Merkel B3: Cutting-Edge Express Rifle for the Modern Hunter
We are looking at a modern firearm that preserves the timeless charm of classic express rifles while offering far greater versatility. Its interchangeable barrels, cartridges, and calibers make it perfectly suited for today's diverse hunting demands. This robust, lightweight, and highly accurate rifle is built for speed, delivering an exceptional experience for hunters. Especially designed for driven hunts, it excels in providing that crucial second quick shot, making it a game-changer for any serious hunter.
Merkel is a renowned expert in manufacturing this type of rifle, and with 21st-century hunters demanding lighter, more affordable, and highly functional firearms, they have developed the B3 model as part of their innovative MEM (Merkel Engineered Manufacturing) range. This rifle retains the legendary "DNA" of classic Merkel firearms while incorporating modern technologies.
An express rifle is, by definition, a classic among classics—a true work of art crafted through hours of intricate adjustments by expert hands.
This robust, lightweight, precise, and lightning-fast rifle, ideal for driven hunts, features beautiful oil-finished walnut wood. The stock’s cut is distinctly Central European, though not overly exaggerated—boar’s back style, but light and less curved, with a Bavarian cheekpiece featuring a single fold. The forend is sleek, ending in a subtle "schnabel" or duckbill tip that integrates the barrel release button. The hand-checkering is diamond-point, neither coarse nor fine, offering a perfect grip without being too aggressive. The difference between the B3 Jagd and the higher-end B3 Suhl lies in the wood quality, with the Suhl featuring premium, selected root wood.
The receiver is engraved with hunting scenes, varying in quality depending on the B3 model. It is machined from a block of Ergal, a type of aerospace-grade aluminum, rather than traditional steel, significantly reducing the rifle’s weight.
This is made possible by a patented locking system featuring a pivoting steel piece that secures the chamber and supports the cartridge bases, ensuring a tight, reliable lock without the need for a heavy steel receiver. Inside the receiver, a steel transverse axis supports the barrels, which pivot, while a steel plate activated by the opening lever locks into the barrel monoblock’s lower hook. This design also allows for barrel and caliber changes, previously difficult or nearly impossible with steel receivers, making the rifle highly versatile.
The mechanisms are straightforward, featuring a classic cocking lever, common in many German firearms, located above the pistol grip. This lever simultaneously cocks the firing mechanism and acts as a safety—if the mechanism isn’t cocked, the rifle is completely deactivated. This solution is simple, silent, easy to control, and highly effective.
The trigger system is adjustable in tension and features a single trigger without a barrel selector, meaning the firing order is always the same: first the lower barrel, then the upper. Straight from the factory, the trigger is crisp with no creep, allowing for a fast follow-up shot—this is the express rifle's major advantage over others, even semi-automatics.
Cold-forged and monoblock, the barrels are soldered together, allowing them to vibrate independently, cool more efficiently, and avoid tension caused by one barrel heating faster than the other—this also prevents shot dispersion. The barrels are joined at the muzzle by a clamp with a screw to adjust convergence when changing the weight or type of cartridge.
The barrels are 550 mm long and available in .30 R Blaser, .30-06, 8x57JRS, and 9.3x74R. Their finish is a matte black phosphate coating to prevent unwanted reflections.
J. P. Bourguignon, Ardesa. Photos: Merkel.
Este artículo también está disponible en español: Merkel B3: Express de última tecnología
