Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.20 kg
- Introduced
- Not recorded
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS is a German three-barrel hunting drilling (Kugeldrilling) built with three rifled barrels on a steel bascule Blitz action, arranged as two barrels over one. Offered in large hunting calibers including 9.3x74mm R, .30-06 Springfield and 8x57mm JRS, it uses a Greener crossbolt and double-underlug locking system with manual rifle-barrel cocking and a double-trigger set-up (the rear trigger firing the bottom barrel). Fitted with a walnut pistol-grip stock with cheek piece and rubber butt pad, hand-cut hunting engraving, and preparation for Suhl swing mounts, it is a bespoke driven-game and mountain hunting arm made in Suhl.
A Kugeldrilling like the 961LS packs three rifled barrels into one break-action gun, letting a hunter carry multiple calibers for different game on a single stalk without swapping rifles - a distinctly German answer to the mixed-bag hunt.
Part of Merkel's 96-series drilling family alongside the classic Drilling 96K (two shotgun barrels over one rifle barrel) and the Double Rifle Drilling 961L. The 961LS carries three rifled barrels. Weight is quoted at approximately 3.2 kg with a 55 cm barrel set; exact figures vary with caliber combination and stock wood.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- In production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Overall length
- 980 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Double trigger
- Capacity
- 3
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 700 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 4540 J
- Effective range
- 150 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Three rifled barrels
Blitz action- Steel bascule
Greener crossbolt locking- Double underlug locking
Double trigger
Pistol grip stock
Cheek piece
Rubber recoil pad
Hand engraved receiver
Prepared for suhl swing mounts
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 3.20 kg | 3.50 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 980 mm | 1080 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 550 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 3 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS
How much does the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS weigh?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS weighs 3.20 kg (7.05 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS is chambered in 9.3x74mm R, .30-06 Springfield, and 8x57mm JRS.
How many rounds does the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS hold?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS holds 3 rounds.
How long is the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS is 980 mm (38.6 in) long overall, with a 550 mm (21.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS is made by Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen (Germany).
How does the Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS operate?
The Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/merkel-rifle-drilling-961ls' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "merkel-rifle-drilling-961ls", "name": "Merkel Rifle Drilling 961LS", "manufacturer": { "id": "merkel", "name": "Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1898, "website": "https://www.merkel-die-jagd.de", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "9e2e95fd839d56a999d551ebb5c84660dae437240057bf0881acdb7d9eac28d1" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": null, "barrel_length_mm": 550, "weight_empty_g": 3200, "action_type": "break_action"}