Quality: Blaser vs Merkel?

0faustus0

0faustus0

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Ok, so Blaser and Merkel are known for producing nice drillings or combination guns. And both manufacturers offer their guns in more or less the same price range.

I am wondering ... in general ... with respect to quality and quality control ... who has the lead ... Blaser or Merkel? And I am talking here current production guns .... not guns from 50 or 100 years ago .... ;)

1.) Blaser

2.) Merkel

Has anybody any input here? Experiences?
Where are the drilling and combination gun lovers?
Please chime in ...

Thanks,
Faustus
 
Well I have a new Merkle Cape gun I custom ordered 5 years ago 9.3x74R/3" 20ga.
It is a working gun, but beautiful finished internals, the wood is well fitted and executed, but it is a working gun!
The great thing about Merkle, if you need a repair or full refinish, you can send it back k to the factory for rework! You can't say that about many firearm firms nowadays!
The only mistake I made was not letting the factory know what weight bullet I wanted the gun regulated for:(
I have a hard time finding the 232gr bullets it's regulated for?
The best way to figure out what you want is see if anyone at your local range owns any of these guns, and ask to handle and shoot there gun? Most people are more than happy to let a fellow nimrod try out one of there beloved guns :)
Dale Z
 
Just a thought zywina. I ordered a .366" bullet swaging die from Lee to size bullets for my 9.3x57. Most any .375" can be sized down including the Speer 235gr. Might be the ticket for your rifle.
 
zywina said:
Well I have a new Merkle Cape gun I custom ordered 5 years ago 9.3x74R/3" 20ga.
It is a working gun, but beautiful finished internals, the wood is well fitted and executed, but it is a working gun!
The great thing about Merkle, if you need a repair or full refinish, you can send it back k to the factory for rework! You can't say that about many firearm firms nowadays!
The only mistake I made was not letting the factory know what weight bullet I wanted the gun regulated for:(
I have a hard time finding the 232gr bullets it's regulated for?
The best way to figure out what you want is see if anyone at your local range owns any of these guns, and ask to handle and shoot there gun? Most people are more than happy to let a fellow nimrod try out one of there beloved guns :)
Dale Z
Click to expand...

Dale, thanks for sharing ... much appreciated. However, I am wondering .... what do you mean by saying " ... but it is a working gun!"?
Feel like explaining your thoughts a bit more .... ?
 
0faustus0 said:
Has anybody else any experience with Merkel guns?
Click to expand...

There is a very small percentage of hunters and shooters who utilize the Blaser and Merkel, therefore, responses will be minimal. I've owned one Merkel and three Blasers, and still own one Blaser. However, I cannot answer your question on the drilling or combination because these are not the model's I own/owned.
 
Have hunted and guided very extensively with a Merkel double rifle, they’re exceptionally well made working rifles as another poster has suggested here. Blaser is good too as any German made modern offering will be. If you’re looking at double rifles definitely the Merkel, as the Blaser is about the least loved double rifle out there on account of its cocking system. Even amongst those of us who’ve used both you’ll find little opinion on any quality difference as there really isn’t one, both are exceptional German wares that make American stuff look quite bad.

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Blaser drillings have reversed barrel arrangement, the rifle on top and the shot barrels under. They are also CNC machined, precise but soulless. They handle well but I've never shot one. I personally like the ####/decock feature. And the Blaser saddle scope mount is wonderful. Merkels can be either modern CNC machined or very traditional, hand built and hand fitted. Both are good, but you need to do some more research and decide which is best for you. I personally like the artistry and tradition of the hand built Merkels. I have an older O/U Merkel combination gun in 16/7x57R with a second set of 16 ga barrels and a new modern Merkel 140 AE sxs double rifle similar to Ardent's but in 450-400 3" Nitro Express. I would buy a Merkel Drilling over a Blaser every time. I am biased towards Merkel.
 
Thanks everyone for the input .... and thanks Ardent for sharing those pictures ..... wowwwwww!

I am looking around for a new German "Bockbüchsflinte", a combination gun .... something like a 12ga over 30-06 .... and as an all round reliable meat getter.
The one gun .... if you could only own one. Or if you could only take one with you up north ...

https://www.merkel-die-jagd.de/en/products/guns/combination-guns/bbf-b3/

I saw that the Merkel B3 has the cocking system on the back where the safety would normally be ....
Has anybody any experience with this type of cocking system?
 
0faustus0 said:
Thanks everyone for the input .... and thanks Ardent for sharing those pictures ..... wowwwwww!

I am looking around for a new German "Bockbüchsflinte", a combination gun .... something like a 12ga over 30-06 .... and as an all round reliable meat getter.
The one gun .... if you could only own one. Or if you could only take one with you up north ...

https://www.merkel-die-jagd.de/en/products/guns/combination-guns/bbf-b3/

I saw that the Merkel B3 has the cocking system on the back where the safety would normally be ....
Has anybody any experience with this type of cocking system?
Click to expand...

All of my Blaser's had the cocking/decocking system. It is the safest safety system among sporting firearms.
 
I have a Heym bochbuchsflinte in 7x57R and 20 ga 3" that I bought new about 35 years ago. These and others are available in 20, 16 and 12 gauge with rifle barrels from .22 Hornet and .223 up to 9.3x74R including 308W and 30-06. These have one shotgun barrel over a pencil thin rifle barrel, a sliding barrel selector switch on the left side of the action and a sliding cocking/decocking button on top where you would expect to see a safety. There is no safety. One is not needed because the gun is not automatically cocked when opened or closed, it must be manually cocked to be ready to fire. This means that the gun is carried fully loaded but is completely safe because it is inert and cannot be fired until the cocking lever is pushed forward, a much safer arrangement than most safeties and very quick and convenient to use. Admittedly this wouldn't be ideal on a dangerous game rifle but it is very practical for almost all North American hunting. Many guns have passed through my hands since I bought this one, this one gets used every year and it stays.
 
0faustus0 said:
I saw that the Merkel B3 has the cocking system on the back where the safety would normally be ....
Has anybody any experience with this type of cocking system?
Click to expand...

I have two R8's and a K95 (both Blaser), in multiple calibers. The safety (cocking/de-cocking) feature is the same on both of those models. It is a very safe, very easy to use system.
I have not ever owned a Merkel, but German firearms (at least at this quality level) would be hard differentiate. Personal choice.
 
0faustus0 said:
Ok, so Blaser and Merkel are known for producing nice drillings or combination guns. And both manufacturers offer their guns in more or less the same price range.

I am wondering ... in general ... with respect to quality and quality control ... who has the lead ... Blaser or Merkel? And I am talking here current production guns .... not guns from 50 or 100 years ago .... ;)

1.) Blaser

2.) Merkel

Has anybody any input here? Experiences?
Where are the drilling and combination gun lovers?
Please chime in ...

Thanks,
Faustus
Click to expand...

Ford , Chevy, Dodge, take your pic.
Rob
 
The Blaser R93 would get my vote. Rifle choice is a very personal thing. I don't care for most of the new fangled designs like the Helix or the R8 although I havent tried them. The newer Steyr SBS models also dont float my boat. Yes the rifle is a tool but I like to feel something for it if that doesnt sound too strange. I second the quality of the shotguns, combination guns and drillings that Merkel have produced.
 
I have a Blaser ES67 16ga over 5.6x50R. It has the cocking device slide where some saftey catches reside. I have no issues with it and it it quite safe. It also has a set trigger on the rifle and it works well. Fit and finish is exceptional even for an older gun.
 
Heym might also have something for you. I visited their factory last year but was more interested in the bolt guns. They seem quite flexible with building a gun to your liking.
edi
 
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