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EDITORIAL
A FAMILY TREE FOR HUNTERS
A family tree always makes a statement. When you look at a family tree
you remember your forefathers – and
order your future at the same time.
Merkel has done both in recent years,
has reclaimed the legend of the city of
Suhl.
They have almost completely done
away with their gunsmithing traditions
and turned to industrial manufacturing
processes – which was unavoidable in
the market economy system. They have
undoubtedly developed outstanding
products; but at what price?
The Merkel manufactory is unique
among its type in the world. Without
descending into nostalgia for the old
East Germany, it is thanks to the GDR
that we have this unique combination
of high-tech forging and gunsmithing
workshops. It was as if a cheese cloth
had been cast over the country between 1949 and 1990. It kept the old
traditions fresh. The situation was not
exclusive to Merkel – but only in a few
industrial branches did this prove to be
an opportunity; to be able to continue
working for 40 years, free from economic forces and virtually no technological
pressure.
Merkel stayed. And, now situated in
the middle of Germany, has used the
last decade to re-engineer its product
range, without changing its aestheticfunctional value. And out of Suhl expertise Merkel has given birth to a new gun
category: MEM.
In these four decades we retained
what was lost elsewhere. Many Suhl
gunsmakers left the region after the war
and were re-established in West Germany.
What Merkel can offer today is unique
in the world. To the delight and the
benefit of hunters all around the world,
we can produce handmade masterpieces, which combine centuries old
expertise with artistic handcraft and
cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. Or prototypes, which brilliantly
combine Suhl principles and systems
and exemplify hunting gun culture of
the highest technological level – we call
these hunting guns MEM.
Merkel is the last great hunting gun
manufactory in Suhl. Together with the
independent Suhl master gunsmiths,
we cultivate the knowledge and the
skills which have accumulated since
1490 – and make hunting guns out of it.
MEM and Meisterstück are the two
poles of the Merkel hunt. They have
developed from the love of a pastime
which has always been part of human
life. And from a totally innate sense of
aesthetic.
Olaf Sauer
Managing Director of the Merkel company.
5
EDITORIAL
HISTORY
THE GERMAN DAMASCUS
There are regions and cities that cultivate a legacy: mechanical watches in
Glashütte, lace in Brussels, red wine in
Bordeaux. Suhl’s legacy is guns – since
1490 according to the latest findings.
And the knowledge of making fine
guns is deeply rooted in the collective
memory of the people of this region.
The old city of Suhl is the gateway to
the Thuringian Forest. Iron ore and the
wood used to fire the ironworks are easily accessible here. Legend has it that
gunsmiths from Nuremberg recognised
the advantages of the location and settled here. At the time guns for defence
and protection were produced. Since
the Middle Ages Suhl has been looked
upon as the gunmaking city of Europe.
Nevertheless the arts and crafts were
not neglected in Suhl: the rifles were
engraved on all sides and beautifully
finished. The city soon earned the nickname “German Damascus” – the guns
were richly decorated. The people of
Suhl are proud of this name, because it
brings to mind the great tradition of the
Damascus gunsmiths. They elevated
engraving and manufacturing to high
art in the Arabian world.
In Suhl there was always a demarcation
between military production and hunting guns. The “fine gun” remained the
preserve of hunting – richly adorned
and elegantly designed.
1
Suhl rifles, 17th and 18th century.
HISTORY
7
2
Suhl was always committed to hunting and the”fine gun”. 18th Century engraving.
HISTORY
THE FORMATIVE YEARS
The industrial revolution made Germany
the third largest industrial nation in
the world. And in Suhl the craftman’s
workshops turned into manufactories
and later into gun factories. The Merkel brothers wanted to be part of the
unprecedented transformation of the
national economy at the turn of the
19th Century.
Albert Oskar, Gebhard and Karl Paul
Merkel came from a long line of engravers, stock makers and gunsmiths – and
a family with many children. All eleven
sons of the family found their way into
the gunmaking trade. Albert Oskar and
Gebhard Merkel were master gunsmiths.
Karl Paul Merkel followed as a master
stock maker – they founded a trading
company “for the purpose of joint manufacture of firearms and other articles.”
On 1st September 1898 the company
started work in the second district. This
was the start of a development that
is remarkable even in the gunmaking
town of Suhl.
During the formative years of the
company the manufacture of hunting,
sporting and luxury guns was booming
in the old gunmaking town. The mechanical design of these guns was more
elaborate and technically variable than
military rifles. Merkel was committed
to the “fine gun” at all times; even in
wartime it was never more than a parts
supplier for military production. While
the two great wars of the 20th Century
turned some gunmakers into industrial enterprises, the Merkel workforce
hardly ever rose above 350 employees
during the war. Instead, the export-oriented company twice lost its important
foreign markets.
From the outset the Merkels pinned
their hopes on innovation. The Bock
over-and-under gun with the two barrels lying upon one another originates
from Suhl, and Merkel registered the
“Bock” as a trademark. Merkel revolutionised sporting shooting and hunting
with these rifles.
ALBERT OSKAR MERKEL
GEBHARD MERKEL
KARL PAUL MERKEL
Master gunsmith
Master gunsmith
Master stock maker
HISTORY
9
3
The article of agreement of Merkel brothers’ gun manufactory
from the year 1898. The original is held in the Thuringia public records
office, Gotha.
4
Early patents and utility models document Suhl inventiveness –
deed book from the Suhl district court.
HISTORY
THE BOOK OF THE GUNMAKER
The workshop diary of Gebhard Merkel
is a unique documentation of the work
and ideas of the formative years of the
Merkel brothers. The great gunsmith
meticulously listed the production
processes, the problems and solutions
of the daily work. Gebhard Merkel’s
ingenious trick: he blackened the rifle
barrels, V-springs and lock components
with an ink pad – and stamped their
cross section 1:1 in the diary. The workshop books are today in the possession
of decedents of the Merkel brothers
– we thank them for making the facsimiles available.
11
5
HISTORY
HISTORY
THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES
The archive of the Merkel manufactory
holds gun cards from a period spanning
eleven decades – these are the birth
certificates of our handcrafted rifles.
They describe in detail the design, calibre, steels, stocks, versions, assembly
and engraving – the document serves
as a route card through the factory and
finally as a certificate of origin to be
used for subsequent maintenance of
the hunting rifle. Many of these documents were lost after the war and in the
turmoil of the reunification period.
The Merkel manufactory archive – gun cards from many decades are stored here.
HISTORY
13
BARON VON MÜNCHHAUSEN
MAHARAJAH OF BIJAWAR
DUKE LUDWIG WILHELM OF BAVARIA
KING PETER II OF YUGOSLAVIA
DR. RUDOLF H. SACK, RECORD MARKSMAN
FRANTZ ROSENBERG, BIG GAME HUNTER
PRINCE BHANUBHANDHU OF BANGKOK
PRINCE VIMVATKIT OF SIAM
CONSUL ANDRESEN FROM NORWAY
HISTORY
BETWEEN THE WARS
From a business point of view, the
First World War was a huge setback
for Merkel. Merkelesque aesthetic is
not sought after on the battlefield. The
company – renowned for luxury and
perfectly balanced hunting rifles – lost
many foreign markets. Nevertheless,
shortly after the war, Merkel rifles were
again being exported to 28 countries
around the world, although the company did not fully recover from the consequences of the war until 1924. In 1931
Merkel registered a trademark: from
now on the rights to the term “Bock”
(over-and-under) for hunting and sporting rifles were reserved for Merkel.
The ingenious gun designer Gebhard
Merkel died in 1933. He did not have
the opportunity to witness one of the
company’s greatest triumphs. In 1937
Merkel was awarded the “Grand Prix”
at the World Exhibition in Paris for its
range of hunting rifles. The World
Exhibition, which was held under the
motto “Art and technology applied in
modern life”, honoured the aesthetic
of the Merkel product range.
In 1938 the second generation assumed office: Ernst Merkel together
with the adept businessman Adolf
Schade, son-in-law of Karl-Paul Merkel, took over the management of the
company. The Grand Prix boosted the
export business. The company’s order
books include the names of crowned
heads of state, diplomats, maharajahs and industrial magnates. Famous
big game hunters and explorers also
ordered their rifles from Merkel in Suhl.
Even the world boxing champion Max
Schmeling favoured hunting rifles made
by Merkel
6
Advertisement with the “Grand Prix”
from the 1937 World Exhibition.
HISTORY
15
7
Sporting triumph: Dr. Rudolf H. Sack wins national and international titles in1935 with his Merkel over-and-under shotgun.
8
“Félicitation”: in December 1937 the Parisian importer of Merkel
rifles congratulates the company on its Grand Prix, which “is very well
deserved”.
HISTORY
MAX SCHMELING’S 321E OVER-AND-UNDER DOUBLE RIFLE
The new gun museum in Suhl documents the past and the present of the
city – as chronicler and preserver of a
rich tradition of Suhl gunmakers since
1535. Merkel is the last great hunting
gun manufactory operating out of Suhl.
Merkel marked the opening of the museum with a special gift: the manufactory
presented the museum with the original
gun card from 1936 of the legendary
boxing world champion Max Schmeling.
The heavyweight went hunting with a
Merkel 321E over-and-under express,
with a made-to-measure stock and an
ejector. Bottom left: the shooting target
of Schmeling’s rifle.
9
Boxing world champion and marksman, Max Schmeling.
HISTORY
17
Schmeling’s gun card from 1936. The original is today on show in the gun museum in the city of Suhl.
HISTORY
WAR AND THE POSTWAR PERIOD
Before the start of Second World War
the company ran its own sales offices in
many countries around the world. Merkel’s sales network spread from Argentina to Bessarabia to France, Greece,
Norway, Rumania, Spain and the USA.
This network was again broken up by
the Second World War.
By the end of 1945 hunting guns were
being manufactured again; by 1947
almost 700 rifles had been sent to
Eastern Europe as reparation payments.
Merkel developed into a showcase
company of the German Democratic
Republic.
Hunting guns played a subordinate role
in the war production from 1939. Merkel
became a parts supplier for carburettor
engines, carbines and rangefinders – and
the number of employees rose to 350
in peak periods. Even in the anti-training
atmosphere of wartime Germany, the
Merkel company took the initiative to
restructure the job specifications of the
gunmaking trades, thereby ensuring the
continuation of handcrafted gunmaking.
The dispossession of the founding families followed in 1948 – under disastrous
conditions, the descendants of the
Merkels lost everything to Socialism;
everything the brothers has built up and
the second generation had developed.
In 1952 the state-owned company
again had 200 employees manufacturing hunting guns. The company was
integrated into a state combine, but
the brand and the products remained
independent.
The war ended in Suhl on 3 April 1945
at 8.30 in the morning – of all the factories
in the city, only Merkel was to escape dismantlement. The good reputation of the
precious hunting guns spared Merkel
this fate – the machine workshops, which
were hi-tech for the time, were kept in
Suhl.
In 1953 the GDR government presented
Merkel hunting rifles to the two most
powerful men on earth at that time,
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Nikita S.
Chruschtschow. And in 1963 the first
man in space, the cosmonaut Juri
Gagarin, was honoured with a Merkel
Drilling.
10
Postwar production at Merkel.
HISTORY
19
12
In 1963 Juri Gagarin was presented with a Merkel Drilling model 30.
11
Socialism: the Merkel family was dispossessed in 1948.
13
Mass reception for the Russian cosmonauts in Suhl.
HISTORY
THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
– AND REUNIFICATION
The socialist workers‘ and farmers‘ state
cultivated its export hit. In the 1970s a
range of luxury guns was developed and
sold around the world. The gun card
archives include the names of illustrious
personalities such as Gamal Abdel Nasser,
Josip Brosz Tito and Mao Tse Tung.
Even Franz Josef Strauß, the Bavarian
Minister President and enthusiastic hunter,
ordered his rifles from Suhl. Between
1945 and 1987, production of Merkel
over-and-under guns alone reached
150,000. The GDR celebrated the success
of Merkel rifles with a set of special
postage stamps.
With hunting and sporting gun production flourishing after the war, Suhl
became an important sports shooting
centre. Around 100,000 visitors came to
Thuringia for the world championships
in 1986. For a few days the city with a
long tradition of making firearms was
the undisputed centre of world shooting sports. In his enthusiasm for the
Merkel product range, the Mexican
president of the International Shooting
Sport Federation, Olegario Vázquez
Raña, proclaimed: “I think these are the
most perfect hunting rifles in the world.”
He thought the Merkel over-and-under
shotgun to be, “the queen of hunting
rifles“. And he should know – not only
did Vázquez Raña hold the highest sports
shooting office in the world, he was also
world famous as a practicing trick shot
artist. Between 1954 and 1989 sporting
shooters using Merkel rifles won 45 titles
at world and European championships.
In 1989 the German Democratic Republic came to end – the revolution came
from below. It was unprecedented in its
courageousness and its bloodlessness.
With the slogan “We are the nation”,
the people of the GDR freed themselves
from the ruling powers.
Reunification was accompanied by
considerable turmoil – many jobs were
lost in Suhl. Nevertheless, the Suhl
combine remained the largest producer
of hunting guns in Europe. This is where
the coveted Merkel rifles were manufactured – however, they were still at the
technical level of the 1950s.
14
Merkel BDF 303ET I BDF 203ES
HISTORY
21
15
Matthias Dunkel, today working in the Merkel sales, 1986 world skeet shooting finalist.
Complete set of GDR postal stamps …
The GDR sports shooting team achieved success with Merkel at the Seoul Olympics in1988.
… reverence to Suhl – and Merkel.
16
HISTORY
THE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Uncertain ownership status accompanied Merkel to the end of the millennium – then the traditional brand found
its feet again. Investors provided the
backing which laid the foundations for
new products and the continuation of
the Suhl gunmaking tradition.
At the time of the change it became
clear that there would be no future
without maintaining the values of the
past. Industrial precision cannot exist
without handcraft skills. Merkel was
always and remains today a major promoter of the different professions of the
gunmaking art – because the company
knows, needs and fosters its roots and
skills. Merkel is very aware of the heritage of Suhl gunmaking.
The last great manufacturer of the old
gunmaking town still sees itself as a
manufactory in the image of the Merkel
brothers. The Merkels were children of
the Industrial Revolution – and understood how to adapt to these enormous
leaps in technology. Despite the machinery, which was hi-tech at the time,
they preserved the individual and hand-
crafted character of their rifles. As early
as the mid 1990s, the complete range
of Merkel hunting guns underwent
careful reengineering. Where technical
advancement increased the safety of
the riflemen, it was used. Where stateof-the-art technology improved the
precision and prolonged the service life
of a rifle, it was applied.
The visual appearance of a Merkel 303
made in 1924 differs only in details
from a modern 303 over-and-under
shotgun. And in 1924, as in 2008, these
wonderful hunting guns were at the cutting edge of gun technology.
From the outset the Merkel brand was
characterised by the work of specially
trained craftsmen; by employees who
know how to make a gunlock with only
simple tools and without machines. And
this, although they know how to handle
computer-controlled machines and the
most up-to-date surface finishing systems. Technology by tradition.
Craftsmanship: hand soldered barrels.
HISTORY
23
According to plan: the CAD design drawing of the Merkel B3 over-and-under gun – and the original.
HISTORY
MERKEL TODAY
Merkel‘s only production site is in Suhl
– we view the location as a guarantee
of quality that is recognised in many
countries around the world. The Suhl
manufactory is an exceptional combination of hunting gun manufacturing and
high-tech forging. Merkel combines
the traditional manufacturing methods
of handcrafted hunting guns with the
highest standards of quality and safety
– all achieved in what is, for this day
and age, an unusually deep in-house
range of manufacture, from cold forged
barrels to hand engraving. With every
part of a Merkel gun, careful consideration is given to whether, from the
customer’s point of view, it should be
handmade or machine produced.
Today Merkel exports to more than
40 countries all over the world and has
close to 200 employees – each one a
highly qualified specialist. They often
come from families that have worked in
the gunmaking trade for generations.
They bring to us the manufacturing
skills and expertise to find unusual solutions. Merkel employees define themselves and their work on the basis of
the long tradition of Suhl gunsmithing.
Merkel is one of the very few factories
that can manufacture both modern
firearms and handcrafted hunting guns.
No matter which category a customer
chooses, a Merkel carries the Suhl
genes: reverence to and the heritage of
the German Damascus. And this has its
own basic principles.
MERKEL TOP-DOWN: Merkel
guns offer the customer the power
reserves of the unique Merkel top-down
principle. This means that the highest
calibre of every gun class defines the
breech of all the underlying versions.
The breech of the Africa side-by-side
rifle thus sets the standard for all the
other side-by-side guns.
STEEL ON STEEL: With Merkel
locking mechanisms, the principle
applies that steel is always locked on
steel.
HANDED-DOWN QUALITY: We
have mastered the traditional manufacturing methods, which even today
produce unequalled quality – we hand
them down and develop them further.
For example, we continue to practice
the time-consuming process of brush
oxidisation because it provides extra
quality for our customers.
HISTORY
25
Merkel ‘Taube’ over-and-under combination rifle/shotgun from the year 1927.
Merkel B4 over-and-under combination rifle/shotgun from the year 2008.
PHILOSOPHY
THE IDEA OF THE MERKEL LOOP
The strip of the saxonian mathematician and topologist, August Ferdinand
Möbius, symbolises Merkel loop.
Möbius was a contemporary of the
Merkel brothers. In 1858 Möbius stuck
together the two ends of a paper strip
that had been turned through 180
degrees and determined that this strip
could not be cut into two strips along
17
August Ferdinand Möbius
its length. Instead of falling into two
parts, the result was one long strip. Möbius loaned his insight to Merkel. The
world of Merkel hunting guns equates
to that of the strip twisted to make a
loop – the Merkel loop that apparently
has two sides (Meisterstück and MEM),
but which in fact only has one surface
(Suhl).
MEISTERSTÜCK:
Arabesque
Traditional hunting guns: the symbol of the Merkel Meisterstück is the classical Arabesque, the traditional engraving
on hunting rifles. Arabesques are artistically stylised tendrils.
PHILOSOPHY
27
MEM:
Floral motif
Modern hunting guns: cutting
edge technology with the cultural genes
of the Suhl gunmaking art. This is MEM
– Merkel Engineered Manufacturing.
The floral motif symbolises this category.
PHILOSOPHY
MEISTERSTÜCK AND MEM
At Merkel the world of hunting guns is
divided into two. Traditional, handcrafted works of art can be found here as
well as modern hunting guns produced
by contemporary methods. Merkel is
one of the few manufacturers in the
world that can produce both categories. On the one hand the Meisterstück,
the largely handcrafted rifle, manufactured according to concepts that have
applied in the old gunmaking town of
Suhl for centuries. The name of these
icons of handmade guns is inspired
Gebhard Merkel’s original drilling 1.4,
which was named the “Meisterstück”.
MEISTERSTÜCK:
303E over-and-under shotgun
MEM:
SR1 semiautomatic rifle
This first Meisterstück – in its time a
technologically groundbreaking drilling
– is the godfather of the whole class of
traditional hunting rifles that are handmade in our manufactory.
It in its chequered history, the gunmaking town of Suhl has always been
able to draw its strength and ideas for
new products from the rich heritage of
firearms expertise of the region. This is
symbolised by the MEM hunting gun
category These three letters are double
coded: on the one hand the mem is the
art term for the culture gene – i.e. the
hereditary aspects of cultural identity.
On the other hand, MEM stands for
Merkel Engineered Manufacturing
– high-tech in combination with engineering expertise and Suhl gunmaking
know-how. Every MEM from Merkel is
based on the knowledge and the hunting cultural genes of the old gunmaking
town, realised with state-of-the-art technology and the most modern material.
