Poor Merkel after sales service.

[Stalker-of-the-deer]

Know a guy who spent 20k on a merkel double rifle (dream rifle, absolutely stunning) which broke and wouldn't extract cases after firing

Merkel's Response was impossible, merkel rifles simply do not break sent it back eventually. It got fixed but they refused to say what had actually broken when he asked

 

[deeangeo]

Anything is possible on the Internet....

Of course that's a fact VSS - had my K95 now for over 20 years & still as accurate as the day I first tested it. Had a couple of hiccups along the way, but easily solved by both dealer & manufacturer (Blaser)

 

[Kiwiroger]

Just wondered if anyone else has had dealings with Merkel, and had a similar experience.
Purchased a new K5 single shot rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor, from a local gun shop. Lovely bit of kit, absolutely beautiful. Spent a bit more and had a fluted barrel and grade six wood and Merkel mounts.
Three lots of different factory ammo and a batch of incrementally charged home load, I went to the range. Struggled to keep it on an A4 target, let alone group.Changed the scope for another with a proven track record, to rule that out. Moderator on/off. Resting on hand, resting on sand bag, resting on sticks. Still all over the place at 100 meters.
Made three different attempts to email Merkel, asking them the ammo they used to test fire the rifle for "Quality Control", just to start me off in the right direction. Nothing.
Emailed Viking, the importers, on the off chance they had a contact at M the plumber, erkel, who might be able to help. Nothing of them either.
All I was after was a bit of help and advice, to rule things out, so I could start and look at other things.
Luckily, the gun shop said bring it back and we will look at it. Very good shop with excellent customer service.
A bit embarrassed having spent five grand on a rifle that I wouldn't shoot over fifty meters on a stalk, and there are lads on the internet, shooting a Blaser K95 single shot, with factory ammo out to 800 meters.

Hello neil the plumber, was interested if you got anywhere with the problem you had with your Merkel k5, have they sorted it?

 

[neil the plumber]

Managed to find out what their test ammo was for original quality control when it leaves the factory.
The shop that I purchased the rifle from has sourced said ammo for me.( whether this is free of charge or at a discounted price waits to be seen, as I've spent about four hundred quid so far and still unable to hunt with it.)
Hopefully this week can do some testing.
Once I've test fired it with their ammo, then I can get the ball rolling.
Are you close to the Midlands. You are more than welcome in having a shot through it.
If I can get it to shoot, it will be the gun of my dreams. Beautiful bit of kit and a pleasure to handle.

 

[merlin]

Are you close to the Midlands. You are more than welcome in having a shot through it.

His profile says he's in New Zealand, so it'll be a bit of an early start for him

 

[Stalker62]

Are you close to the Midlands. You are more than welcome in having a shot through it.

11,600 miles.

Give or take...



Lovely offer though.

 

[Jagare]

Know a guy who spent 20k on a merkel double rifle (dream rifle, absolutely stunning) which broke and wouldn't extract cases after firing

Merkel's Response was impossible, merkel rifles simply do not break sent it back eventually. It got fixed but they refused to say what had actually broken when he asked

I had a proplem with my Merkel double rifles extractor. Back to the gun shop it went, Parts were sourced from Merkel and fitted by the shops gunsmith I even got the faulty parts back in a little plastic bag. My LGS does have in house gunsmiths.

When I got the double rifle it was missing the test Target and info about what ammo it was regulated with. I emailed Merkel and after a bit of prompting got the info from them. I thought it was regulated with Norma ammo, but no it had been regulated with, Lapua Naturalis. Once I had the info I loaded several different loads and got the rifle shooting really well. Shooting the double rifle well and sighting in from a rest takes a different technque than shooting in a bolt rifle. The first few shots with a new double rifle wil get you thinking, WTF is this crap I've bought.
Once I got the technique for shooting my rifle its a great rifle to hunt with. After a fare bit of load development I've now got three loads, Two lead free and a lead loads that all shoot to the same point of aim.

 

[finnbear270]

Different animal, but very pleased with my Helix Alpinist.

 

[scotch_egg]

I had a proplem with my Merkel double rifles extractor. Back to the gun shop it went, Parts were sourced from Merkel and fitted by the shops gunsmith I even got the faulty parts back in a little plastic bag. My LGS does have in house gunsmiths.

When I got the double rifle it was missing the test Target and info about what ammo it was regulated with. I emailed Merkel and after a bit of prompting got the info from them. I thought it was regulated with Norma ammo, but no it had been regulated with, Lapua Naturalis. Once I had the info I loaded several different loads and got the rifle shooting really well. Shooting the double rifle well and sighting in from a rest takes a different technque than shooting in a bolt rifle. The first few shots with a new double rifle wil get you thinking, WTF is this crap I've bought.
Once I got the technique for shooting my rifle its a great rifle to hunt with. After a fare bit of load development I've now got three loads, Two lead free and a lead loads that all shoot to the same point of aim.

What calibre purely out of being nosey

 

[Jagare]

What calibre purely out of being nosey

8x57jrs

 

[GWP]

Not rifle related but a Merkel shotgun cocking lever snapped at the knuckle end email sent to both Viking and Merkel over a month ago still no reply they must have slow internet or something

 

[GBR66]

Different animal, but very pleased with my Helix Alpinist.

Same here, very pleased with Alpinist in .30-06, secondly when I emailed out of interest to ask what ammo they used in house they came back within a day saying RWS. Cracking rifle.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Pretty poor show all round but would be good to know if/how this was resolved?

 

[Kiwiroger]

Managed to find out what their test ammo was for original quality control when it leaves the factory.
The shop that I purchased the rifle from has sourced said ammo for me.( whether this is free of charge or at a discounted price waits to be seen, as I've spent about four hundred quid so far and still unable to hunt with it.)
Hopefully this week can do some testing.
Once I've test fired it with their ammo, then I can get the ball rolling.
Are you close to the Midlands. You are more than welcome in having a shot through it.
If I can get it to shoot, it will be the gun of my dreams. Beautiful bit of kit and a pleasure to handle.

Hello Neil, did your problems with the k5 Merkel resolve it's self in the end?
I hope so, and you're getting to enjoy it, an update on your journey would be good.

 

[exmarksman9870]

Never had a problem with them ..They even replaced a fore stock on my k5 after a gunsmith incorrectly fitted the cup for a spartan bipod and it split in half first shot.. they sent it direct from merkle with a cup fitted in the correct position with help from spartan also... I will 100% but another merkle..

 

[exmarksman9870]

Have you shot it with the iron sight only ?? I must say my k5 thumbnails even with copper ...have you spoke to viking arms ??