Merkel 160AE

About the Merkel 160AE

The Merkel 160AE is a side-by-side sidelock double rifle built for dangerous-game hunting, chambered primarily in .500 Nitro Express and also offered in .470 NE, .450/400 NE, .416 Rigby and .375 H&H Magnum. It is the sidelock counterpart to the boxlock Merkel 140AE, using hand-detachable sidelocks with a crank mechanism for easy servicing, a Greener locking system with double underlug locking, hard-soldered barrels with automatic ejectors, double triggers with an articulated front trigger to protect the finger under heavy recoil, and folding express sights. Its two hammer-fired barrels give a near-instant second shot, the classic safari configuration for stopping charging heavy game at close range.

Sidelock double rifles like the Merkel 160AE represent the top tier of the safari-rifle tradition, where the detachable sidelock plates carry finely finished internal work and a fast, reliable second barrel chambered in a big Nitro Express cartridge is prized as insurance against a charging buffalo or elephant.

Merkel 160AE specifications

The 160 series is Merkel's premium sidelock double rifle, distinguished from the boxlock 140 by its hand-detachable sidelocks. Variants include the 160-2, 160-2.2 and the deluxe 160A-EY LUX. An optional octagonal barrel and take-down case are offered. Quoted weight starts around 4.6 kg and rises to roughly 4.9-5.5 kg depending on caliber, barrel option and stock wood; a .500 NE example typically weighs about 4.8-5.5 kg. Barrels are regulated as a pair to shoot to the same point of aim at typical dangerous-game distances.