It is our gunmakers, the guardians of
Meisterstück and MEM guns, who make
sure that no soulless industrial products
leave the Merkel manufactory.
PHILOSOPHY
29
MEISTERSTÜCK: Upon request: handcut checkering (left).
MEM: A laser beam cuts the checkering into a stock (right).
PHILOSOPHY
MEISTERSTÜCK
It is the special aesthetic that sets a
Meisterstück apart from conventional
guns. The contours are characterised by
their individual freeform. The freeform
of the gunmakers makes every Meisterstück unique in design – a genuine oneoff from Merkel.
The component parts of various materials are made to a calculated, fractional
oversize to allow perfectly flush surfaces
and exact dimensions when they are fitted together. This is only possible with
the finest handcraft – not with industrial
processes.
A Meisterstück has a special feel. Steel
and wood are individually and uniquely
made for each other and combine to
from an incomparable entity. The transitions between the barrel sets, receivers and stocks are perfectly casted – a
critical eye checks every dimension.
The production process is made to
measure for the Meisterstück. For
example, it takes more than 35 handwork production stages and almost 80
hours to make a Merkel 303E – and
that’s just the mechanical processing.
The finishing and refinement process
takes another 40 hours, at least. Special
engravings often take more than 170
working hours.
A Meisterstück is oriented towards
the perfect result – and not primarily
towards a rationalised production process. In this sense a Meisterstück is free
spirit, to a certain extent unaffected by
economic forces. A hunting rifle from
another time. The reward of perfect
handcraftsmanship is an elegant, finely
designed masterpiece that sits perfectly
in the hand.
31
OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUN 303E
ENGLISH ARABESQUE . MEDIUM SCROLLS
PHILOSOPHY
MEM
Modern hunting rifles are designed
differently from handcrafted rifles,
combinations and shotguns. The initial
development process is theoretical,
based on trial models. MEM hunting
rifles come into being in the process of
computer aided design (CAD) – with
close cooperation between practitioners, constructing engineers and designers. What they have conceived and
developed is manufactured and assembled in the Merkel manufactory.
MEM stands for Merkel Engineered
Manufacturing: a Merkel SR1 semiautomatic rifle, the single shot rifles of the B
or K class and the KR1 bolt action rifle
combine the knowledge of the Suhl
gunmakers in a new way. The result of
an involved development process is
hunting guns that, above all, guarantee
precision and reliability.
MEM rifles have evolved from handeddown expertise and from development
applications of cutting edge technology
– and precisely for this reason they have
to prove themselves in practice, before
they are put on the market. The Merkel
bolt action or semiautomatic rifle have
thousands of test shots behind them
before they are launched on the market. High-speed cameras and complex
measurement technologies provide us
with data and parameters – and the
conviction that we know more about
the modern hunting rifle and its safe
handling than most other manufacturers
in the world.
33
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE SR1
KEILER GOLD
MANUFACTORY
35
MANUFACTORY
MANUFACTORY
THE ESSENCE OF THE MANUFACTORY
The term “manufactory” originates
from the time the Merkel brothers
founded their company. From the
beginning, the manufactory combined
traditional manual skills with modern
industrial production methods.
The Merkels were children of the Industrial Revolution – but they were also
craftsmen. And thus they knew how to
combine machine work and handwork
most effectively. Merkel has preserved
this knowledge. Even MEM rifles, with
their high proportion of machine work,
are nevertheless individually manufactured products, in which gunmaker’s
skills are paired with engineering
technology. They are manufactured in
the same self-conception and with the
MANUFACTORY
37
same care as Meisterstücke – very often
on the same machines and by the same
people.
The manufactory is a living organism
and the finished goods are products of
the experience, the skill and (even if it
sounds overstated) the pride of those
that manufacture them. This applies
just as much to a modern Merkel rifle of
the MEM category as to a traditionally
manufactured Meisterstück.
An old Merkel design drawing of
a side-by-side shotgun on goatskin parchment. The material is pieced together and
sewn – it depicts a rifle on a scale of 1:1.
MANUFACTORY
MORE THAN JUST PURE HANDWORK
Merkel was always a promoter of the
gunmaking handcraft – that is still the
case today. And of course we hold in
high regard purely handmade hunting
guns, made from solid metal, that do
not use any industrially produced parts.
But we also know the technological
limits of these guns.
Merkel manufacturing goes one step
beyond the boundaries of handwork.
Every Merkel MEM and every Merkel
Meisterstück is the result of a process
that compliments the traditional handcrafts with the most up-to-date tools, if
this benefits the product and the customer. Innovation is not an empty cliché
for us; it has been the mainspring of our
success since the very beginning.
Electrical discharge machining and the
CNC production of workpieces are
part of this modern process, that helps
produce time-honoured Merkel hunting
rifles or modern MEM rifles of the highest quality. Electroerosive wire-cutting
works with minimum tolerances in a
range of 0.005 to 0.01 millimetres. Die
sinking produces sharp edges with al-
most the same precision – for example,
the guides of the bottom bites of break
open guns are made this way.
Computer-controlled 5-axis milling
centres work with tolerances from
+/- 0.01 millimetres – these are the
values required for the manufacture of
mechanical wristwatches. We use them
for processing steel or duralumin parts
as well as for wood. Thanks to CNC
milling we produce stocks with perfectly
flush joints to the steel parts of the barrel and receiver.
Shotgun barrels in the production line.
That such precision parts are subsequently fitted by hand or finished with
a traditional coating is no contradiction
for us. It all goes to improve the quality
of the finished product. Our employees
have all learned the classical gunsmith’s
craft – and refined it with knowledge of
high-tech production processes. This is
exactly where Merkel offers more.
Unique, handmade: white 303 action.
MANUFACTORY
39
No contradiction to high-tech: the barrel lugs of a side-by-side shotgun are trimmed with a file.
CNC machining for perfect workpiece production.
The result of combined handwork und high-tech machine work.
MANUFACTORY
FROM ONE-OF-A-KIND TO SERIES
PRODUCTION
The wide range of in-house production is typical of Merkel manufacturing.
All key processes are carried out in
our manufactory. Merkel makes all the
essential components of a gun itself:
barrels, stocks, lock components, locking mechanism parts and barrel sets.
Assembly, ballistic testing and final
inspection – we only rely on ourselves
to carry out these processes.
There are product groups where Merkel
makes no more than a single hunting
gun per year. There are others where
several thousand units are produced.
This flexibility in production quantities is
characteristic of Merkel manufacturing.
At the request of a customer we can
offer highly individualised hunting guns
– right down to the single item. At the
same time we produce Meisterstücks
in series, where this series production
seemed infeasible before the turn of
the millennium.
There is hardly another hunting gun
manufacturer in the world that covers
such an extensive product range. This
stretches from traditional hunting rifles
– our Meisterstücks – right through
to semiautomatic rifles of the MEM
category. Or from the massive Africa
side-by-side rifle to the modern bolt
action rifle.
One example: in our manufactory we
combine the classical handcraft of the
colour case hardening of a side-by-side
shotgun receiver with scientific methods
of material and surface research. With
three-dimensional computer simulations
or controlled shooting with the aid of
high-speed cameras, we draw nearer to
the ideal rifle. According to the Merkel
definition, the ultimate aim of the ideal
rifle combines functional aesthetic, high
precision, the highest quality and a
service life that will last for generations.
Even if they are distinguished by a
perfect finish and enjoy great popularity
among collectors, our rifles are all made
for contemporary hunting. And even if
we work with cutting-edge technology,
every Merkel rifle remains an individual
one-of-a-kind.
MANUFACTORY
41
Precision from the MEM series: the Merkel SR1 semiautomatic rifle.
MANUFACTORY
FROM THE IDEA TO THE PRODUCT
Merkel employees discuss the requirements profile of a new hunting gun in
informal working groups which include
gunsmiths, engineers and hunters. The
first question is always, what should it
be able to do? The decisive impulse often comes from the market. A company
that exports to over 40 countries in the
world knows that there is no such thing
as “the hunt”.
Different hunting cultures, gun legislation
and hunting laws, changes in hunting
conditions and game population as well as
hunting fashion influence which gun sells in
which market – and which does not. In discussion groups with importers, dealers and
hunters, Merkel is continually discussing
what the market needs – and how Merkel can cover and serve this demand.
Merkel manufacturing is also subject to
certain basic principles: to apply the best
possible technology for the respective
purpose and product, to lock steel against
steel, to guarantee the Merkel top-down
principle and to always find the optimal
combination of handcraft and machine
production.
Once the requirements profile is
defined, the work begins with a specifications sheet and the development
assignment. The aesthetic must keep
pace with the functionality. That is why
the Merkel development team is backed
up by a team of designers from the
outset. This enables the technology
and form to grow together – in the
same way that traditional hunting guns
come into being.
The development process is an interplay of structured, unstructured and
creative components – one could also
simply call it creativity. This can take
several years. But the time is well invested: at the end of the day a hunting
gun should emerge that lasts a lifetime
and is still functional even after 50 or
100 years. That’s how we see sustainability: a rifle that our grandchildren will
be able to enjoy.
Design studies of a Merkel SR1.
MANUFACTORY
43
SEMI-AUTOMATIC SR1
MODEL STANDARD
MANUFACTORY
QUALITY – AT MINUS 20 DEGREES
Quality is a word that’s often used. It
becomes much clearer if you imagine
the hunt at minus 20 degrees. A prime
wild boar, 60 meters shooting distance,
the best light for shooting and a ghostly
silence over the hunting ground. Now
it’s all down to you; and so that even
in this bleak hunting ground you can
depend on your Merkel, we have been
thinking far ahead.
The Merkel quality management system
MQM goes far beyond the requirements of ISO 9001. MQM is a process
oriented, holistic quality management
system for all Meisterstück and MEM
rifles. Quality is primarily a question of
perfect planning and organisation.
At Merkel the developers think far into
the future. They define load limits and
extreme situations – and their effect on
every single component of the gun. The
production process and the materials
are derived from this index of maximum
demands.
These findings form the basis of MQM.
This includes process accompanying
testing of individual parts on the site
of their production, permanent error
detection and the quickest possible
corrective action.
We are one of the few manufacturers of
hunting guns that make all the important components ourselves – including
the barrels. We only purchase supply
parts from companies who have committed to our quality code. We verify
their products in the incoming goods
department on the basis of internationally valid statistical procedures.
Quality with certificate.
During and after assembly we test every
single manufactured gun for function,
precision, handling, operability, appearance and finish; these tests go far
beyond the requirements of the legal
regulations. Merkel has a field office of
the State Proof House in the factory –
proof of the confidence and status of
our manufactory. No hunting gun leaves
the manufactory without the state seal.
All this for that single moment, because
we know: quality is quality at minus 20
degrees.
SR1 continuous firing test with certificate.
MANUFACTORY
45
Quality is produced – and tested.
Attention to detail: dimensional check of a trigger blade.
A matter of pride: down to the micrometer.
MANUFACTORY
THE PROCESS – MAKING A MEISTERSTÜCK
Parts store:
Forearm and
buttstock parts
Barrel set parts
Barrel maker:
Making the
barrel set
NC production:
Barrel set
processing
Breech block and
trigger parts
Barrel set
Burnisher:
Matting and burnishing
Action wooden parts
Action maker:
Adjust breech
block and first
assembly
State firing test:
with overpressure
Engraver:
Engraving
Stock maker:
Oiling and drying
Stock maker:
Checkering and waxing
Engraver:
Engraving
Breech block
Repairer:
Filing and dismantling
Burnisher:
Burnishing
Small parts unfinished
Burnisher:
Burnishing
Blueing, chemical Nickel
coating, nitrating
Small parts finished
Action maker:
Assembly and
disassembly
MANUFACTORY
47
Hardening:
Heat treatment
Action maker:
Assembly
Stock maker:
Stock working
Action maker:
as repairer
Test firer:
Precision
shooting
Stock maker:
Disassembly
Action maker:
Final assembly
Final
inspection:
Test firing,
Final test
Brush and dip
oxidisation
Hardening:
Nitrating
Hardening:
Colour case hardening
Cleaning and refining
MANUFACTORY
HIGH-GRADE PARTS
The finest recipes require the best
ingredients. We make no differentiation
when it comes to manufacturing parts.
The components of our hunting rifles
are all made to the same quality criteria
and often from the same materials – no
matter whether they are for MEM or
Meisterstück rifles. The intended use
and demands placed on the guns determine which material is used and how
it is processed.
A hunting gun consists of 130 component parts – and we manufacture every
important part in our Suhl manufactory.
The whole is more than the sum of its
parts – but we know that the whole
comes down to every part. It is often a
matter of a hundredth of a millimetre.
When a shot is fired, a bite plate on the
receiver absorbs the thrust load – and
must close perfectly and run smoothly.
Or it is a question of materials that have
special properties: V-springs of spring
steel, which accelerate the hammer with
unequalled vehemence.
The basic manufacturing of every part
follows its own laws and requires specific expertise. There is one essential
difference in the dimensional tolerances
of the parts of Merkel’s two manufactured gun categories: Meisterstück
parts are made to a required oversize,
to allow more play when they are fitted
and aligned to each other. MEM parts
at made to exactly defined manufacturing tolerances.
Ejector hammers for side-by-side guns.
Forging blanks for SR1 housing.
MANUFACTORY
49
Production stages of the housing of the semiautomatic rifle SR1.
Forearm blanks in the wood warehouse.
Wood scantlings of the highest quality.
KR1 bolt action rifle barrels with integrated locking mechanism.
MANUFACTORY
THE MODERN WIRE CUTTER
The stage where the mechanical
processing of difficult to machine materials reaches its limits is the stage where
electrical discharge machining (EDM)
comes into play. We use this technology to make traditional rifle parts such as
cocking rods, set triggers and auxiliary
levers for our Meisterstücks.
Many MEM parts are also produced
in this way. A major advantage of the
electro-erosive processing is the very
high level of dimensional accuracy;
even extremely hard materials such as
hardened steel, titanium or hard metal
can be processed. It is also possible to
produce edge-free edges and sharpedged geometric shapes. The erosive
processes used by Merkel are
computer controlled die-sink EDM and
wire-cut EDM. With wire-cut EDM a very
fine brass live wire cuts parts from the
workpiece in a non-conductive fluid
(dielectric). Temperatures from 1,000
to 5,000 °C are reached in a discharge
channel, which lead to melting and
evaporation of the material particles.
The achievable manufacturing tolerances are in the micrometer range.
With die-sink EDM, sparks are generated via a conducting tool (electrode)
onto the workpiece to be processed.
These sparks remove tiny particles of
material. The electrode is programmed
with the negative form of the workpiece
surface to be created.
Computer controlled wire-cut EDM.
Electroerosive wire cutter.
MANUFACTORY
51
The manufactory’s EDM production line.
Man-machine team: tolerances similar to the watch making industry.
High-precision: EDM sink machines
MANUFACTORY
CNC PROCESSING
The term CNC “computer numerical
control” – describes a world in which
lathes and milling machines are controlled by computer programs. The high
level of investment in production with
multi-axis machining centres and in
highly qualified staff is rewarded with
the highest quality.
In the Merkel manufactory, this occasionally leads to apparently bizarre
combinations of this technology and
the gunmaking handcraft. Once the
barrel maker has constructed and
justified his barrel set with tongs and
torch, solder and wire, this handmade
semi-finished part is clamped onto the
high-tech CNC machines. For example,
the computer controlled milling centre
processes the hooks of the barrel set of
break open gun, which later bind the
barrels and the action into one part.
Thus a single unit comes into being that
can withstand the enormous pressure
of a gunpowder explosion – with an
unparalleled combination of handcraft
intuition and computer precision.
Handwork meets high-tech: the forged barrel is clamped in the CNC milling machine.
MANUFACTORY
53
Only the best for wood: CNC processing of a butt stock.
Technical discussion of a Drilling barrel set.
Flying filings: a CNC controlled lathe cuts the barrel thread of a semiautomatic rifle.
MANUFACTORY
BARREL MAKING
Merkel is one of the very few hunting gun manufacturers in the world
that makes its own gun barrels. What
is more: many renowned hunting gun
manufacturers in Europe place their
trust in Merkel and buy their shotgun
and rifle barrels from the Suhl manufactory.
The hammer mills are the heart of the
Merkel manufactory. Two elaborate cold
forging machines process steel for the
barrels of MEM and Meisterstück guns.
The barrel blanks are made of hardened
and tempered, high-strength chromevanadium or chrome-molybdenum
steel. This process produces barrels
with calibre diameter tolerances of under 15 thousandth of a millimetre. The
barrel blanks are hammered into shape
by the four hammerheads of the cold
forging machine with the force of four
times 1.25 million Newton – equivalent
to four times 125 tonnes. A plug gauge
is inserted into the barrel blank, which
bears the negative profile of the fields
and grooves – and transfers these to
the inside of the barrel during the forging process. The result is cold forged
barrel as opposed to a conventionally
made barrel.
Characteristic of Merkel barrels is the
tapered form: the barrel narrows from
the receiver to the muzzle by approximately ten thousandth of a millimetre.
This prevents premature wearing of the
barrel and enhances the precision of
the shot. Merkel cold forging is based
on four key technologies: deep-hole
drilling, grinding, honing and annealing. Once the hole has be bored the
grinding and honing follow, which produces extremely smooth inner surfaces
in readiness for forging. These technologies, which are used in engine construction to finish the sliding surfaces of
the cylinder, smooth the Merkel barrels
to two thousandth millimetre exactitude, significantly increasing the service
life and the precision of the barrel.
Forging is followed by stress-free annealing in a vacuum furnace. Inevitable
stresses build up in the steel during
forging, which are dissipated by this
heat treatment over a period of several
hours.
High quality barrel steel.
Everything running smoothly: honing
MANUFACTORY
55
Deep-hole drilling: making a barrel from a steel rod.
Grinding: the barrel is ground to the perfect size.
Cold forging with an elemental force hammer mill.
Annealing dissipates the stresses in the steel.
MANUFACTORY
FLAMING WALNUT
Over the centuries walnut has proved
to be the ideal wood for making rifle
stocks: The striped or sometimes flaming or bird’s eye grain gives the wood
a particularly elegant appearance. It
shows its structural or colour differences
with a tangential, i.e. a flat section
cut. Walnut wood is medium-heavy
to heavy, strong and very elastic. This
flexibility combined with great strength
makes it the ideal wood for gunstocks.
The walnut is a stately tree, which
grows to a height of between 15 and
25 metres. “Turkish walnut” is the typical category of gunstock wood used for
Merkel hunting rifles. The best qualities
come from trees up to 300 years old,
growing in cold high altitude areas.
Here the trees grow slowly and develop
a pronounced grain. After the tree is
felled, the wood is cut up and dried
and stored for several years. Experienced master stock makers can already
tell at this stage what future splendours
the blanks hold.
The Merkel master stock makers know
where they can buy the most beautiful
walnut woods in the world. The wood
scantlings, the blanks, are sorted into
eleven gunstock wood categories in
the Merkel gunstock warehouse. This is
where the company’s capital in wood is
held; several thousand gunstock blanks
are stored here until they are selected
for processing for a suitable gun.
The drying oven is loaded.
MANUFACTORY
57
Wood expert classifying the gunstock blanks.
A glaze indicates the future effect of the grain.
Capital in the form of wood: the walnut blanks in the warehouse.
After the drying oven: testing the residual moisture content.
