For a few years now Merkel has been owned by a high finance outfit from Dubai-as their royal family wants to have some other strings to their bow when the oil runs out.
They have about 100 arab workers at any one time under tuition in Suhl on basic gunsmithing on a rotating system who then go back to Dubai to help with the start-up of their own arms industry (they make a pistol there which was CAD designed in Suhl by the Merkel designers).
There are two types of Merkel gun now made 1. the old hand fitted way and 2. the modern CNC semi autos and straight pull rifles for hunting in the German fashion, drives etc.
This all came out of a new book published by Merkel and lent to me by a German gundealer last week.
The Gunsmithing school in Suhl is flourishing still by the way so I would not think the new stuff is crap by any means.
I just have a Q1 from 1960 OU shotgun so I have no axe to grind here, just passing on that which I know to be fact.
Martin
