years of hard use. Many are pretty beat up. I certainly wouldn't pay any more than $500 for a post war one.
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I would far sooner pay more than $500.00 for one if it was quite nice before I'd pay $900.00 for an entry level Turkish one. You may have got a nice one but most of these guns under $400.00 today have been used very hard and neglected. One just has to wait for a nice one which are out there. If a real nice post war Merkel appeared for $700.00--$800.00, I would have no qualms paying that for it if I was looking for one. The key is nice.
 
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