MANUFACTORY
GUNSTOCK
IN FORM
The master stock maker selects the
blanks with a trained eye. This is not a
simple undertaking, because he has to
assemble suitable wood pieces for the
forearm and butt stock and at the same
time anticipate their inner values. Most
time-consuming are the three-piece
forearms – so popular with over-andunder guns – which take a great deal
of effort to match up.
The well dried blanks are then sawn
and shaped on a copy-milling machine.
With a great deal of instinctive feeling
and some strenuous grinding work, the
wood for the stock parts is aligned to
the metal.
An old form for calculating the individual gunstock measurements of the customer.
MANUFACTORY
59
Fourfold copy-milling of butt stocks.
Reference specimens: butt stock models.
Milling the exact contours of a pistol grip.
The computer helps: CNC controlled gunstock milling.
MANUFACTORY
THE ART OF THE BARREL MAKER
When the Merkel brothers founded
their company in 1898, the ingenious
gunsmith Gebhard Merkel brought an
idea into the partnership. It concerned
an innovative technology for soldering gun barrel sets – which was later
patented.
According to this process, neither exclusively hard solder nor exclusively soft
solder should be used, but a combination of both. However, and this is the
art of the barrel maker, the required
temperatures must not be allowed
to damage the structure of the material. Hard solder joints guarantee the
highest stability, where locking forces
have to be absorbed. And soft solder
improves the heat dissipation through
its high level of flexibility. Our barrel
makers say: the barrel can breathe – so
it has room to expand. This terminology
also indicates the understanding that
our staff members have of their prod-
uct. They breath life into the barrel set
with skilled hands and centuries of Suhl
experience.
Tension-free and elegant, stable but
aesthetically slim and light – these contrary objectives can only be achieved
with barrel sets soldered in this way.
The secret of Merkel precision is the
experience of the employees in assembling the barrels. Despite high manufacturing precision, the components
require caliber-specific fine tuning by
hand, to ensure the hunting rifle hits
the target precisely. The intersection of
the barrels, that point where the barrel
axes of multi-barrel hunting rifles meet,
is individually determined according to
the respective caliber combinations.
Soft soldering the sight rail.
MANUFACTORY
61
Hard solder joints in the soldering furnace.
Precision work: aligning the barrel set.
Preparation for soft soldering.
Grinding the muzzle of a barrel set.
MANUFACTORY
PURE PRECISION
Our action makers assemble the
gunlocks and actions. And here the
Merkel range is almost unique: Greener
or Kersten cross bolts, combined with
double bottom bite, also tilted block
and cylinder breeches. Single, double
and triple locking systems in Anson &
Deeley, Blitz or sidelock design. Not to
forget various ejector systems, such as
coil springs and ejector locks.
To date, every Merkel action maker
has mastered the art of making the
mechanism of a hunting rifle by hand,
even when using simple tools. This
knowledge remains the basis for the
construction of high-precision parts,
which are then assembled to make the
gunlock.
The action maker is the one who makes
the steel practicable and brings it to
life. To ensure the firearm works, action
makers work without tolerances. This
profession is based on pure precision
mechanics – on the same level as the
fine watchmaker.
The action maker and his favourite tool – pliers for fitting the mainspring.
MANUFACTORY
63
Checking the click-stop device of a double rifle drilling. A snap ring is fitted with pincers.
White-finished action of a 303E over-and-under shotgun.
Visual inspection of the gap-free gunlock fit.
MANUFACTORY
THE FIRST SHOT
The ballistic test is the acid test for the
new hunting rifle. For the first shot on
the shooting range, the rifle is loaded
with cartridges that develop a 30% gas
pressure increase in rifles, compared
to conventional ammunition. With
shotguns the gas pressure is increased
by up to 100%. The rifles is fired with
these cartridges for the first time – and
then meticulously tested. The chamber, breech, receiver and barrels are
checked for faultless condition and
dimensional accuracy.
that the hunting rifle is safe for use.
The serial number, calibration mark
and manufacturers label Merkel, Suhl,
make the new rifle an unmistakable and
unique specimen.
The Merkel manufactory accommodates an official field office of the Suhl
Proof House. Within the company, gun
tests are carried out by Merkel according to the German Firearms Act – under the supervision of the State Proof
House: Another sign of confidence in
the traditional Suhl company.
Stamp of the State Proof House.
If the rifle passes the test, the shot
identification and date of the ballistic
test are affixed to the gun; they certify
Shot with overpressure.
MANUFACTORY
ZERO T ASSEMBLY
65
Traditionally manufactured hunting
guns – Merkel Meisterstücks – are
assembled twice. The first time, the
“white fitter” assembles the steel parts.
These are white parts, i.e. tempered
parts with untreated surfaces. These
individual parts have been made to
a certain tolerance in the prefabrication stage – now the white fitter makes
fine adjustments by hand and aligns
the tolerances to each other. Merkel
Meisterstücks are assembled without
tolerances: this is what “Zero T” stands
for. A fully functional hunting rifle is assembled; only to be dismantled again,
surface treated and further processed.
The perfect fit: a Drilling action assembled without tolerances.
MANUFACTORY
THE BRILLIANCE OF WOOD
The stock is an essential functional
element of a rifle – but the optical and
haptic qualities must also be right. To
achieve this Merkel uses the best walnut woods of each category.
It is not only the task of the stock to
provide the rifleman with a supporting
structure for shoulder, cheek and hands.
The butt stock also absorbs the repulsion power of the shot. The dimensions
and the design of the stock affect the
precision, appearance and the aesthetics of the rifle – as well as its ergonomics.
It is a question of bringing the cast,
drop, length of the stock wrist and the
stock into equilibrium. This requires
great skill on the part of the stock
maker. The functional dimensions are
transferred to the unprocessed stock by
means of the state-of-the-art machines
before experienced craftsmen get to
work on the stock. Iron and wood are
perfectly aligned by hand. This can
sometimes takes several hours.
Then comes the stock finish: the surfaces of the stock woods are perfected.
The stock is watered and ground and
the process repeated until open pores
are no longer visible. The stock can
then be finished in either silk-matt,
gloss or pore-filled. This is followed by
oiling, which accentuates the finest nuances of the grain.
Finally, the checkering is cut by hand or
with a laser beam; this enhances both
the grip and the elegance of the stock.
Checkering – cut by hand.
MANUFACTORY
67
The metal parts are fitted with a firmer chisel.
Fine finishing a cheek piece with a sanding wedge.
The gunstock oil accentuates the grain.
The butt stock before and after the surface finishing.
MANUFACTORY
THE ART OF THE ENGRAVER
The engraver’s work on the hunting gun
is where art and handcraft overlap. Merkel engravers have fashioned hundreds
of classical patterns and found thousands of individual solutions since the
company was founded.
The Suhl nickname “German Damascus” is both a claim and an obligation
of Merkel engravers. The artistry of its
engravers is one of the great strengths
of the Merkel manufactory. The animal
or the nature motif on the hunting gun
is a piece of hunting culture – it relates
directly to the archaic cave drawings of
the original hunters. It is both decoration and an invocation of hunting
fortune. It also gives expression to the
magic of the hunt.
in his trade. Engravers pass through a
classical apprenticeship and then many
years of vocational adjustment, until
they are ready for all-round deployment
in the manufactory. Nevertheless, every
engraver is a specialist in his motifs –
there are masters of arabesque patterns
with stylised tendrils and masters of
animal motifs. They work on a rotating
vice. With graver, chisel and hammer
they decorate the metal parts of the
Merkel rifles with delicate filigree work.
The artistry of the decoration is
achieved by a combination of colour
case hardening, engraving, stock cutting and inlay work, right through to the
hand engraved signature.
Merkel employs more than 15 engravers – each and every one a specialist
Receiver engraving with fantasy foliage.
MANUFACTORY
69
The rotating vice is the workplace of the engraver.
Traditional tools of the engraver.
Animal motif engraving on a sidelock.
MANUFACTORY
COLOUR CASE
HARDENING
created on steel surfaces with the aid
of leather carbon. The purely empirical
experience of Suhl colour case hardening has been handed down from generation to generation. Even today, the
chemical and physical processes of
colour case hardening have not been
completely researched. The wide range
of influencing factors make every result
unique.
With colour case hardening, a steel
surface is hardened by enrichment with
carbon. The play of colours ranges from
blue to brown and yellow to different
shads of red. The steel surface is heat
treated: leather carbon releases tannic
acid, which produces the individual
colours.
Merkel leather carbon for colour case
hardening is produced according to an
old formula – a modern paint coating of
the resultant fine surfaces offers additional corrosion protection and assures
the finished surface lasts. This tradition
is permanent.
Colour case hardening with the gunsmith – certified Suhl production.
MANUFACTORY
71
Leather carbon – home made.
For colour case hardening, steel and charcoal …
… are heated red hot in the furnace ...
... then immersed in water.
MANUFACTORY
MASTER OF SURFACES
It is the surfaces that make for the
fascination of a Merkel hunting gun.
Traditionally, a range of professions
are engaged in producing immaculate
finishes in the Suhl manufactory.
Brush oxidisation: these are the pots,
crucibles, standard containers filled
with different fluids, which – if applied
correctly – impart a fine surface to the
hunting guns.
The skilled burnishers with their acute
sense for hard steel ensure the perfect
surface. Burnishing is hard graft – but
what counts is the result. There is no
alternative to the quality of the handwork – particularly with Meisterstücks.
After burnishing, the metal surface is
sensitive and short-lived.
Our masters of blueing keep their cards
close to their chests. For the outsider it
is also hard to comprehend this sequence of over 30 work steps that takes
almost a whole working week. The
brushwork is done at a defined moisture level. And the steels are given time
to achieve a specified level of oxidisation. This is where the expert hand
ensures a perfect finish. The masters of
blueing invest more than eight hours
handwork in every Merkel Meisterstück.
Now it’s the turn of the masters of blueing: separate parts are heat blued. But
the high art is the brush oxidisation.
This may be somewhat old fashioned
and time-consuming, but it’s worth it to
us to achieve the results of the gunmetal gloss on the steel parts of our
Meisterstücks. Conventional heat blueing of the barrel would place a strain
on the soft solder joints on the Meisterstück barrel set and possibly give rise to
symptoms of corrosion.
But the time is well invested in a hunting gun made for generations and
protected by a permanent black-oxide
finish.
Hot baths, secret formulas.
MANUFACTORY
73
Master of the crucibles and baths – the surface specialist.
Acute sense for hard surfaces – the burnisher.
Brush oxidisation: targeted oxidisation make the barrels durable.
Jewelled finish on the inside of a sidelock.
MANUFACTORY
MAN WITH FINE
FEELING
The name “black fitter” is somewhat
misleading. He is the gunsmith for
precision work. He fits together components that have undergone diverse finishing processes and acquired perfect
surfaces. In the process he smoothes
out any possible distortions of the material which occurred during hardening.
In the meantime the barrel set has
been matt coated, burnished, then
engraved and blued. The receiver and
many small parts have been burnished
and engraved, nitrified or colour case
hardened. Now all the parts are fitted
together. The black fitter is at the end
of a process which is based on quality,
perfection and durable products. He
proudly holds what the manufactory has
produced.
The black fitter tensions the V-spring of the sidelock.
MANUFACTORY
75
The individual parts of a side-by-side shotgun sidelock action.
“Black fitting“: the trigger plate is fitted.
Fitting the set trigger on a Merkel 2011 over-and-under
combination rifle/shotgun.
MANUFACTORY
PRECISE SHOT
The finishing touch to make a Merkel
hunting gun a precision instrument, is
the test firing at the manufactory shooting range. Our specialists test the gun
using an open sight at 50 metres or
with a with a scope at 75 or 100 metres. Here the reference ammunition of
well-known manufacturers is used, the
point of impact corrected and the shot
precision defined.
When test-firing with the scope, the
height and side adjusters are exactly
positioned. The result is precise shot
grouping. These are electronically
documented and archived – a form of
birth certificate and a certification of
precision for every Merkel gun. The test
firing is a celebratory moment – now
the Merkel rifles and shotguns are ready
for use in the hunting ground or on the
shooting range.
Precise test firing at 100 metres distance.
MANUFACTORY
77
The test firer fine tunes the barrel set.
The shooting channel in the manufactory.
The first shot with quality ammunition of every caliber.
MANUFACTORY
THE FINAL
INSPECTION
At the final inspection the new hunting
gun is examined from various points
of view: Two hearts are beating in the
breast of the inspector. The eyes of the
gunmaker see the components and
functionality of the rifle. He opens the
breech, checks the action, function and
fit of all the parts of the gun. Nothing
escapes this stringent examination.
Then the new gun is observed “through
the customer’s eyes”. Nothing should
spoil the customer’s enjoyment of the
new hunting rifle, or detract from the
aesthetic of the gun. “Test the rifle as
if you were going to buy it yourself,”
is the guiding principle that makes for
satisfied hunters or sports shooters.
Opening the masterpiece: the inside of the receiver fulfils the promise of the outside.
MANUFACTORY
79
Quality control of the chamber of a side-by-side shotgun.
MEM
Modern hunting guns: cutting edge technology with the genes of the Suhl gunmaking
art: this is MEM. The acronym stands for Merkel Engineered Manufacturing and also
alludes to the “culture gene” mem. The floral motif, an illustration of nature, symbolises this category of the Merkel brand.
MEM
193
HUNTING GROUND
KRASNOJARSK I RUSSIA
HUNTING GROUND
195
MEM
MEM SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
MEM single shot rifles reinterpret Suhl traditional models such as the Carpathian rifle – with modern manufacturing methods.
MEM
SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
197
OVER-AND-UNDER
OVER-AND-UNDER
COMBINATION GUN
RIFLE
BERGSTUTZEN
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE
K CLASS SINGLE-SHOT RIFLES
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE K3
ERFURT DESIGN
SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
199
MEM
K CLASS SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
BUILT FOR THE PRECISION SHOT
MEM single shot rifles of the Merkel K
class have gained a special reputation
for distance shooting among precision
marksmen. These single barrel guns are
predestined for hunting in mountainous regions and for deerstalking. They
combine easy-to-handle size with low
weight – ideal prerequisites for this
physically demanding type of hunting.
The K class locks with a typical MEM
technology, which the Suhl gunmaker
Franz Jäger patented in 1906, and which
since then is considered one of the most
rugged breech for single shot rifles. A
steel block catches into a keyway of
the barrel and locks it – the steel on
steel principle applies. The tilted block
breech allows a light duralumin receiver
to be used, which enhances the responsiveness of the light-weight K3.
The finely tuned trigger with perfectly
adjustable trigger weight is a further indication that this gun class is designed
for the precision shot; as does the simple but exactly repeatable Suhl tilt-up
mount. Although technically innovative,
the form of this hunting gun draws on
the traditional Suhl style. The stock has
the Merkel curvature; the side plates
are inlayed in a prism and fastened with
engraved screws.
The greater weight of the K4 with its
steel receiver and octagonal barrel
(approx. 300 grams) makes the gun
something special. It is designed for
hunters who link the precision shot with
the stabilising mass of the rifle – and
continues the long tradition of the Merkel Carpathian rifle.
201
ERFURT DESIGN
K CLASS SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
CHARACTERISTICS
Break open with handcocking system - the safe combination.
ERFURT DESIGN
MEM
SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
203
The muzzle: Stutzen, K3 and K4 with octagonal barrel (from the left).
The Suhl tilted block breech of a K3.
Low sight line, highly shot-proof: Suhl tilt-up mount.
Fine adjustment possible: the adjustable trigger.
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE K3 | STUTZEN K3
FOR DEERSTALKING AND THE MOUNTAINS
The single barrel rifle is a special gun.
Aficionados value its optimised shot
performance to weight ratio. A special
form of single-barrel rifle, the Stutzen, is
mainly found in Alpine regions. The K3
single shot Stutzen is a variation on the
K class, which combines the short rifle
with the full barrel stock forearm. Lovers
of this special gun appreciate its handiness in practice – when stalking, in the
raised hide and also in transport. The
K3 Stutzen combines impressive shortness with efficient gun technology.
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE K3: KALIBER: .243 Win., 6,5x57R, 6,5x65R, .270 Win., 7x57R, 7x65R, .300
Win. Mag., .308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser, 7mm Rem. Mag., 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH:
60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 101 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,5 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE K3 STUTZEN: CALIBER: .7x57R, 7x65R, .308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser,
8x57 IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 50 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 91 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,4 kg
WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
MEM
SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
205
ERFURT DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 9
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE STUTZEN K3
GAME SCENE „JAGD“ MODEL | WOOD CLASS 4
FLORSTEDT‘S CARPATHIAN RIFLE
Alexander Florstedt (1863-1929) was a
famous writer on hunting at the beginning of the 20th Century. The Carpathian Mountains were not only his favourite hunting grounds; he also composed
the standard work on hunting in this
magical mountain range in Eastern
Europe. In line with his needs and according to his detailed requirements,
Merkel developed the first Carpathian
rifle. The current version of this traditional rifle is the K4. Its distinctive marks
are the octagonal barrel and the steel
receiver. The K4 thereby brings more
stabilising mass to the scales – important for a steady firing position. A rifle
exactly to the specifications laid down
by Florstedt, an advocate of the precision single shot. The K4 is available in
“Jagd” design – also with colour case
hardening.
SINGLE SHOT RIFLE K4: finely tuned adjustable trigger | single lock hand-cocking
system | automatic safety device - while opening automatically de-cock the gun |
Jäger tilted block breech with steel receiver | pistol grip, bavarian cheeck piece and
hogback comb
CALIBER: 6,5x65R, 7x65R, .300 Win. Mag., .308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser, 7mm Rem. Mag.,
8x57IRS BARREL LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 101 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,8 kg
MEM
SINGLE SHOT RIFLES
207
GAME SCENE „JAGD“ MODEL | WOOD CLASS 4
DESIGN SUHL | WOOD CLASS 7
B CLASS OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN B3
SUHL DESIGN
OVER-AND-UNDER
GUNS
BOCKBÜCHSFLINTEN
209
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDERS WITH SUHL GENES
In 1898 the Merkel brothers came to a
decision to build the most ambitious
over-and-under guns in the world. The
B3 and B4 are the modern MEM sisters
of the traditional 200 and 303 series
from the formative years. These robust
and practical guns are built around a
duralumin receiver and carry the Suhl
genes in the form of the Jäger tilted
block breech. This can be detached
without tools, and locks steel-on-steel
in the barrel. Merkel does not compromise with the barrel. All rifle and
shotgun barrels are cold forged in the
Merkel manufactory. The B class is
remarkably short and light and correspondingly responsive. The lower barrels of the B class are horizontally and
vertically adjustable, and free floating.
This guarantees an outstanding heat
dissipation. The models are differentiated by their locks and allow for different trigger preferences. The B3 model
has a double lock with manual cocking
system, the B4 model a single lock system, enabling precision shooting with a
finely tuned adjustable trigger.
211
OVER-AND-UNDER
COMBINATION GUN B3
GAME SCENE „JAGD“ MODEL
CHARACTERISTICS
Rugged Jäger tilted block breech.
OVER-AND-UNDER
COMBINATON GUN B3
ERFURT DESIGN
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
213
Safe manual cocking system: decocked until just before the shot.
The forearm of the B3 has the typical Merkel Schnabel.
Versatile and flexible: interchangeable barrels for the B4.
Always the identical point of impact: Suhl tilt-up mount.
B3 OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN
COMBINED GUNS WITH DOUBLE LOCKS
Versatile and safe in practice: the B3
is a modern over-and-under combination rifle/shotgun of the MEM category
with a double lock and manual cocking
system. The tilted block breech, top
sear levers and safety catches are Suhl
quality products, and give this hunting
gun a high level of safety in the field.
