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Affected by the industrial revolution, the beginnings of the Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH began in 1898 when three brothers Albert Oskar, Gebhard and Karl Paul Merkel created a company under the name Gebrüder Merkel. They started manufacturing firearms in 1905 as a relatively small firm and remained like that during the war as the total number of employees hardly ever exceeded 350. Mainly focusing on export, the company even lost some of its foreign markets, hence pushing the innovativeness in the forefront of their marketing strategy which is to this day notable in their workshop diaries from the time. As the hunting rifles production suffered during the war, they struggled for many years after it ended. However, in the following years, their aesthetically built hunting rifles were again gradually beginning to be sought after in 28 foreign countries. In 1924, one of the most unique and recognizable models – Merkel 303 was presented.
Two years after registering a trademark and gaining rights to the use of the term 'Bock' (over-and-under), Gebhard Merkel passed away in 1933, missing a chance of witnessing the ‘Grand Prix’ prize being awarded to the company in 1937 which increased the export business significantly. In the following year, the management was handed over to Adolf Schade and Ernst Merkel. Their rifles were mostly sold to the upper class - diplomats, famous hunters and industrialists became fond of the company's meticulousness and consistent quality which further broadened Merkel's reputation.
During the Second World War, the market network, consisting of many foreign countries, shrivelled little by little. The war industry was once again preventing the company to focus on what they had been known to do best, subordinating the production of hunting rifles to military weapons manufacturing. At this point, they started adjusting their production accordingly to the market demand, supplying other companies with what the industry needed the most - from carburettor to carbine and rangefinder parts.
Despite the war physically destroying or dismantling a large portion of German factories, Merkel was able to escape such fate, most likely due to its good reputation. At the end of 1945, they restarted the production of hunting rifles, however, due to the Soviet occupation, Merkel successors lost all rights to the company which now operated under the new state of the German Democratic Republic. The Soviets familiarized the company with the two most powerful and influential men at that time - Dwight D. Eisenhower and Nikita S. Chruschtschow which resulted in the first man in space – Juri Gagarin – to be given a Merkel Drilling. Consequently, the socialist regime exploited the company’s notoriety, focusing again on supplying the richest and most prominent people such as Josip Broz Tito, Gamal Abdel Nasser and even Mao Tse Tung. Up until 1987, the production of over-and-under rifles reached 150.000 pieces and the company additionally had a breakthrough in the sport shooting market.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, they struggled with outdated technology, however, foreign investors helped significantly with the expansion of the company which resulted in the development of some of the new products such as HELIX, SR1, K5 and SxS series. Up to this day, the company preserved the tradition of the high-quality, handcrafted character of their rifles combined with a vibrant history that laid the foundation for one of the greatest firearm companies of the 21st century.
Merkel KR1 is a push feed turn-bolt action rifle with a take-down option. The six-lug bolt set which locks up directly with the barrel is placed in an alloy carrier. The design is somehow unordinary - the bolt's body functions as an encasing cover that protects the receiver.
Straight-pull offers swift bolt operation, and a true bolt-turn provides users with an added feeling of security - making it the best of two worlds. The safety catch is of a two-position, tang type. Another standard feature of KR1 is a single-set trigger, breaking at 3lb (1.3 kg) force.
The switch-barrel option allows for quick swapping of the free-floated barrels by removing the bolt casing. As there is no traditional receiver on the rifle, the mounting surface is placed on the barrel itself. The removable 4-round box magazine can be loaded through the top of the action.
Possible barrel lengths for Merkel KR1 are 559 mm (22-inch) and 609 mm (24-inch).
Figure 1: Merkel KR1, chambered for .243 Win. (Source: http://lutzmoeller.net/Waffen/Merkel/Merkel-KR1.php)
Merkel KR1 can be chambered for the following calibres:
The mounting surface on KR1 is placed directly on the barrel and consists of four side notches. It is a unique mounting system.
Figure 2: The receiver of KR1 chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.lovskatrgovina.si/slo/makuick-one-piece-mount-merkel-kr1-30mm.html?country=SI)
A: barrel mounting surface
B: barrel mounting surface
C: barrel mounting surface
BHU: 0 mm
Ø: /
R1: /
R2: /
For two-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart.
Due to specific dimensions of the mounting surface, Merkel KR1 currently does not share any two-piece mounts with other rifles.
Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We would gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.
For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Rifles listed in the category below have interchangeable one-piece mounts with Merkel KR1.
Detachable mounts offer easy installation and repeatability which is especially useful whenever one is planning on using different scopes on the same rifle. This INNOMOUNT mounting solution is manufactured in Germany, made of light aluminium, and comes with a ten-year warranty, thus being an infallible choice for the Merkel KR1 rifle.
If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.
Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: [email protected]
