True.

Although Merkel really don't have a warranty.... the claimed 5 year warranty becomes void if you reload. Are there people that don't? With the cost of the "safari" ammunition as it is, I imagine everyone does.

I almost didn't buy my Merkel because of this, but just accepted in the end that I was buying a rifle without any warranty and was on my own. I've since had trigger work done, which probably also voids any remaining warranty... LOL.

Do other gunmakers have this policy?

Oh yeah, and what we look for in a nice piece of wood nowadays is decorative figuring, albeit with straight grain where it matters. A piece of wood like this may have all sorts of problems that can't be easily detected or seen. Another sacrifice we make when opting for beauty.