The free floating cold forged rifle barrel
from the Merkel manufactory guarantees precision; the shotgun barrel is
steel shot capable, in line with current
trends. Additional safety: when opening
the breech the locks are automatically
decocked. The B class shows its Suhl
roots in its details: traditional stock,
the side plates are fastened by means
of the prism technique. The forearm
is rounded off with the typical Merkel
snobble-tip. Interchangeable overand-under double rifle barrels are an
optional extra.
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN B3: two lock hand cocking system | with
safety automatic - while opening it decocked the gun | rugged Jäger tilted block breech |
barrel adjustment | double trigger with front set trigger | pistol grip, bavarian cheek piece and
hogsback comb | rubber butt plate
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: 1/2 (steel-shot proofed) RIFLE CALIBER: .223
Rem., .243 Win., 6,5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R, .308Win, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL
LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg WOOD CLASS: basic
wood class 2
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
215
SUHL DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 9
ERFURT DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 7
B4 OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN
FINELY TUNED TRIGGER
The B4 over-and-under combination
rifle/shotgun combines precision with
safety. Finely tuned triggers combined
with a single box lock enable highprecision shooting. The single lock
manual cocking system on the stock
wrist allows the gun to be carried in a
decocked status, and rapidly cocked
when required. The rifle barrel adjustment under the forearm is a technical
delicacy. The high-grade processing
right up to the steel middle barrel rail
is characteristic of the gun as a whole.
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN B4: single lock hand-cocking system | with
safety automatic – while opening it decocked the gun | rugged Jäger tilted block breech |
barrel adjustment | fine tuned double trigger | pistol grip, bavarian cheek piece and hogback
comb | rubber butt plate
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed) RIFLE CALIBER: .223
Rem., .243 Win., 6,5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R, .308Win, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL
LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg WOOD CLASS:
basic wood class 2
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
217
PREMIUM DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 4
CUSTOM MODEL | WOOD CLASS 4
B4 BERGSTUTZEN
TWO RIFLES IN ONE
Two in one: the Bergstutzen is a compact rifle, which combines two precise rifle barrels of different calibre in one gun. Thus the
hunter is well armed for all sorts of hoofed game. Merkel combines the manual cocking system with two finely tuned triggers. The
single lock system guarantees maximum safety – and two fine trigger blades. The calibres of the large and small rifle barrels allow
a variety of combinations. Moreover, over-and-under rifle/shotgun interchangeable barrels can easily be installed retroactively.
A standard feature of the B4 is the adjustable lower barrel, which can be adjusted to the height of the forearm. The barrel adjustment is protected by the forearm with the typical Merkel Schnabel.
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
219
BERGSTUTZEN B4
WEIMAR DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 5
OVER-AND-UNDER BERGSTUTZEN B4: single lock hand-cocking system | with safety automatic - while opening it decocked the gun | rugged
Jäger tilted block breech | barrel adjustment | fine tuned double trigger | pistol grip, bavarian cheek piece and hogback comb | rubber butt plate
LARGE CALIBER: .222 Rem., 5,6x50R Mag., 5,6x52R SMALL CALIBER: 7x57R, 7x65R, .308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R
BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 97 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,3 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
B3 OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE
DRIVEN HUNT SPECIALISTS
The over-and-under is the classic
Merkel hunting gun. The B3 is specially
designed for the driven hunt and the
rapid second shot. The features include
double locks, manual cocking system,
and adjustable single trigger. Merkel
has brought the practical features of
this MEM development up to the technically highest level. The technology is
combined with the high-strength Suhl
tilted block breech. The slim barrel set
is constructed without an upper tube,
which saves on weight; the lower barrel
is free floating. The muzzle adjustment
is protected by the forearm. The lines
of this over-and-under rifle follow the
Suhl tradition: from the Schnabel on the
forearm to the curved side of the stock.
OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE B3: double lock hand cocking system | safety automatic - gun
automatically decocks while opening | detachable Jäger tilted block breech | bottom barrel free
loating | adjustable in windage and elevation | single trigger- non selective, optional with double
rigger with set trigger | pistol grip, bavarian cheek piece and hogsback comb | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER: .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL LENGTH:
app. 97 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,2 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
MEM
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
221
OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE B3
GAME SCENE „JAGD“ MODEL
OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE B3
PREMIUM DESIGN WITH SIDE PLATES
DEKORATIVE STANDARDS
ENGRAVING
EXAMPLES
A rich selection of engraving pattern
styles are available for Merkel MEM guns.
K3 STANDARD
K3 STANDARD: simple arabesques
engraving.
K3 PREMIUM: side plates with simple
arabesque engraving. Side and bottom
engraved with english style arabesque.
K3/K4 JAGD: side plates with game scene
engraving different motives. Side and bottom engraved with english style arabesque.
K3 PREMIUM
K3/K4 JAGD
MEM
GRAVUR- EXEMPEL
223
B3 OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE STANDARD: Grey receiver with
simple engraving.
B3 OVER AND UNDER RIFLE JAGD: Side plates with game scene.
Different motives. Side and bottom engraved english style arabesque.
B3 OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE PREMIUM: Side plates with simple
arabesque. Side and bottom engraved with english style arabesque.
B3 OVER AND UNDER RIFLE DE LUXE: Black receiver, side
plates and stock of high grade wood.
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
MEM DE LUXE
JENA DESIGN:
Fine handmade engraving, two-animal
motif on each side, arabesque, oak-leaf
or “old German leaf” infill. Engraved
barrel breech and trigger guard. Walnut
stock with excellent grain pattern and
fine checkering basic wood class 5.
WEIMAR DESIGN:
Fine handmade engraving, two-animal
motif in relief on each side. Arabesque,
oak-leaf or “old German leaf” infill.
Choice of infill and animals. Engraved
barrel breech and trigger guard. Stock
finely carved to complement the infill
style. Selected highly grained walnut
wood, with basic wood class 6.
MEM
ERFURT DESIGN:
Long side plates, finely chiselled hunting scenes with up to four animal motifs
on each side and one animal motif on
the underside of the receiver. Choice of
infill and animals. Fully engraved barrel
breech and trigger guard. Stock made
of highly figured walnut with fine stock
carving. Basic wood class 6. Silver pistol
grip cap with monogram.
SUHL DESIGN:
Long side plates, elaborate relief engraving with up to four animal motifs
on each side and one animal motif engraved on the underside of the receiver. Choice of infill and ornamentation.
Breech end of barrel fully engraved
with fine gold border; gold-plated triggers. Finely carved stock highly figured
with strongly contrasting grain. Basic
wood class 7. Silver pistol grip cap with
monogram.
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
225
HUNTING GROUND
OASIS WADI MILEIHA MOUNTAINS I UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
HUNTING GROUND
227
MEM
SINGLE BARREL MULTI-LOADER
Historical ballistic data from the old gunmaking town.
MEM
229
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE
BOLT ACTION RIFLE
SUHL – WITHOUT RECEIVER
The history of the old gunmaking town
of Suhl was never limited to traditional break barrel guns. Merkel and its
preference for hunting rifles played a
special role here. Nevertheless in the
reengineering phase at the turn of the
millennium Merkel developed repeating and self-loading hunting guns –
widely esteemed precision engineering
masterpieces. The Suhl manufactory
drew on many sources and experts in
the process. But the Suhl qualities were
never forgotten. Many of the concepts
on which the actions were based originated in the city of Suhl.
231
STANDARD DESIGN
KEILER GOLD DESIGN
SR1 SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE
233
MEM
SUHL SELF-LOADER
The market launch of the SR1 semiautomatic rifle in 2006 changed the image
of the Merkel brand. Besides the traditional hunting gun, Merkel had now
its own interpretation on the theme
of the “semi-automatic” in its product
range and thus proved its competence
in all segments of hunting gun construction. Merkel developed this product
together with self-loader specialists
and designers. Aerospace technology
supplied a number of functional and
material solutions. A 1,500 cartridge
continuous loads test with eleven different cartridge loads, under the official
supervision of the State Proof House
in Suhl, confirmed the highest level of
safety and fitness for purpose of this
rifle. In the spring of 2006, the first
semiautomatic rifle left the Suhl manufactory.
Hunting scene with running wild boars.
MEM
235
Big hunting scene with red deer.
CUSTOM MODEL
CHARACTERISTICS
Solid rotary bolt head with six locking lugs.
PREMIUM DESIGN
Safe handling: the slot-in magazine for rapid reloading.
MEM
237
Modular construction: easily dismantled for cleaning and transport.
Driven hunt scope rail: prepared for different mounts.
Stock wedges: cast and drop self-adjusted.
Adjustable luminous front sight for unfavourable light conditions.
SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE SR1 STANDARD | SR1 PREMIUM
ESPRIT OF THE GUN MAKER
At first glance the SR1, with its ergonomic design, appears aesthetically
removed from the values of the company. On second glance, however, the
high precision, the form-fitted design
and the functionality of this hunting gun
discloses the “esprit” of the Suhl gunmaking art. Example: the self-cleaning
system of the gas-pressure self-loader
allows the use of a wide range of ammunition without manual intervention in
the gas system.
SELFLOADING RIFLE SR1: gas selfloading system | solid rotary bolt head with 6 locking
lugs | safety automatic - shot release with locked action only | free floating precision barrel |
driven hunt sight | butt stock with straight stock back | adjustable drop and cast off | rubber
recoil pad
Caliber: .223 Rem., 7x64, .308 Win., .30-06, 8x57IS, 9,3x62, .300 Win. Mag. MAGAZINE: 2 and
5 shots (standard caliber), 2 rounds (Magnum caliber) BARREL LENGTH: 50 cm (Magnum: 51 cm)
OVERALL LENGTH app. 106 cm (Magnum: ca. 107 cm) WEIGHT: app. 3,2 kg WOOD CLASS:
basic wood class 1
MEM
239
STANDARD MODEL | WOOD CLASS 3
PREMIUM MODEL | WOOD CLASS 5
SR1 KEILER GOLD SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE | SR1 JAGD
PRACTICALLY AESTHETIC
The SR1 sets the standard in matters
of ergonomics – this hunting rifle is
optimally adapted to the human form.
All the operating elements are perfectly
accessible and handily designed. The
gun can also be handled without problem when wearing gloves. The smooth,
closed forms protect against soiling and
do not catch against clothes or branches. An added extra for the aesthetes,
this practical hunting gun is also finely
engraved.
SELFLOADING RIFLE SR1: Gas selfloading system | solid rotary bolt head with 6 locking
lugs | safety automatic - shot release with locked action only | free floating precision barrel |
driven hunt sight | butt stock with straight back | adjustable drop and cast off | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER: .223 Rem., 7x64, .308 Win., .30-06, 8x57IS, 9,3x62, .300 Win. Mag. MAGAZINE: 2 and
5 shots (standard caliber), 2 rounds (Magnum caliber) BARREL LENGTH: 50 cm (Magnum: 51 cm)
OVERALL LENGTH: ca. 106 cm (Magnum: ca. 107 cm) WEIGHT: ca. 3,2 kg WOOD CLASS:
basic wood class 4
MEM
241
KEILER GOLD MODEL
JAGD MODEL
BOLT ACTION RIFLE KR1
BOLT ACTION RIFLE
CUSTOM MODEL WITH GOLD INLAYS
KR1 BOLT ACTION RIFLE
243
MEM
HANDY GUN WITH SHORT STROKE BOLT ACTION
In terms of design and functionality,
Merkel’s short bolt action has gone its
own way – the shortest way; and attracted much attention in the process.
Typical of MEM rifles from Merkel. A traditional principle has been cast in a new
form. The breech is extremely short,
with a small opening angle. This enables
rapid repeat shooting. The bolt carrier
covers the lock and chamber and pro-
tects the action. The reliable rotary bolt
head is a classic with high-level safety
reserves – tested to 8,000 bar. The KR1
has some subtle features to facilitate
transport: a quick release magazine,
easy disassembly and handy transport
dimensions, plus various mount possibilities and a modular calibre concept.
Typical MEM – the good old Suhl genes.
245
CHARACTERISTICS
Rotary bolt head: solid and tested to 8,000 bar.
BOLT ACTION
RIFLE KR1
CUSTOM MODEL
Easy reloading: despite the scope the loading port is free.
MEM
247
Good traveller: compact transport dimensions, easy to disassemble.
Unloading pull the plate down and remove the magazine.
In your sights: Suhl tilt-up mount for reproducible results.
Self-made barrels: barrel versions from the Merkel manufactory.
BOLT ACTION RIFLE KR1 STANDARD | KR1 PREMIUM
PLAIN ELEGANCE
Purists value its functionality – and the
basis model of the Merkel bolt action
offers functionality in abundance. All
technical options and functions are
available. The rifle is easy to disassemble with compact transport dimensions.
Changing calibres is easy by interchanging barrels and, where necessary,
magazines and locking bolt head. The
user-friendly short stroke bolt action
shows its worth during repeat shooting.
The detachable magazine developed
by Merkel is located beneath the trigger plate, enabling the magazine to be
changed quickly. All models are also
available with left-handed actions.
BOLT ACTION KR1: Bolt head with six locking lugs with small opening angle | three position saftey on the tang | combination trigger with set | magazine capacity 3+1 (2+1 for Magnum
caliber) | butt stock with hogsback comb, pistol grip with Bavarian cheeck piece (starting with
Premium design) | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER GROUP Short: .222 Rem., .223 Rem Standard: 6,5x55SE, .243 Win., .270 Win., .308
Win., .30-06, 7x64, 7mm-08 Rem., 8x57IS, 9,3x62 Magnum: 7mm Rem. Mag., .270 WSM,
.300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Win. Mag. BARREL LENGTH: 51,5; 56,5; 61,5 cm OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,9 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
MEM
249
BOLT ACTION KR1
STANDARD DESIGN | LEFT HAND ACTION
BOLT ACTION KR1
PREMIUM DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 4
KR1 STUTZEN BOLT ACTION RIFLE | KR1 JAGD
THE INDIVIDUAL BOLT ACTION RIFLE
The KR1 represents a modern, modular rifle concept in the Merkel MEM
category. The model versions on offer
can be further individually configurated. This rifle can also be individualised
through high-grade handcraftsmanship.
One of the most desirable designs is
that of the KR1 Stutzen. The full stock
of select walnut with precious fish scale
checkering make this bolt action rifle an
individual and aesthetic hunting gun.
Beside the high-grade wood, a standard feature of the Jagd model is the
fluted barrel with driven-hunt sight.
BOLT ACTION KR1 STUTZEN: Bolt head with six locking lugs with small opening angle |
three position saftey on the tang | combination trigger with set | magazine capacity 3+1 (2+1
for Magnum caliber) | butt stock with hogsback comb, pistol grip with Bavarian cheeck piece
(starting with Premium design) | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER: .243 Win., .308 Win., .30-06, 7x57, 7x64, 8x57IS, 9,3x62 BARREL LENGTH: 51,5 cm
OVERALL LENGTH: 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,9 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
BOLT ACTION KR1 JAGD: Specification and caliber according to KR1 Standard
MEM
251
BOLT ACTION KR1
STUTZEN DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 4
BOLT ACTION KR1:
JAGD DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 5
KR1 JENA BOLT ACTION RIFLE | KR1 WEIMAR
FINEST THURINGIA BOLT ACTION RIFLES
City names have always been a classification criterion for the high-grade
outfitting of Merkel hunting rifles. The
basic rule is, the nearer the location
to the gunmaking town of Suhl on the
map, the more valuable the outfitting. Good for the man who knows his
Thuringia geography. The Jena design
is distinguished by a select walnut stock
and handmade arabesque engraving.
The trigger and bolt head are titan-nitrated. The Weimar design is additionally fitted with a rounded bolt housing,
which is hand engraved with animal
motifs and optional trim. The stock is
made of highly figured walnut with a
rosewood forearm tip – a Meisterstück
in the MEM category.
BOLT ACTION KR1 JENA | WEIMAR: Bolt head with six locking lugs with small opening
angle | three position saftey on the tang | combination trigger with set | magazine capacity
3+1 (2+1 for Magnum caliber) | butt stock with hogsback comb, pistol grip with Bavarian cheeck
piece (starting with Premium design) | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER GROUP Short: .222 Rem., .223 Rem. Standard: 6,5x55SE, .243 Win., .270 Win.,
.308 Win., .30-06, 7x64, 7mm-08 Rem., 8x57IS, 9,3x62 Magnum: 7mm Rem. Mag., .270 WSM,
.300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Win. Mag. BARREL LENGTH: 51,5; 56,5; 61,5 cm OVERALL
MEM
253
BOLT ACTION KR1
JENA DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 5
BOLT ACTION KR1:
WEIMAR DESIGN | WOOD CLASS 6
MEISTERSTÜCK
This is a hunting gun comprising more than one hundred components – but it is
not an industrial product. It is manufactured according to old concepts with a great
deal of handcraft – nevertheless, contemporary technology makes the Meisterstück
a modern gun. It is made to last for generations – a Merkel Meisterstück.
81
MEISTERSTÜCK
HUNTING GROUND
TUSCANY I ITALY
HUNTING GROUND
83
MEISTERSTÜCK
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
Many of the specifications from the formative years still apply today: Extract from a Merkel catalogue of the 1930s.
MEISTERSTÜCK
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
85
OVER-AND-UNDER
OVER-AND-UNDER
OVER-AND-UNDER
SHOTGUN
COMBINATION GUN
EXPRESS RIFLE
BERGSTUTZEN
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
OVER-AND-UNDER – AN IDEA FROM SUHL
The Bock over-and-under gun is an idea
from Suhl – and is closely associated
with the Merkel brothers. The name
derives from the soldiers, who propped
up their arquebuses to improve accuracy. Presumably the term “Bock” rifle
derives from this procedure, where one
barrel was “propped” upon another.
Initially, it was only a patent by Gebhard Merkel for a special solder joint
for over-and-under barrels that made
the over and under gun ready for series
production, and increased its popularity. It became so popular, that Merkel
introduced a special manufacturing
process for “Bock” over-and-under
guns as early as 1905.
In the following years Merkel became
famous for its Bock over-and-under
guns, such as the 200 series (today the
2000 series). These hunting guns were
much more than just a vertical version
of side-by-side guns. The over-andunder gun offered a number of advantages. Aiming over one barrel with
the front sight on the muzzle does not
restrict the vision more than is necessary. By comparison, the two barrels of
the side-by-side shotgun conceal part
of the field of vision – particularly with
a moving shot.
In 1931 Merkel registered the term
“Bock” as a trademark for hunting and
sporting guns – the design concept
proved to be a revolution in hunting gun construction. Since 1924 the
Merkel 303 has been rated one of the
best balanced and responsive hunting
shotguns: the new slim line made this
possible.
It was the sports shooters who first
noticed the superiority of the over-andunder gun when shooting in motion.
The over-and-under shotgun was far
superior to the classic side-by-side
shotgun when shooting skeet, which
is why it took only a few years for
the “Bock” over-and-under gun to
establish itself in the sport.
MEISTERSTÜCK
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS
87
OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE 323E
JAGD DESIGN
SIDELOCK OVER-AND-UNDER GUN 303 SERIES
ENGLISH ARABESQUE | MEDIUM SCROLLS
OVER-AND-UNDER GUNS 300 SERIES
89
MEISTERSTÜCK
THE IDEAL HUNTING RIFLE
By the 1920s Merkel had perfected the
over-and-under gun to such a degree
that development work was started on
building the ideal rifle – the ultimate
over-and-under gun. The product was
supposed to make history – in the hunting grounds as well as on the sports
shooting ranges of the world. The 303
series was developed with the intention
of combining the most sophisticated
technology with a perfect appearance
to make the ideal over-and-under gun.
