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Moving along the lands, there are a great number of cut marks perpendicular to the lands across the surface of the lands running maybe an inch into the bores proper. The cut marks make the lands look similar to a washboard dirt road. Moving further into the bores, the lands look more like they should.

Still this Merkel shoots!!! I just can't look inside anymore because it really does bug me. I will try to live in a state of denial.

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Postman, I feel your pain! That description clears this up some! This is the only area in the bore where a cold hammer forged barrel could show tool marks. However these marks can be polished out, by a knowledgeable smith without any ill effect.

These cuts are, IMO, the result of an over used chambering reamer, or a tiny shaving getting hung in the reamer and not noticed by the tech doing the chambering. In any event it should have been polished out in the lead, but if the rifle shoots properly it really doesn't matter to anything but a perfectionist's mindset! I fully understand your thinking, as I'm guilty of that mindset as well. I think all rabid double rifle people are just a little on the perfectionist side!

I must admit that I haven't personally looked that close to the lead in any of my Merkels. You have me looking for a bore scope as we speak.

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Don't do it!! Please, just don't do it!!!!! Bore scopes lead to insanity!!!!!!!!!!!

The 141-A that I had in .30-06 (had is the operative word!) had the lands in the leade actually smeared like the metal was made of cake icing. I waited over a year for that rifle and when it finally arrived I took it home and looked inside, I was truly sick to my stomach. The rifle was soooo super light and handy, but the do it yourself regulation never worked right, and the state of the bore was just awful. It was barely ok I suppose within the context of double rifle accuracy perspective - it shot a 4" diagonal group at 50 yards and the shots tended to wander around some within the composite group. The varying point of impact I do credit to the super light weight barrels that heated very quickly as one might expect out of really light barrels so I wouldn't blame that on Merkel. It is simply a derivative of physics. Anyway, that rifle went down the highway out of sheer disgust and disappointment. I lost a bunch of money and that was the last Merkel I've purchased. I wouldn't ever suggest I won't buy another one if I see one that catches my fancy because the soldered barrel versions have really shot well for me and have been masterfully regulated.

Honestly out of the three I've owned (4 including the drilling), all displayed really sloppy work in the leade area. All save for the 141A shot really well in spite of the factory chamber work. I just don't understand why someone would take such great painstaking care and precision in building and meticulously fitting a rifle such that it is truly a masterpiece and then pull a bone headed move by screwing up the works with sloppy chamber work.

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