doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Back Boring a Darne

I have a 16 gauge Darne double that needs more than a little work. To start with, the chambers need to be lengthened from 2 &9/16" to 2&3/4". The bores are really rough. One barrel is bored Cylinder. And the safety is not working. Yeah, I know, it's a pack of trouble masquerading as a shotgun, but I always wanted one, one that I could afford. I know that there is a certain value in keeping things as they are, but this particular shotgun is never going to be a collectors pride. So I have a lot of questions.

1. Back Boring: Is there enough steel in a Darne to be able to back bore? Of course, the answer is - it depends. What I'd like is somebody's experience with this or an educated guess on the order of "always - usually - sometimes - never". I'd like to take out the pitting and maybe add some choke.

2. Choke: If it's back bored almost to the muzzle, will that put some more choke on it, kind of like jug choking? If so, how much? Best guesses appreciated.

3. Safety Repair: I suppose that I will have to go through the current importer to find a gunsmith to repair that, and I probably am looking at a machinist making the replacement parts. Any other thoughts?

4. Gunsmith: Finally, can you recoment a gunsmith who could do any or all of that? My local gunsmith doesn't even have a 16 gauge reamer to lengthen the chambers. I phoned Burnt Hill Gunsmithing who can ream the chambers and put in a lenghtened forcing come for $40 a barrel but can't do the back boring.

I am brand new to this forum and would appreciate any help you could give.

Welcome to the Board.

Ted Schefelbein will likely chime in shortly. He's a former DARNE agent here in the States, and active on this board.. The current is Geoffroy Gournet, whom you might be able to contact by googling him, or at http://www.gournetusa.com.

I've had Kirk Merrington do work on my own Darne and he did it well. Go ahead and google Kirk and then enquire to see if he wants to handle your needs.

By the way, what grade Darne is it?

Regards

Welcome Water Spaniel,

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to back bore it?

JC

I think his barrels must be pitted as he said the bores are "rough" so I think he means honing the pits out, not back boring for recoil reduction.

Hmm, in for a penny.....
1. On the backbore issue, I'll go out on a limb, and say you have plenty of steel in the barrel for a backbore. Why do I say that? 'Cause I've never seen one that didn't. My own pride and joy R10 12 gauge had a massive backbore done at some point in it's life, and no less than .060 of steel remains at any given point. Closer to .090 at quite a few spots in the barrels. The guy who does the backbore will tell you if the facts are otherwise, and, be sure to get back and tell me if I was full of poo, but, I'm pretty sure I'm not. French proof is pretty potent, and they usually left quite a bit of steel in those tubes.
2. How much choke you want? Jug choke it, or screw choke it. You will win the choke lottery either way. Someone here (likely someone who has never owned a Darne, and wouldn't say anything good about one, in any event) will be along to tell you to never put screw chokes in a double shotgun. Screw them. It's your gun.
3. Depends what's wrong with it, BUT, a Darne R model safety is pretty much child's play in terms of a gunsmithing repair project-there isn't much there, and it is a straightforward design with few parts. No big deal, even if the 'smith has to make some new parts.
4. Remember when I said "In for a penny...." up above? Welcome to the world of double guns and gunsmith's. Do not forget this thought-you get what you pay for, either in guns or gunsmithing, when it comes to double guns. Your local Remington 870 wrench won't be of much assistance with a Darne and SHOULD NOT be trusted with your old French gun.
Kirk Merrington is an English trained barrel maker, and can provide you with the services you require on this gun. Google him. He likes steak and shrimp as much as you and I do, doesn't come cheap, and shouldn't. His skill set took half a lifetime to develop.
The good news is, a Darne isn't a maintenance pig, excepting perhaps, wood work, and once he goes through it, your done, pretty much, for this lifetime. Getting back to the wood, don't try to alter it, excepting LOP, as the attachment to the gun is somewhat complicated, and the Achilles heel of the design.
Good luck. For me, for many years, a Darne has proven to be a wonderful rough shooting gun, perhaps without peer, for what I do and how I do it. A 16 Darne is about as well balanced, lightweight and durable combination of bird gun as you are likely to find.

Best,
Ted

Kirk Merrington repaired my Darne. He is who I would send it to.

Thanks, Ted and everyone else who replied. To answer the questions, I want my Darne back bored to remove the pits and maybe to improve the choke. The other barrel is Full choke which is fine. I'd like to bring the first barrel to Modified, if that's possible. I shoot over a flushing dog, an Irish Water Spaniel, so M & F is preferred as most shots are longer than with a pointing dog. Maybe if take someone who appreciates an odd dog to appreciate an odd shotgun.

I checked out Kirk Merrington's Web site. It looks like he is the man for the job. I suspect that I will rapidly exceed the price I paid for the Darne in having the work done that I want. I also will have to learn to shoot double triggers and a straight (English) stock. I may run my eight boxes of 2&9/16th" shells through it before I do the gunsmithing. Thanks again to all.

John

Nothing like online gunsmithing.

Water Spaniel,

I've seen a few project Darnes recently in the $600-900 range. I'm guessing you have one of these. I wouldn't spend too much more money on this one. Here's what I would do (and not do):

Cylinder choke in the right barrel is perfect for lots of upland hunting. I'd leave it as is. I would just get the safety fixed (and maybe have someone polish the bores a bit) and call it good. Buy yourself some RST 2 1/2" shells and go shoot some birds. If, after having had the gun for a while, you decide Darnes are the cat's meow, you can buy a nicer one. If (like me) you decide the Darne safety is a pain in the neck and you can't get used to it, you're only out a few hundred bucks. Just my dos centavos.

That's pretty good advice, too. Fit of the stock, and little that can be done with the original wood to correct it, is a problem with a Darne.
Most folks who get into, and then get out of them, have issues with the way their gun fits them.
You can use the opening lever as a safety also. If it is up and out of the cutout in the sliding breech, the gun won't fire. The lever will politely remain open, against your thumb, under a little spring tension, until you snap it closed. Also, the safety lever can be flipped to the other side of the breech block on an R model if that works better for you.
There was a time when a pretty nice old Darne was $500 at a gun show. Those days are gone, from what I've seen.

Best,
Ted