And in 1924 Merkel actually managed to
launch an archetype; an over-and-under
gun which has been replicated in different parts of the world. Often copied
but never matched. The 303 over-and-
under gun remains the original, virtually
unchanged since its inception, still made
with a high proportion of handwork. For
the former president of the International
Shooting Sport Federation, the Mexican
Olegario Vázquez Raña, it is “the queen
of hunting guns” – one of the best balanced guns in the world. The interaction
of all the components of a 303 series
gun is equivalent to that of mechanical
watch. The sidelock with its V-springs is
in fact an energy storage system, which
calls to mind the master watchmaker
Henlein’s first experiences with spring
steel – and the first pocket watches.
The two sidelocks can be detached via
a concealed sidelock lever and shine in
fine technical elegance. These sidelocks
are the highlights of the handcraft of the
action maker. V-springs reach a tension
force of up to 250 Newton and transfer
this stored energy to the hammer more
rapidly and explosively than coil springs.
The shot development time is considerably shortened. This is the time from
pulling the trigger to the time the shot
leaves the barrel. These fragile milliseconds, in which the marksman has nothing to do except hold his gun on target,
are crucial to sporting and hunting success – and experienced marksmen value
every reduction as a quantum leap. The
V-spring was and is one of the most vital
solutions to this problem. The 303 series
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shows the importance Merkel attaches
to safety. The rifle has four stand-alone
locking mechanisms. The main load is
born by the Kersten cross bolt with double bottom bite. This is supplemented
by a locking element called "the circle”
at Merkel. When a shot is fired, this
component ensures form-fitted power
transmission between the barrel and the
receiver.
V-spring sidelock with lever and jewelled finish.
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN 313E
JAGD DESIGN I SPECIAL ENGRAVING WITH GOLD INLAYS
CHARACTERISTICS
V-spring sidelocks – detachable – with precious finishing.
OVER-AND-UNDER
SHOTGUN 303E
ENGLISH ARABESQUE
Elaborate ejector locks – for the 303, a matter of course.
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The articulated trigger prevents injury when shooting.
Three piece forearm for an elegant, slim appearance.
The Kersten cross bolt: classic over-and-under locking mechanism.
The tie on the pistol grip: precious detail on the stock of highgrade wood.
SIDELOCK OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUN 303E
MADE TO LAST GENERATIONS
Since 1924 – and probably for as long as hunters exist: the 303 is the over-and-under classic among the Merkel Meisterstücks. In
1932 this rifle cost around 1550 Reichsmarks; more than the Opel P4, which cost 1400 Reichsmarks at that time. No question about
it: the 303 was and is a luxury product. Its functional principles and its appearance still correspond to the original idea of the perfect
over-and-under gun – but the materials used and the performance of this gun have been constantly adapted to the current state of
technology. Is there a better form of sustainability than being made to last for generations?
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ENGLISH ARABESQUE | WOODCLASS 7
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 303E: sidelocks with V-springs and concealed leaver for tool-less detach form the receiver | Kersten cross
bolt with double conventional bottom bite | double trigger with an excellent characteristic | front trigger articulated | optional selective single
trigger | manual trigger safety with intercepting safety sear | hammer ejectors with V-springs | engraving English arabesquese | highly figured
luxury grade walnut, pistol grip or English styled stock | handcrafted stocks to individual specifications | three-piece forearm for a slim line |
optional pairs
CALIBER: 12/76 and 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 BARREL-LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 114 cm (cal. 12), app. 111 cm (cal. 20) weight: app. 3,2 kg WOODCLASS: basic wood class 7
SIDELOCK OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUN 303E
WOOD AND STEEL IN PERFECT HARMONY
You take the finest walnut wood, hard steel and a great deal of craftsmanship and gunmaking expertise – and you make one of the
most superb over-and-under guns in the world. The 303E was always a hunting gun for the connoisseur – custom-made and embellished according to old Suhl formulas, and individualised to meet the desires of the future owner. The pictured example combines
an English stock with a detailed hare engraving.
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OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 303E
CUSTOM MODEL | ENGLISH STOCK | WOOD CLASS 10
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 303E: sidelocks with V-springs and concealed leaver for tool-less detach | Kersten cross bolt with double
conventional bottom bite | double trigger with an excellent characteristic | front trigger articulated | optional selective single trigger | manual
safety with intercepting safety sear | hammer ejectors with V-springs | engraving English arabesquese | highly figured luxury grade walnut, pistol
grip or English styled stock | handcrafted stocks to individual specifications | three-piece forearm for a slim line | optional pairs
CALIBER: 12/76 and 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 BARREL-LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 114 cm (cal. 12), app. 111 cm (cal. 20) WEIGHT: app. 3,2 kg WOODCLASS: basic wood class 7
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN 313E | OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE 323E
OVER-AND-UNDER CLASSICS
Merkel sidelock over-and-under guns
leave many options open. The 12 and
20 calibre receivers can accept combination gun or double rifle barrel assemblies. Interchangeable barrel assemblies
can also be installed retroactively.
The exclusive features of 313E und 323E
correspond to the over-and-under shotgun of this series. Both have a double
trigger with articulated trigger. The
stock has a pistol grip, a German cheek
piece and hogback comb.
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION 313E: RIFLE CALIBER: 6,5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R,
.308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R SHOTGUN CALIBER: 12/76 or 20/76 BARREL
LENGTH: 60 cm OVER ALL LENGTH: 103 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,5 kg ENGRAVING: game scene
engraving Jagd WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 7
OVER-AND-UNDER EXPRESS 323E: CALIBER: 7x57R, 7x65R, .308Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser,
8x57IRS, 9,3x74R, .375 H&H BARREL LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: 103 cm WEIGHT:
app. 3,7 kg engraving: game scene engraving "JAGD" WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 7
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OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN 313E
JAGD DESIGN | WOODCLASS 8
OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE 323E
CUSTOM MODEL | WOODCLASS 8
JAGD DESIGN
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MEISTERSTÜCK
THE ROBUST OLDER SISTER
The triumphal procession of Merkel
over-and-under guns started with the
200 series in the 1920s. A gun with a
long tradition – but free from preciousness. The 200 series was reengineered
in 1995 and then – in homage to the
outgoing millennium – renamed the
2000 series.
From an historical viewpoint, this was
the first time that Merkel combined
handwork with industrial processes,
gunmaking culture with series precision in one class of gun. The individual
parts for this series have always been
manufactured in the Merkel high-precision parts department. The gunmaker
comes into his own when fitting and refining the parts: the free forms of these
Meisterstücks can only be perfected
with painstaking handwork.
The main difference to the 303 series
is that 2000 series over-and-under
guns are made with a boxlock. Only
the flagship of the series traditionally has sidelocks. The Merkel lock is
a Suhl modification of the Anson &
Deeley boxlock of 1875, with compres-
sion spring ejectors. This classic lock is
highly functional and offers maximum
reliability. This derives from the puristic
simplicity of the design. All the functional parts are accommodated in the
receiver, and no compromises are made
where aesthetics are concerned. At
Merkel each calibre has its own dimensioned steel receiver, which makes for
perfect optical harmony from the barrel
to the action (calibre-adapted receiver).
And the slim line can be perfectly
rounded off by selecting the matching
three-piece forearm – distinguishable
by its finely engraved screws. A stock
mounted in three parts enables more
elegant forearm forms than a onepiece, which has to fit over the lower
barrel.
Similarities with the 303 series: in terms
of individualisation the 2000 series does
not fall short of its fine sister. Every
finishing stage is offered by Merkel –
through to the individual engraving of
long side plates.
The over-and-under combination guns
and over-and-under rifles of the 2000
series are equipped with the Merkel
Duo manual cocking system. This allows
the two locks to be cocked immediately
before the shots are fired using the
manual cocking system, or alternatively
cocking via the barrels, and thus rapid
following shots.
The muzzle adjustment (horizontal and
vertical) of the over-and-under double
rifle is technical treat.
This unique and complex Merkel system
functions via a thread-adjustable slot
wedges. This enables the gunmaker to
finely adjust the barrels – without stressing the hard and soft solder joints.
103
OVER-AND-UNDER
COMBINATION GUN 2012E
JAGD DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS
Typical of Merkel over-and-under guns: the solid Kersten cross
bolt locks the steel receiver. Disconnectable ejectors, as standard.
OVER-AND-UNDER
SHOTGUN 2003C
JAGD DESIGN
Precision detail for all 2000 series guns: single selective trigger.
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Pure precision engineering: detachable sidelock via lever of a
2003 over-and-under shotgun.
The over-and-under shotguns with multi-chokes, as standard. The
over-and-under rifles are equipped with muzzle adjustment.
Slim and elegant forearm, assembled from three wooden parts:
standard with 2002C, 2003C, 2012 and 2022.
All options: multi-chokes for the 2000 o/u shotguns.
OVER-AND-UNDER SHOTGUN 2000C
GAME SHOTGUNS: COMPLETELY FITTED OUT
The over-and-under shotgun 2000 series has a long hunting tradition and has achieved a great deal of sporting success. Besides the
dominant 12 calibre, Merkel also makes lightweight shotguns in the 2000 series. The 20 caliber is characterised by its light weight,
excellent responsiveness and comfortable recoil. The “C” in the in type designation signifies the complete fitting out of the gun: C
stands for “Complete”. From a technical point of view, complete fitting out means: steel-shot capability and interchangeable chokes,
selective single trigger, adjustable in the length. A convenient detail: the shotguns are equipped with disconnectable ejectors as
standard. Optically, the 2000C gleams with rich arabesque engraving.
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OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2000C
DESIGN ENGLISH ARABESQUE
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2000C: modified Anson & Deeley locks in steel receiver | Kersten cross bolt | selective single trigger,
adjustable in the length | manual safety with intercepting safety sear | disconnectable ejectors | engraving English arabesque | stock with pistol
grip and cheek piece (other stock available) | interchangeable chokes steel-shot proofed (2 chokes included)
Caliber: 12/76 or 20/76 Choke: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 barrel length: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL
length: app. 112 cm (cal. 12), app. 109 cm (cal. 20) weight: app. 3,1 kg wood class: basic wood class 2
GAME SCENE ENGRAVING AS STANDARD
The C version of the 2001 is characterised by high-grade wood and extensive
game scene engraving with arabesque
trimming on the steel receiver assembly. Even the forearm catch, trigger and
locking lever are richly decorated with
Merkel engraving.
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2001C: modified Anson-Deeley locks in steel receiver | Kersten cross bolt | selective single trigger, adjustable in the length | manual safety with intercepting
safety sear | disconnectable ejectors | game scene engraving Jagd | stock with pistol grip and
cheek piece (other stock available) | interchangeable chokes steel-shot proofed (2 chokes included)
Caliber: 12/76 or 20/76 Choke: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 barrel length:
71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) overall length: app. 112 cm (cal. 12), app. 109 cm (cal. 20)
weight: app. 3,1 kg wood class: basic wood class 4
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JAGD DESIGN
PRINCE OF WALES PISTOL GRIP | THREE-PIECE FORARM
SIDE PLATES – ROOM FOR DECORATION
The long side plates are a traditional
feature of fine hunting guns. They offer
room for decorative engraving and optically extend the receiver. Merkel has
produced the 2002C for lovers of these
guns. The prismatically inset side plates
make an impression with their perfectly
handcrafted workmanship. A stock of
class 5 walnut, a “Jagd” (game scene)
engraving and the three-piece forearm
with engraved screws bring the 2002C
to “complete” perfection.
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2002C: modified Anson&Deeley locks in steel receiver |
Kersten cross bolt | selective single trigger, adjustable in the length | Manual safety with intercepting safety sear | disconnectable ejectors | game scene engraving Jagd | Stock with pistol
grip and cheek piece (other stock available) | three-piece forearm | interchangeable chokes steelshot proofed (2 chokes included)
Caliber: 12/76 or 20/76 Choke: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 barrel
length: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) overall length: app. 112 cm (cal. 12), app. 109 cm
(cal. 20) weight: app. 3,1 kg wood class: basic wood class 5
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JAGD DESIGN | WOODCLASS 8
CUSTOM MADE | COLOUR CASE HARDEND
AND GOLD INLAY | WOODCLASS 8
WITH FINE SIDELOCKS
The 2003C version is the flagship of the 2000 series – it relates to a forerunner from the pervious century, the 203, which was the link
between the 200 and 303 series. Like its predecessor, the 2003C makes an impression with its special Merkel sidelocks. The precision
engineered parts draw their energy from powerful compression springs, which combine optimised shot development time and excellent trigger pull, with extreme robustness for everyday use. A functional gun for the hunt – and also for the fireplace room, because
the sidelocks are removable.
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OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2003C
OVER AND UNDER SHOTGUN 2003C: steel receiver | detachable Sidelocks with compression springs | Kersten cross bolt | double
trigger with an excellent characteristic – typical for side locks | manual safety with intercepting safety sear | disconnectable ejectors | game scene
engraving Jagd | highly figured luxury grade walnut, pistol grip and cheeck | three-piece forearm for a slim line | interchangeable chokes (steelshot proofed)
Caliber: 12/76 Choke: 1/4-1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4-3/4, 1/2-1/1 barrel length: 71 cm (cal. 12) overall length: app. 112 cm (cal.12)
weight: app. 3,1 kg wood class: basic wood class 6
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUNS 2010D I 2011D I 2012D
UNIVERSALIST IN THE HUNTING GROUND
The over-and-under combination rifle/shotgun is a patented universal gun for well mixed hunting grounds. The 2010D has its roots
way back in the beginning of the previous century. At the time it was considered to be a robust tool with no airs and graces – but
with all sorts of technical finesses. A further one was the Duo manual cocking system – this is what the “D” signifies in the model designation. These combination guns are manual cocking guns before the first shot is fired: the gun can be decocked and safely carried
until just before the shot. If the gun is immediately reloaded, the rifle becomes a classical self-cocking gun and rapid following shots
are possible without recocking. If no shot is fired, the lock can simply be decocked again. The over-and-under combinations gun
models varies in wood grade and long side plates.
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OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN 2011D
OVER-AND-UNDER COMBINATION GUN 2010D I 2011D I 2012D: modified Anson & Deeley locks in steel receiver | Kersten cross bolt |
selective single trigger, adjustable in the length I manual safety with intercepting safety sear I disconnectable ejectors |pistol grip, cheekpiece and
hogsback comb I picture shows a prepared swing mount
Caliber: 6,5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R, .308 Win., .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R SHOTGUN CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 BARREL LENGTH:
60 cm OVERAL LENGTH: app. 101 cm weight: app. 3,4 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
OVER-AND-UNDER DOUBLE RIFLE 2020D I 2021D I 2022D
THE RAPID SECOND SHOT
The over-and-under double rifle 2000 series are fast-action and precise rifles – classical driven hunt specialists. Merkel has further
refined the characteristics of the gun with a combination of various details. The single trigger allows a rapid second shot. The Merkel Duo
manual cocking system combines high-level safety when carrying the decocked gun with the option of quick reloading and shooting without further cocking. The set trigger finally comes into operation when the precision shot is fired from the high seat. All this,
with an elegance and responsiveness which has been the trademark of Merkel rifles for more than a century. The over-and-under rifle
models varies in wood grade and long side plates.
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OVER-AND-UNDER RIFLE 2022D
OVER AND UNDER RIFLE 2022D | 2021D | 2022D: modified Anson & Deeley locks | rugged steel action | Kersten cross
bolt | non selective single trigger, with set trigger | manual safety with intercepting safety sear | with ejectors | pistol grip, cheekpiece and hogsback comb | horizontal and vertical muzzle adjustment | picture shows a prepared claw mount
Caliber: 7x57R, 7x65R, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R Barrel length: 60 cm Overal length: 101 cm Weight: app. 3,5 kg
Wood class: basic wood class 2
HUNTING GROUND
YUKON TRAIL I CANADA
HUNTING GROUND
119
MEISTERSTÜCK
SIDE-BY-SIDE GUNS
A passion for side-by-side guns – an early poster from the gun manufactory of the Merkel brothers.
MEISTERSTÜCK
SIDE-BY-SIDE GUNS
121
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMBINATION GUN
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE WITH MUZZLE ADJUSTMENT
SIDE-BY-SIDE GUNS
LATERAL THINKING
The gun with two side-by-side barrels is
based on one of the oldest hunting gun
construction principles. Tradition, style
and elegance live on. If one thinks of
side-by-side guns, one imagines English
lords in their tweeds, marching across
the fields, their side-by-side shotguns
over their shoulders. Or the big game
hunter in Africa, hunting buffalo – his
side-by-side rifle ready to fire.
Despite a technological preference for
over-and-under guns, Merkel started
developing and manufacturing sideby-side guns soon after the company
was founded. Side-by-side rifles and
side-by-side shotguns quickly became
part of the production range. By 1903
one-off specimens were already being
handmade from solid metal.
There is hardly a more elegant object
than a light side-by-side shotgun. Their
purpose is evident in their design:
the responsive swing along the flight
path of the wildfowl; stylish guns with
a glorious past. Side-by-side rifles also
have a lot to offer aesthetically; even
though they have to meet particular
physical challenges at the same time.
The breech is a maximum-load component with every break barrel gun. Large
calibres in particular release elemental
gas pressures and forces. The design
of the side-by-side gun brings a further
challenge: because only one barrel is
fired at a time the gun action has to
contend with a lateral torques. Every
shot from one of the two barrels exerts
a lateral load on the breech. Knowing
that, you can imagine the enormous
challenges involved in designing a large
calibre side-by-side rifle.
Merkel is one of the few companies
that manufacture these rifles in series.
Here the legend of Suhl combines with
modern technologies in processing the
breech and the barrels. Both of these
fundamental parts are manufactured
exclusively in the Merkel manufactory.
Traditional large calibre side-by-side
guns used to be expensive, unique,
handmade specimens. The engineers
and gunmakers from Merkel have
worked to stabilise and standardise these individual articles. Yet, a side-by-side
rifle remains a major purchase. Thanks
to continuous reengineering, large
calibre side-by-side rifles are now made
with state-of-the-art manufacturing
technology. A hunting gun to last for
generations – even with intensive use.
123
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 65E
JAGD DESIGN
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUNS
CUSTOM MODEL I SILVER INLAYS I BARREL ENGRAVING
125
MEISTERSTÜCK
FINEST DOUBLE FROM SUHL
Meisterstück side-by-side shotguns are
light and wonderfully elegant hunting
guns; fine representatives of the good
old days. The side-by-side arrangement
of the barrels is a classical design principle of hunting guns – this principle
has been applied in Suhl since the early
days. Even if the Merkel brothers were
more committed to the over-and-under
gun at the start, the Merkel philosophy
was soon devolved to the traditional
side-by-side gun. An example of this is
the aesthetic line of the slim soldered
barrels – a trademark of Merkel Meisterstücks.
Whether with Anson & Deeley locks
or sidelocks, the Suhl shotguns soon
developed their own style and cleverly
improvised on the existing systems and
solutions.
Besides the classical barrel hook, Suhl
soon adopted the cross bolt developed
by William Greener – which represented
gunmaking at its finest.
Merkel maintains the elegance and
optical lightness of these shotguns by
consistent adherence to traditions. The
individually adapted receivers also play
a role. Three different receivers are
manufactured for the three calibres on
offer – calibre-adapted. This keeps the
receivers slim and the guns light and responsive. With the shotguns too, steel
is interlocked against steel and the Merkel top-down principle is applied. Thus
the receiver of a side-by-side shotgun
is constructed in such a way that it can
withstand the same gas pressure as a
Safari rifle.
