Interested in the Merkel KR1 switch barrel bolt action. Anyone who has fooled with or own one will you pleas opine?

Is the rifle accurate and keep POA when switching barrels (I will have all barrels scoped individually)?

Is it picky with ammo?

How about feeding and extraction?

How does it stand up to the elements?

Part and repair availability?

I am looking at 2 barrels: 6.5x55 & 9.3x62; will the 9.3 kick the bejeezels outta me for being so light?

As far as stock fit, my body type needs a lower drop in the heel, I know the american style stock wont work for me, so, can you get a good cheek weld with the hogsback on the premium model and does the heel drop low enough that I wont need skyscraper sized rings to line up correctly?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

I have a friend that may ask me to sell one for him, if you are intrested. Has 2 barrels, one is a .270. Will have to check on the other, its one of the European calibers. The Euro barrel is unfired. Also has the Swarovski scope package they offered with QD mounts. Cool gun!

Hi 4winds,

The Merkel KR1 is a good rifle. May be over engineered for some people as gebuesch wrote in Europe thread but effective and reliable. Accuracy is really good. Changing barrel as with Blaser R93 does'nt induce variation of POI. Some had problem of feeding with the 270WSM but that problem was traced to the magazine and solved.
The scope mount is sturdy and you can count on him even if it's stange for most of american hunter's taste. If you like the KR1, buy it, learn to use it and have good hunting.
I had chance to play with it sometime till 2007, last year i use one to take 8 pieces of game in two days of monteria in Portugal shooting 11 cartridges.
In Lithuania i shot some boars with it always in driven hunt.
I don't own one but i used and use it time to time and i trust it.
Here some pictures in two batches...

Lithuanian wild boars double

then portuguese red deer does and stag and wild boar.During that hunt i used one mannlicher style and one standart model.

Some more pictures of KR and game first three from Portugal hunt. I have more but don't want to hijack the thread and look like too much of a "killer"







That one from Lithanian woods

This is one I've always wanted. A buddy of mine bought one in .270 and bought a spare 9.3X62 barrel for it. The rifle is a little different from anything you've probably used before but the build quality is excellent and the stock while strange looking fits me very nicely.

The one I always wanted was the mannlicher style with the case hardened slide. My friend drove to the distributor in Birmingham AL to buy his, he said that was the one he wanted too but after handling the rifle he bought the half stock model with the aluminum slide. He said the metal slide made the rifle fell heavy and unbalanced.

The barrels and extra mounts are sort of pricey if I remember correctly. It won't be like a T/C Encore were you "collect" barrels for it.

They aren't cheap but I think you get a lot of rifle for the money.

Marseille, nice pictures!

Terry

Nice photos!!!!
What scopes were on the 2 rifles?
AMRA

I have one in .300 wm. The magnum barrel adds weight over the standard calibers. It's accurate and holds poa when broken down and reassembled. The detachable scope mount also holds poa.
Mine's not fussy at all.
Feeding and extraction are excellent.
The iron sights are very good and easy to use with the stock design. Stock fit is too personal for me to guess what'll work for you. The lop is a little longer than average I believe. The recoil pad is not much help but recoil overall is not objectionable.
You'll want a detachable scope mount for each separate barrel and the mounts are not cheap. I think those are around three hundred each when purchased separately and that is the only way to mount a scope.
The metal work is outstanding. The stock is less impressive.
The trigger is as good as it gets.