Merkel K5

About the Merkel

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 K5 Rifle Review

Merkel K5 is a single shot, break-barrel rifle that comes with a round, fluted or octagonal barrel and removable sights. Due to its simplicity and reduction-oriented development, it is light and precise. The rifle is equipped with a thumb-operated hand cocking slide which is placed on the upper side of the stock tang. It is the newest model among Merkel K series and shares some of the features with K3 and K4. There are, however, some key differences that separate this model from its predecessors.

The K5 rifle features an upgraded single-stage, six-position trigger made of titanium nitride which is fully adjustable in length but does not share the three-position weight adjustment with K3. There is a small screw placed on the upper side of the trigger which is connected to the rail that enables length adjustment. An upgrade from the previous models is a lighter and significantly quieter cocking mechanism. K5 also comes with a slimmer action in comparison to K3 and K4 models. In addition, the forearm has a slightly different profile, and the tilting block plate is removable with a push of a button which allows for easier maintenance of the weapon.

The rifle is set out for the same mounting system as models K3 and K4, with a great array of swing off and clip-on mounts. One safety feature of K5 that stands out is automatic de-cocking. Whenever a shot is fired, the rifle will automatically de-cock itself. The steel-on-steel tilting block locks and holds the aluminium action of the rifle and makes it possible for a short and compact design.

Possible barrel lengths for Merkel K5 are 510 mm (20-inch), 560 mm (22-inch) and 600 mm (23.6-inch).

Merkel K5

Figure 1: Merkel K5, chambered for .308 Win. (Source: https://www.all4shooters.com/en/hunting/rifles/merkel-k5-black-extreme-single-shot-rifle-test-video/)

Merkel K5 is chambered for the following calibres:

>.223 Rem.
.243 Win.
6.5mm Creedmoor
6.5x57
.270 Win.
7x57
7x65 R
.308 Win.
.30-06 Spr.
.300 Win. Mag.
8x57 JS
10.3x60 R

Merkel K5

Figure 2: The receiver of Merkel K5, chambered for .308 Win. (Source: https://www.waffen-beer.shop/merkel-k5-extreme-308win.html)

A: /

B: /

C: /

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: /

R1: /

R2: /

Which Rifles Have Interchangeable Mounts

Two-piece mounts

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 K5 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.

One-piece mounts

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 K5.

Merkel B3
Merkel B4
Merkel K3
Merkel K4
Merkel KR1
Fabarm Dual AL
Fabarm AL Combo
Fabarm Asper 2 Prestige
Fabarm 2 Oiled

Our Recommendations for Mounts

Detachable Repeatable Mounts

This one-piece INNOMOUNT is made for various Merkel models that share the same mounting surface and will fit perfectly on your Merkel K5 rifle. The installation and detachment are easy, the mount is made of aluminium and comes with a ten-year warranty.

Help us build our riflescope mounts database

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: info@optics-trade.eu