127
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN45E
JAGD DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS
Simply beautiful, simply good: Anson & Deeley locks.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
SHOTGUN 65E
GAME SCENE
JAGD DESIGN
Bird's eye view: unsurpassed slim-line aesthetic.
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For fine side-by-side guns: detachable V-spring sidelocks.
Greener style cross bolt with double bottom bite.
Double trigger as standard – with optional single trigger.
Handsome stock: fine checkered butt plate for the 45E and 65E.
SWINGING ALONG
The 40E is the basis Meisterstück of the
side-by-side shotgun range. Light and
elegant, it sets the standard in terms of
responsiveness. As with all Meisterstücks,
custom-made stocks are optional with
the 40E – but Merkel 40E standard
stocks also have that made-to-measure
feel. The shotguns are perfectly balanced
when swinging and have a comfortable
recoil. Equipped with totally reliable
Anson & Deeley locks.
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 40E: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greener-style cross
bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger, optional single trigger | automatic safety |
with ejectors | pistol grip and cheek piece
CALIBER: 12/76 , 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4 - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL
LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL LENGTH: app. 113 cm (cal. 12), 110 cm (cal.
20) WEIGHT: app. 2,8 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
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MODEL ARABESQUE | WOOD CLASS 3
THE SLIM RECEIVER
The elegant sister of the 40E is dressed to kill. Fine and delicate, light and responsive: the 41E side-by-side shotgun is the possibly
the lightest and definitely the most elegant double-barrelled shotgun from the Suhl factory. This Meisterstück combines the elegant
28 calibre barrel with a custom-made steel receiver. The stock is perfectly aligned to the action and the barrel. And in conjunction
with the barrels, which are soldered according to Merkel tradition, it does not weigh one gram more than is necessary. Whether on
shooting range or in the wild: the 41E sets the standard where balanced swinging of the shotgun is required.
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GAME SCENE "JAGD" MODEL | WOOD CLASS 6
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 41E: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger |
automatic safety | with ejectors | English stock
CALIBER: 28/70, .410 CHOKE: improved cylinder -1/2 (cal. 28), 1/2 - 1/1 (cal. .410) BARREL LENGTH: 71 cm OVERALL LENGTH: 113 cm
WEIGHT: app. 2,5 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 5
SIDELOCK SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 60E
A REAL COLLECTOR’S PIECE
This functional Meisterstück is the collector’s piece among the shotguns.
Special feature: sidelocks made in Suhl
by Merkel combine precision engineering with the explosive power of the
intricately made V-springs – gems of
the gunmakers art. The pay-back with
these steel-propelled masterpieces is
minimum shot development times and
the fascination of detachable, refined
sidelocks. Wood and steel are masterfully combined to form the whole unit.
The overall impression is enhanced by
the hand rubbed oil finish, which adds
an additional lustre to the stock.
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 60E: detachable sidelocks | steel action | Greener-style cross
bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger | automatic safety | with ejectors |
pistol grip and cheek piece
CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4 - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL
LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL LENGTH: app. 113 cm (cal. 12), app. 110 cm
(cal. 20) WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg (cal. 12), app. 2,8 kg (cal. 20) WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 5
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GAME SCENE "JAGD" MODEL
CUSTOM MODEL | ENGLISH ARABESQUE | ENGLISH STOCK | WOOD CLASS 6
SIDELOCK SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 60E | CUSTOM MADE MODELS
FINE SHOTGUNS – CUSTOM MADE
You have to travel far to find a custom
made shotgun like this. Or you can
come to Merkel in Suhl. Our manufactory, with its dozens of in-house engravers and experienced master gunmakers, offers an incomparable range of
individual solutions. The basic design
of the side-by-side shotguns is already
at an impressive technical level. Upon
request, the best technology is then refined by the best craftsmen to produce
custom made Meisterstück shotguns
from Merkel. Great attention is paid to
detail to produce stocks and engraving
according to customer specifications,
for example with gold-plated triggers,
stock monogram plates and checkering
variations.
bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger | automatic safety with intercepting
safety sear | with ejectors | pistol grip and cheek piece
CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4 - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL
LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERAL LENGTH: app. 113 cm (cal. 12), app. 110 cm
(cal. 20) WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg (cal. 12), app. 2,8 kg (cal. 20) WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 5
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CUSTOM MODEL WITH GOLD INLAYS |
FILLED PORES | ENGLISH STOCK | WOOD CLASS 7
CUSTOM MODEL WITH GOLD INLAYS |
COLOUR CASE HARDENED | WOOD CLASS 8
THE BEST GUN IN TOWN
The elegant sister of the 60E is based
on the slender 28 calibre receiver.
Around the steel receiver, Merkel has
constructed a gun that was originally
conceived as Suhl’s answer to the best
guns from traditional English manufacturers. Today this shotgun is technically
in a unique position and competes, if
at all, with the products of small gunsmithing workshops. The 61E combines
modern precision engineering with
master craftsmanship to achieve a very
sophisticated product – which, nevertheless, retains its distinctive Suhl style.
bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger | automatic safety with intercepting
safety sear | with ejectors | English stock
CALIBER: 28/70, .410 CHOKE: improved cylinder -1/2 (cal. 28), 1/2 - 1/1 (cal. .410) BARREL
LENGTH: 71 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 113 cm WEIGHT: app. 2,5 kg WOOD CLASS: basic
wood class 5
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THE VERY BRITISH
The 45E side-by-side shotgun combines Suhl quality and precision with English style – in the stock as well as in the metal surfaces.
English stock finished with fine hand-cut checkering at the butt plate and monogram plate in silver. The steel action is grey nitrated –
as are the trigger guard, locking lever and safety slide.
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141
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 45E: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger |
automatic safety | with ejectors | English stock
CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4 - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 113 cm (cal. 12), 110 cm (cal. 20) WEIGHT: app. 2,8 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
BRITISH BEAUTY
The sidelocks make the 65E side-by-side shotgun even more elegant than its sister, the 45E with the boxlock. Otherwise this shotgun is also made in the English style: the steel action assembly is in discreet grey nitrate – as are the trigger guard, locking lever and
safety slide. English stock with hand-cut checkering at the butt plate. The selected wood enhances the elegant overall impression.
Removable sidelocks and monogram plate are also features of this refined shotgun – British beauty.
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143
SIDE-BY-SIDE SHOTGUN 65E: detachable sidelocks | steel action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double
trigger | automatic safety with intercepting safety sear | with ejectors | English stock
CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 CHOKE: 1/4 - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed), 1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL LENGTH: 71 cm (cal. 12), 68 cm (cal. 20) OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 113 cm (cal. 12), app. 110 cm (cal. 20) WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg (cal. 12), app. 2,8 kg (cal. 20) WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 5
COMBINATION GUN 240 I SIDELOCK COMBINATION GUN 260
VERSATILE AND LIGHT
The rifle/shotgun with its combination
of shot and bullet is a traditional form
of gun in European hunting culture.
Combinations were the first combined
hunting guns, offering a versatility to
mach the diversity of game on the old
continent. Not only hunting enthusiasts
value this gun: this Meisterstück enables professionals to use interchangeable barrels. With the option of conversion to a side-by-side shotgun or a
side-by-side rifle, this hunting gun is an
all-rounder. The exclusive features of
the 40E and 60E are also incorporated
in the combination of this series. Both
have a double trigger with forward set
trigger.
COMBINATION RIFLE/SHOTGUN 240: RIFLE CALIBER: 6,5x57R, 7x57R, 7x65R, 8x57IRS
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 20/76 CHOKE: 1/2 for steel shot, 1/1 BARREL LENGTH: app. 60 cm
OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,3 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
COMBINATION RIFLE/SHOTGUN 260: Technical specifications the same as the Combination 240, except removeable sidelocks and wood class starts from class 5
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SIDE-BY-SIDE COMBINATION
145
COMBINATION GUN 240
COMBINATION GUN 260
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 160
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
147
MEISTERSTÜCK
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE
SOLID AS A ROCK
The side-by-side rifle is the traditional
gun used for high-class big game hunting – a hunting gun befitting its station.
Classic areas of application are hunting situations where a quick and sure
second shot is needed – e.g. the driven
hunt. Merkel precision engineering has
also made sure that the side-by-side
rifle also cuts a good figure on the high
seat. The set trigger option gives the
gun precision-shot capability.
The side-by-side rifle is not only a very
elegant gun; it is also very reliable and
responsive. All the mechanical systems
are doubled and can thus function
autonomously. That is the reason why
experienced hunters value this rifle. To
this day, the side-by-side rifle calls big
game hunting in Africa to mind – but
its legend lives on in every other region
of the world. Inbuilt power and safety
reserves are part of Merkel’s quality
concept. The Merkel side-by-side rifle
is the basis for the Merkel top-down
principle for all side-by-side guns. The
actions of lower load guns are identical
with those of the high-power safari rifles
– even if the side-by-side shotguns only
fire low-load shot.
149
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
CHARACTERISTICS
Simply beautiful, simply good: Anson & Deeley locks.
CUSTOM MODEL
Hard soldered: the barrels of the side-by-side rifles 140 and 160.
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SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
151
V-springs in the sidelock: powerful energy storage system.
Greener style cross bolt with double bottom bite.
Muzzle adjustment for side-by-side rifles 141 and 161.
Models 141 and 161: prepared for swing mount and driven
hunt sights.
THE MOVING DOUBLE
A special offer for aficionados of soldered barrel sets: classically designed Merkel side-by-side rifles. The soldered barrels and the
adapted 20 calibre receiver ensure an agreeable recoil due to the greater weight. Side-by-side shotgun barrels of calibre 20/76
and rifle/shotgun barrels are available as interchangeable barrel options. The forward trigger has a set prepared base for the swing
mount,; thus the side-by-side rifle also excels with the precision shot. That means an extended range of use for this Meisterstück. The
pivot mount, which is a standard fixture, enables flexible use of different scopes. Driven hunt sight, as standard.
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SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
153
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 140: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger with front
set trigger, optional single trigger | automatic trigger safety | optional with ejectors | hard soldered barrels with muzzle adjustment, horizontal
and vertical | engraving English arabesque or game scene "JAGD" | pistol grip, cheek piece and hogback comb | rubber butt plate
CALIBER: 7x65R, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,4 kg
THE SLIM VERSION
The 141 model is a variation of the 140
side-by-side rifle. The particularly narrow receiver and the short barrels make
this gun one of the lightest side-by-side
rifles in the world. The option of vertical and horizontal muzzle adjustment
facilitates retrofitting a scope or changing to ammunition with a different load
or bullet weight. The rifle is prepared
for the fitting of a pivot mount; a driven
hunt sight is supplied as standard. This
compact action is the result of masterly
gunmaking expertise – and rewards
future owners with an exceptionally slim
and responsive hunting gun.
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 141: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greener-style cross bolt
and double bottom bite | double trigger with front set trigger, optional single trigger | automatic trigger safety | optional with ejectors | hard soldered barrels with muzzle adjustment,
horizontal and vertical | engraving English arabesque or game scene "JAGD" | pistol grip,
cheek piece and hogback comb | rubber butt plate
CALIBER: 7x65R, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL
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SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
155
MODEL ARABESQUE
CUSTOM MODEL WITH OUT CHEEK PIECE
MOVING DOUBLE WITH SIDELOCKS
The side-by-side rifle with the finest sidelocks stands out in terms of technology
and aesthetics. The locks work with
V-springs, which guarantees short shot
development times. The steel surfaces
provide plenty of space for decorative
illustration at the hands of experienced
engravers. Precision shooting from the
high seat is facilitated by the set trigger on the forward trigger blade. The
classical sidelocks of the side-by-side
rifle make for excellent trigger pull. The
sidelocks can be removed without tools
– for cleaning or just to appreciate the
workmanship.
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 160: removeable V-spring sidelocks with intercepting sear | steel
action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger with front set
trigger | optional with ejectors | pistol grip, cheek piece and hogback comb | rubber butt plate
CALIBER: 7x65R, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: app. 60 cm
OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,4 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 5
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SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
157
MODEL ARABESQUE
SLIM VERSION WITH SIDELOCKS
This gun is the sidelock version of the
141 side-by-side rifle. It combines the
typical characteristics of a timeless
sidelock rifle with impressive elegance
and responsiveness. The refined transitions between steel and stock signalise
a high proportion of handcraft. Again,
short barrels are used, combined with
a driven hunt sight and an a prepared
base for swing mounts. The horizontal and vertical muzzle adjustment by
means of slot wedges is the sort of
handcrafted work of art that you can
only find at Merkel.
SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 161: removeable V-spring sidelocks with intercepting sear | steel
action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger with front
set trigger | automatic trigger safety | optional with ejectors | pistol grip, cheek piece and
hogback comb | rubber butt plate
CALIBER: 7x65R, .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 97 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,0 kg WOOD CLASS: 5
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SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
159
MODEL ARABESQUE
HUNTING GROUND
SERENGETI I AFRICA
HUNTING GROUND
161
MEISTERSTÜCK
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLES
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 160AE
CUSTOM MODEL
163
MEISTERSTÜCK
AFRICA! AFRICA!
Traditionally, the big game hunter in the stories told around the campfire and in yellowing photographs is always carrying a side-by-side gun. And not without reason: the
hunt for dangerous game has its own set of rules. Rifles used for this type of adventure
must fulfil very specific, demanding requirements. In addition to tried-and-tested highpower big game caliber, Merkel side-by-side rifles of the Africa series offer everything
the hunter needs to successfully and safely meet the challenges of the Safari. Robustness, reliability and intuitive handling – these are the properties that matter when
every split second counts. The recoil and balance of these unique rifles are optimised
by the “inert mass” in the buttstock and barrel set, which have been exactly calculated
by Merkel. The resultant greater weight reduces the recoil. This enables the gun to be
kept on target for the rapid second shot – experience the Merkel Africa Express.
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165
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 160 AE
CUSTOM MODEL
CHARACTERISTICS
Indestructible classic: the Anson & Deeley locks.
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE
RIFLE 140AE
CUSTOM MODEL
The hinged trigger prevents injury to the trigger finger.
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167
Detachable sidelocks – surfaces for fine engraving.
Greater safety: Greener cross bolt with double bottom bite.
Express sight with sight leaf: shooting at variable distances.
Power in form: muzzle silhouette of the large calibre Africa gun.
THE WORKHORSE
The basis version of the Africa rifles is
the favoured gun of many professional
hunters. The Merkel version of the
Anson & Deeley boxlock is traditionally
valued for its unrivalled reliability for
big game hunting. An uncomplicated
workhorse, based on the experience
of over 100 years of rifle development
for big game hunting. All the mechanical systems are doubled and can thus
function autonomously – this is particularly important in dangerous situations,
where life and limb are at risk.
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 140AE: Anson & Deeley locks | steel action | Greenerstyle cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger with articulated front trigger | manual
safety with intercepting sears | with ejectors | African express sight | pistol grip, cheek piece
and straight stock | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER: .375 H&H Mag., .416 Rigby, .470 N. E., .500 N.E. BARREL LENGTH: 60 cm OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 4,6 kg WOOD CLASS: 4 to 7
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169
CUSTOM MODEL WITH COLOUR CASE HARDEND AND GOLD INLAYS | WOODCLASS 5
MODEL ARABESQUE | WOODCLASS 5
THE SIDELOCK AFRICA RIFLE
The precision and reliability of Merkel
safari rifles has delighted big game
hunters and heads of state for generations. The 160 version combines the
largest calibre with sidelocks – which
also offers our engravers additional
scope of decorating the long sidelocks.
One of the most beautiful rifles – for the
most exciting form of hunting.
SAFARI SIDE-BY-SIDE RIFLE 160AE: removeable V-spring sidelocks with intercepting sear
| steel action | Greener-style cross bolt and double bottom bite | excellent double trigger with
articulated front trigger | manual safety with intercepting sears | with ejectors | Safari express
sight | pistol grip, cheek piece and straight stock | rubber recoil pad
CALIBER: .375 H&H Mag., .416 Rigby, .470 N. E., .500 N.E. BARREL LENGTH: 60 cm
OVERALL LENGTH: app. 102 cm WEIGHT: app. 4,6 kg wood class: from 5 to 7
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171
CUSTOM MODEL
DECORATIVE STANDARDS
ENGRAVING EXAMPLES
Arabesque engraving on a Anson & Deeley gun.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
SHOTGUN 45E
GAME SCENE
"JAGD" MODEL
Arabesque engraving on a sidelock gun.
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GRAVUR-EXEMPEL
173
Game scene "JAGD" engraving on a Anson & Deeley shotgun.
Game scene "JAGD" engraving on a Anson & Deeley rifle.
Game scene "JAGD" engraving on a sidelock shotgun.
Game scene "JAGD" engraving on a sidelock rifle.
HUNTING GROUND
THURINGIA FOREST I DEUTSCHLAND
HUNTING GROUND
175
MEISTERSTÜCK
DRILLINGS
Company founder Gebhard Merkel always had a heart for drillings – the universal gun was manufactured in the Merkel manufactory
from the beginning.
MEISTERSTÜCK
DRILLINGS
177
DRILLING
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING
SHOTGUN DRILLING
BERGSTUTZEN DRILLING
RIFLE DRILLING
DRILLINGS
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 961 LS
CUSTOM MODEL
DRILLINGS
179
MEISTERSTÜCK
DRILLINGS
THE ELEGANT UNIVERSALIST
The drilling used to be called the “forester’s gun”. The various barrel combinations make this splendid implement a
universal gun. The term “forester’s gun”
also includes the notion of high-level
professionalism.
This professionalism is demanded of
the marksman at the moment when
stress levels are at their highest: when
firing the shot. In the past, the arrangement of barrels and trigger blades
made it difficult to master the drilling in
stressful situations. For this reason, Merkel has further improved the legendary
Suhl drilling and developed a safe trigger constellation to guard against drilling confusion on the hunting ground.
The principle: Suhl gunmaking art with
three Blitz locks – in a new combination.
Merkel has always been a drilling specialist. With the new drilling family in
the Meisterstück category, the company
is now producing probably the most
extensive drilling range on the market.
The classic drilling (two shotgun barrels
and one rifle barrel) comes into its own
in small game hunting. The Bergstutzen
drilling (one shotgun barrel, plus one
small and one large rifle barrel) excels
in the mixed hunting ground and the
double rifle drilling (two rifle barrels,
one shotgun barrel) has proved itself to
be a responsive gun for the driven hunt.
The universal gun has retained its versatility where interchangeable barrels are
concerned – Merkel offers all versions
as an optional extra. In addition, the
“uni-type” rifle drilling and shotgun
drilling are available. The breech of
the Merkel drilling has a triple locking
system. Firstly with the Greener cross
bolt between the two upper barrels,
secondly with two barrel lugs.
181
RIFLE DRILLING 961 LS
CUSTOM MODEL
DRILLINGS
CHARACTERISTICS
EXECUTION 96:
The three-position cocking slide is the control element of the
Merkel drilling. REAR: In the rear position the locks of the 2
upper barrels are safe (3 lock is uncocked). MIDDLE: The locks
of the 2 upper barrel are unsafe, the lock of the bottom barrel is
unlocked. In this position the front and the rear trigger fires the
upper right and left barrel. FRONT: Is the safety slide in the front
position the lock of the bottom barrel is cocked. In this position
the front trigger fires the lower barrel and the rear trigger the
upper left barrel.
