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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 SR1 is a push feed semiautomatic rifle with a self-loading gas pressure system that can be easily disassembled for maintenance purposes. The Duraluminium receiver houses a solid rotary bolt head that locks the six locking lugs into the barrel for extra safety.
Contrary to Merkel SR1 Basic, SR1 Standard offers a premium feature of changing stock dimensions and comes with a higher wood class. Additionally, the SR1 Standard offers an optimized design with the option of lightweight dismantling which significantly reduces its pack size and makes it easy to carry around. Moreover, the mounting surface on the rifles is different, as SR1 Basic features five mounting holes and has a longer B distance, thus the mounts between the rifles are not interchangeable. Unfortunately, this might cause some confusion among the users as one would expect interchangeability not to be an issue within what is essentially the same rifle series.
A fast-rolling shutter and a free-floating barrel made of high-strength steel allow for swift, minimal effort shooting. The detachable magazine can hold 2 or 5 rounds. The safety latch which is activated by pushing it to the right is positioned at the rear of the trigger guard and is easily reachable.
Merkel SR1 Standard is available in standard or magnum calibres.
Possible barrel lengths for Merkel SR1 are 500 mm (19.7-inch) and 510mm (20-inch).
Figure 1: Merkel SR1, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://whbu.pl/produkt/sztucer-samopowtarzalny-merkel-sr1-kal-30-06-bron-uzywana/)
Merkel SR1 Standard can be chambered for the following calibres:
Calibre choice depends on the variant.
SR 1 rifles are available in the following variants:
All Merkel SR1 Standard receivers come with five holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and three on the rear of the receiver.
Figure 2: The receiver of Merkel SR1, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/merkel-rifles/merkel-sr1-semi-auto-30-06.cfm?gun_id=100732475)
A: 21.9 mm
B: 88.5 mm
C: 15.4 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Ø: 6-48
R1: R24
R2: R24
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.
For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension.
Due to specific dimensions of the mounting surface, Merkel SR1 Standard currently does not share any 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.
This two-piece mount made of steel is produced by the German company MAK and will be a great contribution to your Merkel SR1 Standard rifle. It is recoil resistant and easy to install.
Produced by the German company Recknagel, this pivot mount will ensure durability and recoil resistance of the scope. It can be easily detached and is 100% repeatable which adds to the overall practicality of this mounting solution.
Suitable for numerous mounts, this steel made EAW Picatinny rail is a reliable mounting solution for Merkel SR1 Standard. It comes with four screws that will match the dimensions of the rifle's receiver perfectly.
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]
