Mike Walker (engineer)

Merle "Mike" H. Walker (December 5, 1911 - March 6, 2013^[1]) was a designer of firearms and cartridges, an engineer employed with Remington Arms for 37 years, and a leader in promoting the sport of benchrest shooting.^[2]

Design and engineering

He is noted as the designer of the Remington Model 721, Model 722 and Model 700.^[2][3] The Model 700 has been called "the world's most popular bolt-action rifle."^[2]

Walker developed various cartridges while at Remington including .222 Remington, .244 Remington (later renamed 6mm Remington), and 6mm BR.^[3][4][5]

Walker also held patents, including one in 1950 for the trigger which went into the Remington Model 700.^[6] That trigger has been associated with misfiring for which he proposed a solution.^[6] He was also involved in inventing button rifling.^[2]

Benchrest

Walker played a role in founding the International Bench Shooters and was its first president.^[5]

References

1. "Merle Walker Obituary - Hendersonville, North Carolina - Tributes.com". www.tributes.com. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
2. "Merle "Mike" Walker's Obituary on Times-News". Times-News. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
3. Bellah, Kent (February 1960). (PDF). Guns. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2012. Reminton's .244 cartridge...Mike Walker...created the hotshot.... also designed the 722 Remington action that is top dog with benchresters generally using the.222 cartidge which he also developed.
4. Simpson, Layne (24 July 2020). ".222 Remington Rifle Cartridge – Family Portrait". RifleShooter. Outdoor Sportsmen Group. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
5. "Legends of Benchrest: Remington's Mike Walker « Daily Bulletin". bulletin.accurateshooter.com. Retrieved 2017-09-27. Remington engineer and first president of the National Benchrest Shooters Association... Along with Remington Engineer Jim Stekl, Mike Walker helped develop a wildcat that became the 6mmBR cartridge.
6. Cohn, Scott (2013-03-25). "Developer of Controversial Remington Trigger Dead at 101". CNBC. Retrieved 2017-09-27.