It is the special aesthetic that sets a Meisterstück apart from conventional guns. The contours are characterised by their individual freeform. The freeform of the gunmakers makes every Meisterstück unique in design - a genuine oneoff from Merkel.

The component parts of various materials are made to a calculated, fractional oversize to allow perfectly flush surfaces and exact dimensions when they are fitted together. This is only possible with the finest handcraft - not with industrial processes.

A Meisterstück has a special feel. Steel and wood are individually and uniquely made for each other and combine to from an incomparable entity. The transitions between the barrel sets, receivers and stocks are perfectly casted - a critical eye checks every dimension. The production process is made to measure for the Meisterstück. For example, it takes more than 35 handwork production stages and almost 80 hours to make a Merkel 303E - and that’s just the mechanical processing.

The finishing and refinement process takes another 40 hours, at least. Special engravings often take more than 170 working hours.

A Meisterstück is oriented towards the perfect result - and not primarily towards a rationalised production process. In this sense a Meisterstück is free spirit, to a certain extent unaffected by economic forces. A hunting rifle from another time. The reward of perfect handcraftsmanship is an elegant, finely designed masterpiece that sits perfectly in the hand.