EXECUTION 961:
In this execution all three locks of the drilling are cocked automatically with breaking down gun. When the safety slide is in
the rear position both triggers are safe. In firing position (in the
front) the drilling is ready to fire and the front trigger works as
single trigger for the locks of the right and the left upper barrels.
The rear trigger exclusively operates the lock of the lower barrel.
Three-position cocking slide: safety and manual cocking
system in one.
MEISTERSTÜCK
MERKEL: THE SUHLER DRILLING
DRILLINGS
183
Drilling 96K/96KS
(drilling)
DB-DR 96L/961L
96LS/961LS
(double rifle drilling)
BS-DR 96LD/96LDS
(Bergstutzen-Drilling)
Execution 96
Execution 96
Execution 96
Trigger/function:
Trigger/function:
Trigger/function:
1. trigger * right shotgun
1. trigger * right rifle barrel
1. trigger * right rifle barrel (large)
barrel
2. trigger left rifle barrel
2. trigger left rifle barrel (small)
2. trigger left shotgun barrel
cocking slide: 1. trigger lower
cocking slide 1. trigger lower
cocking slide: 1. trigger *
shotgun barrel
shotgun barrel
B-DR 961L/961LS
(rifle drilling)
Drilling 961
(shotgun drilling)
Execution 961
Execution 961
lower rifle barrel
Execution 961
* = set trigger
Trigger/function:
Trigger/function:
Trigger/function:
3 locks self cocking system
1. trigger both rifle barrels
1. trigger both rifle barrels
1. trigger both shotgun barrels
2. trigger lower shotgun barrel
2. trigger lower rifle barrel
2. trigger lower shotgun barrel
Execution 96:
Execution 961:
L = slim 28 gauge receiver
S = long side plates
trigger system with set trigger/s for the high seat hunt
fast trigger system with single trigger for the driven hunt
K = cocking slide
D = double set trigger
DRILLING 96K | 96KS
DRILLING WITHOUT CONFUSION
The basis Merkel drilling is built around
the 96K three-lock system; this gun is
the all-rounder in the small game hunting
ground. The system is a technical delicacy, which makes drillings as elegant
as they are efficient. The Blitz locks are
controlled via the three-position cocking
slide on the stock tang. The front
trigger is fitted with a set trigger for the
precision shot. Depending on the position
of the cocking slide, the right barrel or
lower barrel can be fired in the engaged
position. The 96KS version is fitted with
long side plates.
DRILLING 96K | 96KS: three lock system (Blitz locks) with manual cocking slide | steel
receiver | Greener style cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger with set trigger |
pistol grip; cheek piece and hogsback comb | rubber butt plate
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 12/76, 20/76 RIFLE CALIBER: .223 Rem., 243. Win., 7x57R, 7x65R, .308
Win., .30R Blaser, .30-06, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R CHOKE: improved cylinder - 1/2 (steel-shot proofed),
1/4 - 3/4, 1/2 - 1/1 BARREL LENGTH: cal. 12 (55 cm and 60 cm), cal. 20 (55 cm) OVERALL
LENGTH: 98 cm or 103 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,1 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 2
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DRILLINGS
185
DRILLING 96K
CUSTOM MODEL COLOUR CASE HARDENED | WOOD CLASS 5
DRILLING 96KS
GAME SCENE "JAGD" MODEL | WOOD CLASS 5
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 961L | 961LS | 96L | 96LS
DRILLING WITH RAPID SHOT OPTION
The new development of a particularly
slim drilling receiver (28 caliber) makes
the current generation of Merkel drillings ever lighter and more elegant.
One version of this light species is the
double rifle drilling 961L, with a driven
hunt trigger. The front trigger serves as
a single trigger for the two upper rifle
barrels. This enables a rapid second
shot without the need to change grip.
The rear trigger is reserved for the
lower shotgun barrel. The 96LS and
961LS versions are fitted with long side
plates.
The 96L/96LS models use the same
locking system as the 96K/96KS drilling.
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 961L/ 961LS: real three lock system (Blitz locks) with safety
slide | steel receiver | Greener style cross bolt and double bottom bite | double trigger with
single trigger in the front | pistol grip, cheek piece and hogsback comb | rubber butt plate
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 96L / 96LS: specification as 96K/ 96KS, manual cocking for the
lower shotgun barrel.
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 20/76 CHOKE: 1/2 (steel-shot proofed) RIFLE CALIBER: .30-06, .30R Blaser,
8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,2 kg
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DRILLINGS
187
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 961L
MODEL ARABESQUE
DOUBLE RIFLE DRILLING 961LS
BERGSTUTZEN DRILLING 96LD | 96LDS
FULL RANGE DRILLINGS
The Bergstutzen drilling is a typical gun used on a high seat for a single shot. With two rifle barrels of different caliber and one shotgun barrel, this drilling is a gun that offers every opportunity to the hunter, whatever game he encounters in the glade. The set trigger
on both triggers enables a precision shot with both rifle barrels. Die 96LDS is fitted with long side plates (no illustration).
MEISTERSTÜCK
DRILLINGS
189
BERGSTUTZEN DRILLING 96LD
BERGSTUTZEN DRILLING 96LD | 96LDS: three lock system (Blitz locks) with manual cocking | steel receiver | Greener style cross bolt and
double bottom bite | double trigger with set trigger in both triggers | pistol grip; cheek piece and hogsback comb | rubber butt plate
SHOTGUN CALIBER: 20/76 LARGE CALIBER: .30-06, .30R Blaser, 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R SMALL CALIBER: 5,6 x 52R, .222 Rem CHOKE: 1/2 steelshot proofed BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL LENGTH: app. 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,3 kg WOOD CLASS: basic wood class 4
RIFLE DRILLING 961L | 961LS | SHOTGUN DRILLING 961LS
UNI-TYPE DRILLINGS
Merkel manufactures two special threeshot guns as uni-type drillings. Here an
extra quick single trigger system comes
into operation. The front trigger serves
as a single trigger for the two upper rifle barrels of the rifle drilling or the two
upper shotgun barrels of the shotgun
drilling. This enables a rapid second
shot without the need to change grip.
The rear trigger is reserved for the
lower rifle barrel of the rifle drilling or
the lower shotgun barrel of the shotgun
drilling. The 961LS versions are fitted
with long side plates.
RIFLE DRILLING 961L / 961LS / SHOTGUN DRILLING 961L / 961LS: real three lock system (Blitz locks) with safety slide | steel receiver | Greener style cross bolt and double bottom
bite | double trigger with single trigger in the front | pistol grip, cheek piece and hogsback
comb | rubber butt plate
RIFLE DRILLING: RIFLE CALIBER: 8x57IRS, 9,3x74R BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL
LENGTH: app. 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,5 kg SHOTGUN DRILLIG: SHOTGUN CALIBER: 20/76
BARREL LENGTH: 55 cm OVERALL LENGTH app. 98 cm WEIGHT: app. 3,2 kg WOOD
CLASS: basic wood class 4
MEISTERSTÜCK
DRILLINGS
191
RIFLE DRILLING 961LS
CUSTOM MODEL WITH COLOUR CASE HARDENED AND GOLD INLAYS
SHOTGUN DRILLING 961LS
CUSTOM MODEL WIT GOLD INLAYS
ENGRAVING
255
ENGRAVING
ENGRAVING
THE MAGIC OF ENGRAVING
Hunting, magic and art have been inextricably linked from the beginning. It
could be that it was hunting that inspired
people to make art. And it was art that
became the implement of magic during
the hunt. Since then works of art have
magically evoked hunting success
which was a necessity of life – specialists speak of “symbolic magic”.
The result of the hunt is demonstrated
and anticipated in symbols. The hunters paint the animal on the cave walls,
to enchant it, so to speak. Prehistoric
men symbolically threw the spear at the
cave wall paintings and believed their
weapons would hit the animal when the
hunt was for real.
The engraving of the rifle emanates
from the tradition of the symbolic magic. Two main categories of motifs can
be identified: stylised tendrils – called
arabesques. And the naturalistic motifs,
according to Dürer, the so-called nature
or animal motifs.
The first stage of the engraving work
is transcribing the outline onto the
workpiece. This requires a trained eye,
scriber and steel compasses. The actual
engraving is a metal-shaving technique.
It is performed with a light hammer and
graver. Gravers are fine chisels in various thickness with shaped blades and
wooden handles.
plines – decorate Merkel hunting rifles
to make them unique specimens.
The workpiece is clamped in 360 degree rotating vice for processing. Fine
shading is cut with a hand graver, used
without a hammer and driven only by
the strength of the engraver. In Italian this graver is called “bulino” – this
gives the name to this art form with the
graver.
Files in various forms and cut levels as
well as abrasive cloth in different grains
round off the range of tools used by the
engraver. There is a diversity of other
ornamentation form around engraving:
colour case hardening, gold or silver
inlaying, punching or chasing and inlaying with various precious materials.
Over 15 male and female engravers
– each one a master of the trade and
experienced in all the engraving disci-
Decorated pistol grip cap.
ENGRAVING
257
Detailed work with hand graver.
A festival of arabesques: the Merkel logo is engraved.
ENGRAVING
ALMOST EVERYTHING
IS POSSIBLE
Engraving is a combination of handcraft and concentration. The men and
women at Merkel process the hard steel
for hours and make an organic work of
art from the plain piece of metal that
will adorn a hunting rifle. Engraving
at Merkel is individual work: there are
virtually no limits placed on the customer‘s wishes. The following illustrations
should therefore be taken solely as
stimulating examples. Almost anything
is possible.
Hard-earned masterpiece: ’Jagd’ ornamental engraving.
ENGRAVING
259
Suhl “Bulino“ engraving with chiselled base.
Deep relief engraving with vivid game motifs and leaf ornamentation.
Ornamental engraving “English Arabesque“.
Colour case hardening with gold inlays.
ENGRAVING
THE CLASSIC: ARABESQUE AND ORNAMENTS
Ornamental engraving is the classical
engraving style. ‘English arabesque’ in
various designs is the traditional decoration of a hunting rifle. Leaf or tendril
scrolls as well as oak-leaf, thistle and
vine engraving are often used for infill
and trimming. In principle, every steel
part on a rifle can be decorated: receiver, locking lever, breech end of the
barrel and trigger guard – right down to
individual screws.
English arabeques small scrolls on a side lock side-by-side shotgun 60E.
English arabeques engraving in medaillon form on a side lock side-by-side shotgun 60E.
ENGRAVING
261
Very fine English arabesques.
Arabesque with central flower bouquet on a side lock side-by-side shotgun 60E.
ENGRAVING
COLOUR CASE HARDENING – UNIQUE
Colour case hardening is a traditional
method of surface hardening of metal
parts on guns. With this technique, coal
from leather carbon penetrates into the
surface of the steel parts – these parts
are then hardened by immersion in water and their surfaces show a marbled
structure of brownish blue hues – individual and unique.
Colour case hardened receiver surrounded with silver wire, gold inlay and thistle engraving.
Polished thistle-leaf.
ENGRAVING
263
Colour case hardened KR1 action with simple arabesque engraving.
colour case hardened KR1 action with simple arabesque engraving.
ENGRAVING
POWERFUL RELIEFS
Relief engraving requires a lot of feeling
for the steel – and a sense for the third
dimension. Relief engravings are raised
and thus tactile and tangible: a feast for
the senses.
Relief engraving and gold inlaid buck with oak-leaf infill.
Gold inlaid fallow deer on the sidelock and barrel breech.
ENGRAVING
265
Forest life: relief engraving with hares.
Wildfowl motif and wine leaf infill.
ENGRAVING
FINEST BULINO ENGRAVING
Ultra-fine lines and shaded highlights
are the hallmark of Bulino style engraving with the hand graver. This tool is
called a ‘Bulino’ in Italian – and has given its name to this type of engraving.
This technique is used to create engravings that appear as if they were drawn
or even photographed. They draw their
fascination from their realistic images –
so close to reality that the hunting dog
in Bulino style sometimes seems to be
the spitting image of man’s best friend.
Hunting scene: hound and small game..
Side plate decoration in Bulino engraving, with ornate receiver and barrel breech.
ENGRAVING
267
Antelope at the watering hole - surrounded by goldwire and English arabesques.
Gold inlaid fallow deer with Bulino engraved trim.
ENGRAVING
GAME SCENE ENGRAVING
Realistic animal depiction began in the
15th Century with Antonio Pisano und
Albrecht Dürer. The still life and the
so-called game scene developed from
these origins. The engraver requires a
knowledge of the anatomy, habitat and
proportions of the depicted game and
the corresponding flora.
Bellowing stag, relief engraved and gold inlay.
The dogs chasing a sounder of wild boars.
ENGRAVING
269
Antelope at the watering hole – entwined by gold arabesques.
Relief engraved lion and buffalo surrounded with gold wire and English arabesques.
ENGRAVING
FULLY ENGRAVED DRILLING
Assuming one did all the engraving
on a hunting rifle that one possibly
could – the only restriction would be
the concentration on the engraving
itself. Presumably, this fine rifle would
look something like the Merkel Drilling
presented here.
Bulino engraving: wolves attacking an elk.
Bulino engraving: bears skirmish over the body of a stag.
271
A lynx in fi nely chiselled Italian leaves.
A fox on the trigger guard.
Top lever with head of a wild boar.
ENGRAVING
FOX, HOUND AND HARE
Engravings can say a lot about the character and personality of the hunter who
calls the engraved rifle his own. Fox and
hare adorn the two sides of this sidelock Meisterstück. Both inlaid in gold
and surrounded in rich arabesque, they
go their ways. If you turn the rifle over,
you will find the attentive huntsman‘s
dog unnoticed between the two.
Richly adorned sidelock, left: here the fox prowls.
Richly adorned sidelock, right: the quick hare.
273
Between Reynard and hare:
The gold inlaid hound has already got
the scent.
Special barrel engraving.
WOOD CLASSES
FINE WOODS IN ELEVEN CLASSES
Stock wood is a product of nature. The illustrated stocks are representative examples. Variation in colour, grain and wood structure
within the quality classes are not only unavoidable, rather an expression of individuality.
WOOD CLASS 1
WOOD CLASS 2
WOOD CLASS 3
WOOD CLASS 4
WOOD CLASSES
277
WOOD CLASS 5
WOOD CLASS 6
WOOD CLASS 7
WOOD CLASS 8
WOOD CLASS 9
WOOD CLASS 10
WOOD CLASS 11
OPTIC – SCOPE MOUNTS
WELL MOUNTED
The mount joins the gun and the scope.
It is the guarantee of a constant point
of impact. It must suit the rifle and its
characteristics.
SUHL TILT-UP MOUNT (SAM):
This mount model requires 4 adaption
slots in the barrel in the barrel – this is
a standard feature in the Merkel MEM
KR1, B3, B4, K3 and K4 rifles. If the
scope is attached, the mounting base
catches directly on the barrel. A low
sight line, high stability when shooting
and an identical point of impact can be
taken for granted.
SUHL PIVOT MOUNT (SSM):
This is right mount if different scopes
are to be used. Upon attachment the
scope is fixed at a point 90 degrees to
the barrel and then pivoted to the barrel axis in the mounting base.
SUHL CLAW MOUNT (SEM):
Smart and inconspicuous: this mount
is regularly used with Meisterstücks.
Its design is elaborate, but the reward
is the sleek aesthetic of a rifle without
a scope and a low sight line.
Divers options a selection
of SAM-mounts.
OPTIC
OPTICS – DOCTER SCOPES
FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIAL
At Analytik Jena AG, Docter represents
the field of sight and observation optics
– in past years the synergies from a
traditional optics centre and cuttingedge technology have been reflected
in trendsetting and practicable products. The sensitive interaction of optics,
precision engineering and electronics
make Docter telescopes and scopes
world class. They draw on the glorious
Jena past for new ideas – above all
where miniaturisation is concerned.
A product of this category is the
revolutionary miniaturised reflex
DOCTERsight for the driven hunt.
The Docter brand is a reference to the
optics manufacturer Bernhard Docter
and his revolutionary idea of producing optical scopes with the glass blank
molding process. Telescopic sights
and telescopes of the Docter brand
combine the practical and functional requirements of the hunt with the technological resources of Analytik Jena AG to
produce products of the highest quality.
This is impressively backed up with a
30 year commercial guarantee.
DOCTER
If you are talking about cutting edge
technology in optics, then Jena in the
heart of Thuringia has been the centre
point of many definitive developments
since time immemorial. Analytik Jena
AG, with its Docter brand is part of the
tradition of the Jena optics industry –
and very close to hunting in practice.
279
OPTICS – DOCTER SCOPES
THE VARIABLES
Scopes with variable magnification
are the all-rounder of modern hunting. Their great strength: the hunter is
perfectly equipped for many hunting
situations with a single scope – whether
raised hide, stalking or driven hunt.
DOCTER classic 1,5-6x42
The scope can be easily adjusted on
the ocular to suit the rifleman and the
distance: failing eyesight is corrected
on the ocular ring by ± 2.5 dioptres.
The magnification factor can be set
steplessly and free of play on the zoom
ring.
Docter scopes leave the factory adjusted for parallax-free operation at a
distance of 100 metres. During the hunt
and for special applications, such as
mountain hunting at great distance, the
point of impact can be corrected via the
height and lateral adjustment. One click
of the reticle adjustment corresponds
to exactly one centimetre at 100 metres
distance.
DOCTER classic 3-12x56
1
4
4A
PLEX
DBA
OPTIC
The illuminated reticle ideally supplements the variable scope in unfavourable light conditions. Even when dusk
sets in, this feature enables a safe and
precise shot. Important detail: the
brightness of the illuminated reticle can
be steplessly regulated and thus perfectly adjusted to the ambient light and
the sensitivity of the individual. The
possibility of dazzling is excluded. The
high-precision LED used for Docter is
characterised by low current consumption and long battery life – standard
lithium batteries are used.
DOCTER classic 3-12x56
LP
LK
DOCTER Sport 8-25x50
One scope for the distance shot: The Docter Sport 8-25x50 offers outstanding imaging capability from 8 to 25 times magnification. A standard feature
of this scope is a parallax compensation. The reticle is at the second image
level and therefore appears to be always the same size, irrespective of the
selected magnification.
4
PLEX
DOT
DOCTER
281
OPTICS – DOCTER SCOPES WITH ILLUMINATED RETICLE
TO THE POINT
The premium class of Docter scopes
is called Unipoint. This series is distinguished by a digitally controlled
daylight reticle in the ocular image
level. The central control element of
the illuminated reticle is the red button “Tipcontrol”. This is an on and off
switch and dimmer in one – and this
button has a dual memory. It offers the
option of medium brightness or the
previous brightness setting when it is
switched on. The latter is a particularly
convenient function for the driven hunt.
+
–
As with all Docter scopes, the
premium class impresses not only with
its high-performance optics, which can
be adapted to the eyesight of the user
(left), but also with precision engineering solutions that operate fully free of
play (right).
OPTIC
DOCTER unipoint 1–4x24
DOCTER unipoint 1,5–6x42
Minimum demand of electric power,
maximum operational reliability:
the ingenious reticle illumination is
powered by standard lithium batteries.
DOCTER unipoint 2,5–10x50
DOCTER unipoint 3–12x56
0
4–0
DOCTER
283
OPTICS – DOCTER REFLEX SIGHTS
DRIVEN HUNT OPTICS
Reflexes are what count at the driven
hunt – and since the advent of the
DOCTERsight, the reflex sight too.
With its market launch, this optical driven hunt specialist became the measure
of all things in terms of optical quality,
precision and miniaturisation.
