Simson Suhl SxS
Simson & Co. Suhl · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1952
Also known as: Simson of Suhl, Simson & Co. Suhl Side-by-Side, Simson Suhl Thüringen
Overview
The Simson Suhl SxS is a 12-gauge side-by-side double-barrel shotgun produced in Suhl, Germany. It is a hammerless boxlock, top-break design with double triggers, ejectors, and cocking indicators, fitted with fixed chokes and a two-piece checkered walnut stock with a splinter forend. Built in the same Suhl gunmaking tradition as Merkel, post-war examples bearing the Simson name were largely made by the same East German workforce, and the gun was favoured by hunters and sport shooters for its solid build and case-colored receiver.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1150 mm (45.28") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Double Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Action Two Barrels
- Safety mechanisms: Automatic Safety, Cocking Indicators
- Features: Boxlock Action, Top Break, Double Triggers, Fixed Chokes, Ejectors, Splinter Forend, Brass Bead Sight, Checkered Walnut Stock
Service history
Operators
- Civilian hunters and sport shooters
Production
Production years: 1952-2003
Simson built guns in Suhl from 1856 until 1936, when the Jewish Simson family was forced out; the factory resumed sporting-gun production under the GDR from 1952 and finally ceased in 2003.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 2003
Notes
After WWII, Simson and Merkel shotguns were produced in the same Suhl factory by the same craftsmen under the German Democratic Republic; many post-war Simson guns are essentially Merkel-built shotguns retailed under the well-regarded Simson name. Chamber length is typically 70mm (2.75 inch).
Background
The Simson company began in 1856 with the purchase of a steel hammer works in Suhl and became one of the great names of the German gun trade. Forced from their own firm by the Nazi regime in 1936, the founding Jewish family fled Germany; the works passed through Nazi and then Soviet control and, under the GDR, returned to producing sporting shotguns alongside Merkel in the storied Suhl gunmaking district.