Poor Merkel after sales service.

[neil the plumber]

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 Merkel, 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.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Someone I know had an infuriating battle with them over a double rifle they purchased new from them….. wouldn’t zero no matter what ammo he tried. Think in the end he gave up with them and got a decent independent gunsmith to sort it, not what you expect from a premium price tag item!

 

[Bones]

New Merkel rifles come with paperwork to say which exact round they were tested with.
Merkel and most Europeans seem to use Norma. (From memory both my Helix' used 180g Norma Oryx for example).
I believe I have read a few articles on here, SD, re some European rifle makes not liking US ammo - I certainly found Norma completely different to Hornady in my Merkel 308.

 

[Andyquadra]

Got to remember, your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer or importer. It is down to the company you got the rifle from to sort everything out.

 

[VSS]

.
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.

Anything is possible on the Internet....

 

[HonestJohn]

Request it’s sent back for a new replacement, simple as

 

[neil the plumber]

Many, many thanks gents, for taking the time to respond. The Test Sheet, that came with the rifle was blank, which seemed a bit strange, for a firearm of any price tag.
The gun shop in question is brilliant, and I have no doubt they will sort it. I just assumed the manufacture would go out of their way to help the end user with a relatively simple request.
Did your acquaintance with the double rifle, forward the gunsmith's bill onto Merkel, do you know?

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Angela did do some terrible things over here, I feel for you.

 

[Bones]

Many, many thanks gents, for taking the time to respond. The Test Sheet, that came with the rifle was blank, which seemed a bit strange, for a firearm of any price tag.
The gun shop in question is brilliant, and I have no doubt they will sort it. I just assumed the manufacture would go out of their way to help the end user with a relatively simple request.
Did your acquaintance with the double rifle, forward the gunsmith's bill onto Merkel, do you know?

The test sheets are blank for some reason with Merkel - unlike say Chapuis doubles which show how they are regulated - but should say which round used and at what distance.

 

[NullMac]

Don't try too hard. You have a period in which you can reject it as unfit for purpose. If you faff about for too long these rights are reduced and/or vanish. Do some reading

 

[webley701]

Neil,
Not that the experience of others can change your own - but my K5 & a couple of k3’s I’ve used have been the opposite of yours (factory ammunition & hand loads with various bullets).
You mention ‘rested’ on hand, bag, sticks etc. are you literally resting the rifle or holding the forend (like St Hubert & his boss intended)?

 

[HonestJohn]

having re-read you post. yes, don't have anyone touch it apart from the shop that bought it, it will then be their, and only their responsibility to repair, refund, or replace. I also would not accept anything less than excellent grouping for such a rifle.

it sounds like you have tested holding/resting it in various ways, the scope being ok, and mounts being ok, moderator on/off, etc.

based on this article, it seems like shooting off sticks should be no problem, and that's the field tester chap from Viking, Chris Dalton - News & Events | Chris Dalton

I wouldn't bother contacting Merkel or the Importers, truth is, it's the shop who sold it that's responsible, and they will likely just have it sent back to Viking, back to Merkel, to be sorted or replaced for you, in fact, you should insist on this IMHO.

I feel for you, because if it goes that route, you could be without a rifle for the rest of the year really, so 'in the meantime', the shop should actually offer you a refund with the hope you will 're-purchase' the rifle when it comes back, but..chances of that..

 

[cjm1066]

As others have said it's the shop who supplied you.

I just hope that using home loads hasn't invalidated the warranty!

 

[Steff]

Have a look at this thread and my comments on Merkel:

SAMMI vers CIP

How do you resolve the problem Steff People sell the shyte once they‘ve had enough of it and Merkel‘s policy of ignorance and keeping customers at distance.

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[John Gryphon]

and there are lads on the internet, shooting a Blaser K95 single shot, with factory ammo out to 800 meters.

So the lads say.

not what you expect from a premium price tag item!

Thats absolutely correct.

Btw any of my Winchesters shoot with any manufacturers ammo ,as every rifle should.

 

[TringSaint]

Glad I didn’t buy one of these now! Was looking at a Helix Alpinist but heard that the accuracy was a bit iffy. But not grouping at 100m is terrible.

As John says above, I have 3 centrefire rifles and I can feed them all with any old crap and they shoot just fine - never used anything other than GGG in my 308 at Bisley and I’m hitting 4’s, 5’s and VB’s all day at 600m with a 16” barrel on a bog standard Rem700 sps.

 

[John Gryphon]

any of my Winchesters shoot with any manufacturers ammo

As do my lowly Parker Hales.

I have 3 centrefire rifles and I can feed them all with any old crap and they shoot just fine

Yes its common for common rifles to do that yet I hear quite often about some up market brands that dont deliver.

 

[HonestJohn]

As others have said it's the shop who supplied you.

I just hope that using home loads hasn't invalidated the warranty!

yeah, do not tell the shop you homeloaded it!!!

 

[webley701]

Many, many thanks gents, for taking the time to respond. The Test Sheet, that came with the rifle was blank, which seemed a bit strange, for a firearm of any price tag.
The gun shop in question is brilliant, and I have no doubt they will sort it. I just assumed the manufacture would go out of their way to help the end user with a relatively simple request.
Did your acquaintance with the double rifle, forward the gunsmith's bill onto Merkel, do you know?

By ‘test sheet’ are you referring to the sheet labelled ‘Gewehr-Pass’?

The information that sheet should have printed on it (other than the rifle serial number, calibre, model & specification code) is the ammunition type plus a couple of circular quality control stamps (with the testers name). One stamp for ‘test shooting successful‘ & one for ‘final inspection’. If these stamps are missing it could be seen as reasonable grounds for returning the rifle as the QC process hasn’t been proved to have been done.

 

[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 Merkel, 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.

Saw a similar problem on exactly the same rifle as yours, problem was caused not by the rifle but a loose bolt in the Merkel mounts. It's inside the cross section of the levers that mounts to the dovetail. They are only small and you may need the right tool to tighten these but solved this problem instantly. Worth a look I would say, these are awesome rifles and I can't see Merkel producing a rifle in this price range that doesn't shoot. All the best and hope you get it sorted so you can enjoy your k5.