Among members of the gun fraternity, “combo” / “drilling” guns (multiple-barreled rifle/shotguns) have never been as popular Over Here as they are in Yurp. Here’s an example of one, the Merkel 961L as seen at Steve Barnett’s Luxury Death Dealers’ Emporium:
This one’s a little different from the norm in that it features two side-by-side 8x57mm JRS (rimmed) rifle barrels over a single 20ga shotgun barrel as opposed to vice-versa, but the concept is the same. And let it be known that I have absolutely no problem with a pairing of 8mm Mauser with 20ga, no sir not me.
For those who would prefer something a little more manly, here’s a Merkel 96K, with two 12ga barrels over the wonderful 9.3×74R chambering.
Here’s the thing. Combo guns have always had a devoted following amongst big game hunters of previous generations (much less so nowadays), but I have to tell you that in no way shape or form would today’s hunter be undergunned out there in the bush with either of the above.
Yes, they are heavy, but at around 8lbs unloaded they compare well with, say a modern single-barreled Steyr rifle in .300 WinMag which weighs about the same or even more.
But as examples of the gunmaker’s art, little can compare to the majestic drillings, and certainly not the pedestrian rifles such as the Steyr.
If I were offered one of the above two, it would take me hours to decide between two rifles/one shotgun or two shotguns/one rifle. (I already have one or two single-barreled rifles, as any ful kno.)
Assuming I were able to go into the African bushveldt again, I’d probably pick the 12ga/9.3x47mm pairing if hunting anything dangerous, but the 8x57mm/20ga for smaller game.
By the way, the price differential ($19,000 for the 961L vs. $9,000 for the 96R) reflects the greater precision work required to register two rifle barrels vs. two shotgun barrels.
I love both, for obvious reasons: hogsback wooden stocks, exquisite workmanship, manly chamberings… I need to stop now.
I’ve always wanted a Luftwaffe Drilling (M30). Back when I had a teenage daughter, it would have been handy. If any boy came to pick her up for a date, I could sit in the living room and clean it.
I remember them popping up from time to time at gun shows. I don’t see them frequently at gun shops. It’s an interesting concept.
They are neat and all, but not really practical for hunting the way it is mostly done in the US. If you are walking around on one’s own estate with carte blanche to shoot what you want, they make sense.
Since we are typically going hunting for a specific animal that is in season, it makes much more sense to carry a firearm that is catering to that use case