The trigger blade is slim at 7mm and I would have preferred some chequering or grooves but it gave deceptively light pulls under the 2lb mark. At 296 grams and 155mm long, it complimented the gun perfectly offering effective suppression. The Helix came threaded 15x1 along with a Brugger & Thomet end of barrel moderator. Insertion and extraction of the magazine was easy, left and right catches allowing the small spring to drop it clear for a fast changeover. A tight case will need a VERY firm yank to dislodge it, letting the carrier rattle back for a healthy clunk onto its stops. I wondered how the gun would be and to be fair, that last little ½” push the bolt needs to lock it (where the carriers internal helix rotate the bolt head) can be done quietly, although silence on reload depends on speed on your bolt. Some scepticism revolved around fox shooting at night where loading the rifle silently is mandatory. The mag holds 3-rounds more than enough! If you do want more Merkel offers a 5+1 in certain calibres a good choice for driven no doubt. My tester was in 243 Winchester which 90% of the time fits my requirements perfectly for British use. Although it does ride fairly close under the eye piece bell it’s easy to operate silently and offers bolt locking when decocked although a slight nudge forward whilst drawing on the handle gives safe opening. No safety catch, instead a tang-mounted de-cocker which is very reassuring and something I now miss on guns without one. Length of pull is 14 ¼” and great compromise when shooting in the winter with thick layers of clothing on, yet still allowing the plastic heeled rubber butt pad to mount effortlessly. Like the Sauer 202 the furniture locates at either end of the receiver. The forend although slender fitted my hand well and even though it flexes slightly still fl oats the barrel enough off a bipod not to affect accuracy/consistency. The design incorporates three QD sling studs – one at the rear and two in tandem at the front so a bipod can be fitted without touching the sling. The two-piece synthetic stock offers an adjustable cheek piece/comb allowing perfect cheek weld whether using a low slung red dot for driven boar or a moderate 50mm objective scope. Of all the guns I have shot, this is absolutely one of my favourites. But that said the Helix offers superb ergonomics for fast handling and normally the bolt handle only requires fingertip and thumb dexterity to cycle it quickly.
The ejection port is very slim and occasionally the case can bounce back in causing a stoppage. Ammunition running at correct pressures was fine and as familiarity grows you learn to moderate the input effort BUT, it only takes one surprise round to remind you not to get too relaxed, especially in a fast fire situation.
Review of the geco point of sales system full#
The action is quick, primary extraction is facilitated by the bolt head rotating out of battery, however, full extraction and ejection depends on how hard/fast you operate the bolt. The bolt face rotates anticlockwise into battery with a plunger ejector and claw extractor nestled into the upper lug of the face.Ī selling point is the receiver features integral Picatinny/Weaver bases so and unlike some of the other makes of switch barrel rifle you are not shelling out big bucks for detachable mounts! Locking is direct with the 6-lug bolt head engaging with the chamber extension, with the non pressure-bearing receiver playing no part except as a housing and scope base. You cannot cheat the laws of physics the downside to halving the movement is doubling the effort required. NO CHEATINGĪlthough many straight pulls are fast, the advantage here is that you can keep your head down as even with a long action calibre such as the 300 Win Mag, you aren’t going to crash the bolt into your face.
It effectively halves the movement so 1.5” of handle pull can extract and eject a 3” case, this is done by a rack and pinion type system.
Different are the internals as the design offers a mechanical advantage in that the operating stroke is shorter than actual bolt stroke by a ratio of 1-2. The Helix offers an innovative straight pull action with a non-conventional bolt system! The receiver is fully enclosed so nothing slides out of the back when it’s cycled, operation is by a neat drop-down handle on the right. With a lighter, 22”, 17mm fluted barrel, it was the perfect counterpoint to my usual love of chunkier rifles and barrels, and sadly, an all too brief encounter.
There are many variations of the Merkel Helix but my favourite is the Alpinist.