doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Question for board members from England.

Darne are seldom seen in the UK. The few there are here are collected and rarely used. Many English guns and the more upmarket Spanish guns have these 'ovals' to take initials, or occasionally a family heraldic crest.
Most are never engraved and left blank.
You might be very lucky and find someone who remembers the gun - because seeing a Darne in use is so rare here, but it is a very low probability indeed.

If I don't ask, I won't know. The gun was used a bunch at some point in the past, but, there is no promise that use was in England.

Best,
Ted

I've been shooting for 40 years and only seen one 'out in the field'. I was told of a local vet who used one, but I never saw him use it (he was more my father's generation) and the initials would be quite wrong for him.

As you say, well worth asking ...... but don't hold you breath for an answer!

When living in north London in the 70s our local gunshop, Whaleys in Hornsey road (Diggory's old neighborhood I believe) brought Darnes. They caused a stir, and few were sold. The Halifax went for 120 pounds when a Webley and Scott sold for 156, a Remington 1100 for 120 and a Baikal OU for 70. Us north Londoners were not the kind of folks who would engrave initials on guns!

I have never engraved initials, either. Given the choice 'twixt a Halifax and a Remington 1100, at the same price, I'd order a cased, matched, garnature of Halifax Darnes and never look back.
I missed that boat, however.

Best,
Ted