Merkel Model 161
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 550 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
- Introduced
- Not recorded
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Merkel Model 161 is a German side-by-side double rifle built on a petite, lightweight sidelock action for driven and mountain hunting. It is the sidelock counterpart to the boxlock Model 141 and a smaller-caliber sibling of the dangerous-game Model 160, chambered in standard European rifle cartridges such as 9.3x74mm R, 7x65mm R, .30-06 Springfield, .30R Blaser and 8x57IRS. The rifle uses hand-detachable sidelocks, double under-lugs with a Greener cross-bolt for a strong lock-up, a front set trigger, and a quarter-rib express sight, with automatic ejectors offered as an option. At roughly 3 kg it is a fast-handling two-shot rifle prized for quick follow-up shots on moving game at short range.
Merkel's Suhl gunmakers have offered petite-frame sidelock double rifles like the 161 for hunters who want the instant second shot of a double in a light, standard-caliber package suited to European driven hunts rather than African plains game.
Built on Merkel's smaller 28-gauge-size double gun frame, making it noticeably lighter than the 160-series dangerous-game rifles. Barrels are regulated as a pair to converge at typical driven-hunt distances; additional chamberings are available on request. Overall length depends on the ordered barrel length and stock dimensions.
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
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Set trigger
- Capacity
- 2
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Engraved 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.
Side by side barrels
Sidelock action
Hand detachable sidelocks- Greener crossbolt
Double underlug locking
Petite frame
Front set trigger
Quarter rib express sights
Optional ejectors
Engraved receiver
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 | 3.00 kg | 3.50 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 550 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 2 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Merkel Model 161
How much does the Merkel Model 161 weigh?
The Merkel Model 161 weighs 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Merkel Model 161?
The Merkel Model 161 is chambered in 9.3x74mm R, .30-06 Springfield, .30R Blaser, 7x65mm R, and 8x57mm JRS.
How many rounds does the Merkel Model 161 hold?
The Merkel Model 161 holds 2 rounds.
How long is the Merkel Model 161?
The Merkel Model 161 has a 550 mm (21.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Merkel Model 161?
The Merkel Model 161 is made by Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen (Germany).
How does the Merkel Model 161 operate?
The Merkel Model 161 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
66%
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-sxs-rifle-161' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "merkel-sxs-rifle-161", "name": "Merkel Model 161", "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": 3000, "action_type": "break_action"}