I'm sure I could get 10 different opinions on the same gun, so I guess it's all about personal taste. For my money, if a gun is reliable, is regulated well, and fits the shooter, what more could you ask for? The Merkels I've seen are nice looking guns. Unfortunately, where I live, the gun stores don't carry many high end guns, so I haven't been able to handle the rest of the bunch. So, it would be a shot in the dark, if I ordered one online anyway.