With DOCTERsight aiming for the
quick, moving shot is done with both
eyes – and the rifleman is therefore fully
relaxed. The point of impact is visualised with a red light dot. Intelligent solutions make the miniature reflex sight
a technological leader. Thanks to the
ambient light-dependent control the
light dot always has the right brightness
and does not dazzle.
The patented optical system is parallax
free for the typical driven hunt distance
of 40 metres. High-grade glass and hard
anodized aluminium alloys make the
sight robust and durable. And thanks
to various mounting options, it can be
mounted on virtually every long and
short gun.
2,37 cm
(0,93 inch)
2,54 cm
(1 inch)
4,6 cm
(1,81 inch)
* Enlarged illustration
DOCTER SIGHT – TECHNICAL DATA
Height adjusting range
Lateral adjusting range
Control values for a scale division
Covering of the light dot
Alternative
Parallax-free observation distance
Shooting stability
Functional temperature
Storage temperature
Power supply
720 cm / 100 m
540 cm / 100 m
1,0 angular minute: 3 cm / 100 m
40 m
1000 G
- 25 °C bis + 40 °C
- 40 °C bis + 70 °C
1 x 3 V lithium batteries (CR2032)
OPTIC
OPTIC – DOCTER LIGHT ENGINEERING
POWER HOUSE IN MATTERS OF LIGHT
DOCTER
285
There are many torches on the market
– Aspherilux LED spotlights are only
available from Docter. In this high-tech
flashlight the optics specialists from
Thuringia have combine state-of-the-art
light diode technology with the company‘s expertise to produce aspherical
lenses. The light of the 1-watt Z-power
LED is clustered by optical engineering without loss – resulting in a bright,
circular and shadowless luminous field,
which is unequalled on the market. The
capability of the spotlight in the field
is also impressive. A robust aluminium
die cast housing protects the optics
and electronics. A fully charged battery supplies power for up to ten hours
service – at a charging time
of only around 150 minutes.
The handy size and working
range between 40 centimetres and 15 metres match
up to the needs of the most
demanding hunters.
* Original size
OPTIC – DOCTER BINOCULARS
INTO FOCUS
Those who wish to gauge the impressive
quality of Docter binoculars need to get
deeper into the secrets of optics. Docter
offers roof prism binoculars in two different systems. They are mainly differentiated by their light intensity and overall
length and size.
The Docter 8x42 is fitted with a prism
system according to Schmidt-Pechan –
it has an extremely short design. These
binoculars with robust aluminium magnesium housing is first choice for every
day use in favourable light conditions
– and also fits into any jacket pocket for
the Sunday afternoon walk.
DOCTER 8x42
Docter 8x42: handily designed four
lens binoculars with aluminium magnesium housing. The robust all-purpose
field glass – not just for the hunt.
Practical: focus adjustment and
dioptre adjustment via two decoupled
adjusting wheels. They are situated in
between the oculars.
OPTIC
The Docter 8x58 is a light intensive
twilight glass for everyday hunting.
Its design is based on the V-form roof
prism system from Ernst Abbe and
Albert König; this does not require a
mirror. This patented design makes for
unprecedented light intensity of the
58 millimetre lenses.
The lens system used is a four lens achromatic objective. This design principle
prevents colour fringe and corrects
colour aberration. The central double
adjusting wheel is used for both dioptre
compensation (up to +/- 2.5) and focus
adjustment. The pressure waterproof
housing is made of high-grade plastic
– and is supplied with an ocular protective cap and neoprene strap as standard.
All binoculars from Docter have a nitrogen filling, which guarantees condensation-free vision; they are robust and
extremely shock resistant. And: Analytik
Jena grants a 30 year guarantee on all
binoculars and scopes.
DOCTER 8x58 B/CF
The roof prism system of the twilight glass 8x58 is based on the AbbeKönig design. Impressive: the outstanding light intensity.
Convenient: the “twist up“ eye
cups also offer spectacle wearers the
full field of vision.
DOCTER
287
ACCESSORIES
YOUR PERSONAL HUNT
Deluxe gun case
Fine guns – well packed. The deluxe
gun case is made-to-measure for Merkel hunting guns. Whether shotguns,
rifles or combination guns with interchangeable barrels – with or without
scopes – everything fits neatly and well
arranged in the case. Two lock secure
your favourite guns. Hard-wearing outer
fabric, the corners are reinforced with
leather.
BUTT STOCK MAGAZINE
Always at hand: transport your ammunition reserve conveniently in the stock.
Merkel butt stock magazines are precision made: neatly fitted and lockable.
and Pistol grip caps
You can further individualise your
Merkel gun with butt stock ends of
fine wood or pistol grip caps of finely
engraved metal.
ACCESSORIES
291
PIQUE POLO SHIRT
Short arm polo shirt of pure cotton
pique. In Merkel green, embroidered
with the Merkel logo. Sizes: M-XXL.
FLEECE JACKET
Warmth to take with you: windproof
with zipper, two practical pockets,
zipped breast pocket. Padded shoulders and arms. Sizes: M-XXL.
MERKEL HUNTERS CAP
In Merkel green;
universal adjustable size.
PAPER WEIGHT
Sturdy paper weights from the Merkel
manufactory: manufactured from walnut
wood with colour case hardened or
nitride finished steel plates.
DESKTOP ACCESSORY
From the Merkel manufactory:
desktop accessory of walnut wood
with engraved steel or nickel silver
inlay. It displays hunting motifs. With
blown glass pen and matching inkwell.
COMPENDIUM I
MERKEL: TECHNOLOGY FOR CONNOISSEURS
It is part of the philosophy of the Merkel manufactory to continually develop
and improve the technology of the
Suhl hunting gun – without discarding
proven solutions. This compendium
documents and explains many of the
technical solutions pertaining to the
hunting gun from Suhl.
TRIGGERS
The variety of trigger combinations is as
varied as the hunt. Merkel caters for the
individual needs of hunters with a wide
range of different triggers.
DOUBLE TRIGGER: Two trigger
blades, one behind the other, serve as
a sure sign of different barrels. The forward trigger serves the right/upper barrel, the rear rigger the left/lower barrel.
If required, Merkel combines double
triggers with set triggers for the precision shot. With heavy rifles the double
trigger is often designed as a hinged
trigger. This trigger form helps prevent
recoil-related injury of the trigger finger.
FINELY TUNED TRIGGER: Finely
tuned triggers are designed with a low
trigger weight, without the need for
a set trigger. Safe operation of finely
tuned triggers requires a manual cocking system.
SET TRIGGER: With special system
constellations, Merkel endorses the set
trigger as an instrument of the precision
shot. The set trigger serves to reduce
the trigger weight immediately before
the shot, in order to prevent the gun
jumping when the trigger is pulled.
With the set trigger used by Merkel
(“French set trigger”) the trigger blade
is pushed forward – then the gun is engaged. A set trigger reduces the trigger
weight by about one fifth of the normal
trigger force.
FINELY TUNED TRIGGER of the K3
single shot rifle – three-stage adjustable
without the use of tools.
FEINABZUG der Kipplaufbüchse K3 –
werkzeuglos dreistufig regulierbar.
COMPENDIUM
293
EJECTORS
Ejectors eject the bullet casing after the
shot is fired, and are always expedient
where quick reloading is important. The
ejector shows its worth at the driven hunt,
small game hunting and on safari in Africa.
This is why many of Merkel’s side-by-side
shotguns, side-by-side rifles, over-andunder shotguns and over-and-under
double rifles are equipped with ejectors.
EJECTOR LOCK: This type of ejector is
a real small rifle gunlock with a hammer,
which strikes the cartridge ejector when
the trigger is pulled and accelerates
it together with the case. Each barrel
requires its own ejector lock. When the
barrel reaches a defined angle by opening the gun, the ejector lock releases
the fired barrel and catapults the case
out of the cartridge chamber.
COIL SPRING EJECTOR: The widely
used coil spring ejector is particularly
suitable for over-and-under shotguns.
Here the cartridge ejector is constantly
under spring pressure when the gun
is cocked. When the barrel is fired the
ejector remains tensioned until the gun
is opened. When a defined opening angle is exceeded the ejector is released.
EJECTOR LOCK of a 303E over-andunder shotgun, ejected.
COMPENDIUM II
LOCKS AND ACTIONS
The gunlock is the energy storage system of the gun, which serves to trigger
this energy safely and reliably. Merkel
uses a whole range of different locks –
partly due to the requirements of the
design, partly due to the requirements
of aesthetics or tradition.
BLITZ LOCK: With the blitz lock system,
the functional parts are mounted on the
inside of the lock plate – this ensures
that the receiver is not weakened by
mounting and drilling. The lock action
can be removed en bloc from the action assembly. The locks are cocked
by tilting of the barrels and the energy
stored in springs – very similar to the
box lock. Merkel uses this lock action
for its drilling family, and can thus offer
one of the very few three-lock drillings
on the market. With the Blitz lock drilling the locks are cocked by tilting the
barrels – or with the manual cocking
system.
DUO MANUAL COCKING LOCK: The
Duo manual cocking system combines
the safety of the manual cocking system
with the option of rapid reloading. After
the shot has been fired this manual
cocking system becomes a self cocking
system, which draws its energy from
tilting the barrels – further cocking after
loading is not necessary.
MANUAL COCKING LOCK: With the
manual cocking lock the energy to strike
the hammer is generated by the thumb
via a cocking slide on the stock wrist. The
gun is carried in a decocked state and is
only cocked just before the shot. Merkel
offers manual cocking systems both with
single lock and double lock actions.
BOXLOCK: The boxlock, patented
by William Anson and John Deeley in
1875, is probably the most widely used
lock action for single shot rifles. The
boxlock contains the very few functional
parts of this locking system. The simple
design is the basis of its legendary reliability. This boxlock is so perfect, that
any deviation from the idea of its inventors would represent a complication
and degradation of the design. Merkel
has therefore only modified the Anson
& Deeley boxlock for its over-and-under
guns. The boxlock is cocked by tilting
the barrels.
BLITZ LOCK, decocked.
COMPENDIUM
295
SIDELOCK: The sidelock is the oldest and most elaborate lock model.
Its original form can be found in early
hammer guns. With modern sidelocks
the external hammer has been relocated and is now on the inside of the lock.
In the case of Merkel sidelocks, only
the vehement V-springs are used in the
side-by-side guns and the 303 series.
They have the advantage of shorter
shot development times than compression springs. Through the special
lever ratios, sidelocks enable an agreeably low trigger weight. For additional
safety, Merkel generally fits this lock
with catch levers.
GAS OPERATED LOADING SYSTEM:
Gas pressure loaders are semi-automatic firearms, with which during the shot
development a part of the gases of the
propellant is withdrawn from the barrel
and acts on the self-loading mechanism.
The breech is unlocked and opened
with this energy; the empty cartridge
casing is ejected. With the subsequent
closing of the breech by the action
spring a new cartridge is fed into the
chamber. The Merkel SR1 semiautomatic rifle is a gas pressure loader with
rotary bolt head and six locking lugs –
it is locked directly in the barrel.
ANSON & DEELEY LOCK,
SIDELOCKS,
decocked.
303E.
COMPENDIUM III
LOCKS AND ACTIONS
The breech locks the breechloader when
a shot is fired. Merkel guns always lock at
least double and always with a combination of different breech versions – depending on the design and the breech
load, up to fivefold.
GREENER-STYLE CROSSBOLT: With
the Greener-style cross bolt a barrel
extension protrudes into a slot in the
receiver. There it is locked with a steel
bolt. The locking mechanism was developed by the English gunmaker William
Greener (1864-1900). This locking mechanism prevents the tilting of the barrels
and at Merkel is only used as an auxiliary locking system to barrel lug locking.
BOLT ACTION: The bolt action (also
cylinder lock) is the classic repeater
action, which is also often used with
semiautomatic rifles. At Merkel the bolt
action generally locks in the barrel. This
facilitates shot precision, and increases
the safety and service life of the gun.
The six locking lug action is tested for
pressure up to 8000 bar.
KERSTEN CROSSBOLT: The Kersten or
double greener cross bolt is the locking
mechanism used for over-and-under
guns or powerful side-by-side guns.
Two barrel extensions at the breech end
of the barrel lead into two slots in the
receiver and are locked with steel bolts.
mechanism. Franz Jäger’s development
is extremely rugged and torque-free –
with Merkel gun of the B class it can be
removed from the receiver without the
use of tools.
BARREL LUG LOCKING: An elaborate locking mechanism for break open
guns: for Merkel guns they are used to
lock the high-grade Meisterstücks. A
breech block leading into the receiver
catches into both barrel lugs and double locks the barrel in the receiver – a
double locking mechanism for more
safety.
TILTED BLOCK BREECH: In break
open guns, the tilted block breech, developed by Franz Jäger in Suhl and patented in 1906, locks directly into a slot
of the barrel – steel on steel. The locking mechanism involves a steel block
with a lug that catches into the slot.
The breech, which Merkel uses with
many MEM guns, enables the use of
duralumin receivers, without having tor
dispense with the steel on steel locking
Bolt head with six locking lugs.
COMPENDIUM
297
Greener cross bolt.
Kersten cross bolt.
double bottom bite locking.
Jäger tilted block breech.
COMPENDIUM IV
SPECIFICS OF THE MERKEL MANUFACTORY
The Merkel manufactory is a gun factory
like no other. Here a conscious effort is
made to make things differently than
anywhere else, if this serves the gun, its
safety, its efficiency or its aesthetic.
CALIBER ADAPTED RECEIVERS:
The old rule still applies today: the
caliber of the barrels determines the
dimensions of the receiver. With Merkel
hunting guns the receivers are made-tomeasure to the supplied caliber – which
enhances the appearance and elegance
of the gun, and avoids unnecessary
weight. It would be easier to offer a
universal receiver – but this would be
less attractive and less elegant.
STEEL ON STEEL PRINCIPLE: For reasons of safety Merkel’s locking mechanisms are exclusively steel on steel – i.e.
steel barrels with steel bolts. The Jäger
tilted block breech is used as and additional locking system in duralumin
receivers.
KALIBERADAPTIERTE BASKÜLE:
Kaliber 28, 20 und 12.
STABILISING INERT MASS SYSTEM:
People who hunt with large caliber
guns, have to deal with heavy recoil
forces. Whilst other manufacturers inset
shock absorbers with movable parts in
the buttstock, Merkel uses a well balanced system of various inert masses.
The inert masses integrated into the
buttstock of an Africa rifle are perfectly aligned to the weight of the hard
soldered barrels of this gun – thus the
balance is retained for swinging the gun
and the recoil is also reduced. And this
without any movable part that could
destabilise the handling.
COMPENDIUM
299
THREE-PIECE FOREARM: The forearm
is by definition the part of the stock in
front of the breech block. In over-andunder gun the forearm encompasses
the lower barrel. Three-piece forearms
are time-consuming to make, because
all the wood pieces of a gun have to be
matched with each other – in geometry
and in wood grain. Three-piece forearms make for a slim-line rifle; and they
offer the advantage that they can be
mounted around the barrel.
MUZZLE ADJUSTMENT: When
changing ammunition, cartridge load
or scopes on double-barrel guns, it
may be necessary to readjust the point
of impact of the barrels to each other.
With traditionally manufactured guns
with soldered barrels, this also requires
laborious soldering work. Merkel uses
a precision engineering solution for
muzzle adjustment. Two openings
in the muzzle enable fine horizontal
and vertical adjustment of the barrels
(bidirectional) via thread-adjustable slot
wedges. This makes the work of experience gunmakers much easier and more
precise than with the solder method.
TOP-DOWN PRINCIPLE: At Merkel,
for reasons of safety, it is the receivers
with the highest caliber of a rifle series
that determine the power reserves of all
the underlying receivers. Thus it is the
Africa rifle that sets the standard – even
for a side-by-side shotgun.
MERKEL BARRELS: One hundred
percent control of the central technologies of gun barrel manufacture is
a fundamental principle at Merkel. This
is why Merkel manufactures all shotgun
and rifle barrels itself in the Suhl manufactory and does not use barrels made
by other manufacturers. The barrels are
made on two cold forging machines in
a hammering process. Merkel supplies
many well-known industrial manufacturers and handcraft gunmakers with
barrels from Suhl.
HANDED-DOWN QUALITY: At Merkel, quality from tradition means that
we maintain production processes if
they serve the quality or safety of our
rifles. With soldered barrels or with
brush oxidisation, for example, we rely
on traditional methods, which produce
barrels unrivalled in their elegance and
the finest surfaces. Merkel maintains
these processes in the tradition of the
Suhl gunmakers.
SOLDERED BARREL SETS: In the
formative years of the company, Gebhard Merkel registered a patent for
stress-free soldering of gun barrels. The
barrel assembly and bonding by means
of hard and soft soldering is a skill that
today is only mastered by a few gunmakers.
Three-piece forearm.
PUBLISHING DETAILS
MERKEL Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH
Photograph and image credits (the figures refer to the numbers to
Schützenstraße 26 I D-98527 Suhl
the right of an illustration):
Phone: + 49-3681-854-0 I Fax: + 49-3681-854 -201
info@merkel-die-jagd.de I www.merkel-die-jagd.de
1: Postcard out of the Merkel archive I 2: engraving out the 18th century I
3: Memorandum of association of the „Waffenfabrik Gebrüder Merkel“
Many people and institutions have contributed to the creation of
(ThStA Gotha, country court - notary Rudolf Emmerich - deed register 1898
this family tree. We thank the following for their kind support:
Bl. 443r) I 4: Gebrauchsmuster-Rolle aus dem Archiv des Waffenmuseums
· Suhl City Archive
Suhl I 5: Shop diary from Fritz Wenig | 6: Ad for the Grand Prix | 7: Article
· Peter Arfmann and the Suhl Weapons Museum
Dr. Sack (ThSTA Meiningen. Merkel Nr. 44) I 8: Letter of congratulation
· Gotha State Library
(ThSTA Meiningen. Merkel Nr. 22) I 9: Max Schmeling (http://de.wikipedia.
· Fritz Weniger on behalf of the descendants of the Merkel family
org/wiki/Max_Schmeling) I 10: Shop photo of the photo album the former
managing director Kessel I 11: Disappropriation deed (ThSTA Meinigen.
Brand development, research, concept, layout and realisation:
Merkel Nr. 44) I 12: Gagarin photo - Suhler town archive (Photographer:
id pool GmbH I Krefelder Straße 32 I D-70376 Stuttgart
Manfred Raps) | 13: Garagrin photo - Suhler town archive (Press picture
office@id-pool.de I www.id-pool.de
Rolf Kornmann. Repro: Gerd Manig) | 14: Over and under shotgun ( Magazine „DDR Export. Zeitschrift des Außenhandels“) | 15: Matthias Dunkel
Historical research and text: Holger Siegel I id pool GmbH
( Magazine „DDR Export. Zeitschrift des Außenhandels“) | 16: Stamps
Art direction and Design: Frank Reichert I id pool GmbH
(http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briefmarken) I 17: August F. Möbius (http://
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Ferdinand_Möbius).
Photographs: Arnulf Hettrich (Stuttgart) I Thomas Lange (Suhl)
Thomas Kärcher (Ulm) I istockphoto.com I Repro: Martin Hähn
Because we continously develop and enhance our products de-
(Farbecht, Dusslingen) I Printing: Ottodruck (Oberndorf)
scribed in our catalogue are subject to change. Also many of our
products are custom made. The guns only be purchased by people
Printed on Galaxi Keramik, a certified paper
made out of sustainable forest management.
in possession of a valid permit. All rights reserved.

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