doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Darne sxs

I have several Darne guns...I like them all! However, only two of them fit me well.

I shoot the 28 bore V19 as well as I've ever shot any gun on the skeet range. In addition; I have hunted with both the 28 and a late model 12 bore R15 and shot as many birds as with any hinge gun I have. (Keep inmind I'm not a olympic level shooter...;-)

I like to hunt with the R15 as it has a non-traditional push through (cross bolt) safe on the sliding breach. I can live with the sliding side safe on the V series guns but my older guns have the swinging safe and you must be very thoughtful when manipulating them.

The best looking Darne I have is an early 1900's R-13....fab engraving and very nice wood 2-1/2" 12 bore and it does not fit well but it is fun to try to hit clays with it!

The only Darne I have that I rarely shoot is a 20 bore R-10 Case colored gun. Again a very pretty gun, leather pad nice wood but short on the fit side...If I tag on a slip on leather pad and wear heavy clothes it almost makes it useable.

The Safety Lever is one feature I especially like on my Halifax 16, in the hunting field I carry it with my trigger finger on the lever. With the lever pointing down at six O'Clock, then to fire I just push it straight ahead to the three O'Clock. The triggers need a little tuning on mine.

Kirk Merrington can usually work an R Darne trigger down to a comfortable level, but, R models are never going to have 3 lb triggers. That isn't a bad thing, to me.

If you are critical about trigger pulls on a true, hunting shotgun (I can't understand this perversion, but, that's just me) look into a V model. Or, a P17, which is more likely the gun that Rocketman actually had-most people don't understand Darne grading. That is what seven punch marks on a guns flat usually means, and unscrupulous dealers have convinced more than one stroke they are buying a V model.

The safety lever is reversable, side to side, in the breechblock of an R model Darne (did you ever try that, Miller? Again, you've been told that fact plenty of times) and a guy who ACTUALLY WANTS to use his Darne can usually find something that works, either by switching it around, or working the opening lever, to come up with a usable safety.

If there exists a design of shotgun that is more unforgiving in the area of gunstock fit, I haven't seen it. A Darne must fit you in order for you to use it. With any measure of success, anyway. However, lots of guys seem content to just look at them and enjoy what they have, it seems.

Right, Miller?


Good luck on the prospective purchase, and let us know how it comes out. I can probably get you a set of English instructions if you decide to buy the Darne, camotrky.

Best,
Ted

I have one that was given to me by my dad 30 years ago. I used it for upland game quite successfully. I have not shot it in years as I have outgrown it's size (LOP way too short for me). I will be passing it off to one of my son's in the next few years.

Anyway, I had a load of fun with it an it allowed me to harvest many a bird.

I will admit to having little success shooting the semi-pistol grip Darnes. I love them, but, the straight grips love me back.

I don't have a good answer for this, either.


Best,
Ted

The triggers on my old Halifax are approx. 7 and 5 pounds, and they seem to vary from time to time. I suspect something is not quite right with them.

Ted;
Yes; Yes; Yes
First I bought this ol Halifax because I "Wanted to Use" it, its not really of what I would call collector quality. It is a Joy to carry & I shoot it as well as any other. It is of the semi-pistol grip variety, but that bothers me not in the least. I have never checked the trigger pull weights, but never noticed in problem pulling them while hunting with it (I have carried it afield & may even do it again).

I tried reversing the safety lever prior to even hearing of you, but I never liked working a safety with the finger, detest all those on pumps & semi-autos with a passion. I even tried making some safety levers putting the lever in different positions to see if I could come up with a suitable one. None worked to my liking.

I did consider the lever up carry & mentioned that way back as I first began monorting this board. At that point in time "You Ted" yes it was "You" advised me that was not truly a safe carry mode for a Darne, that it was possible for it to fire prior to being fully bolted. As you were considered the "Resident Expert" on Darnes I accepted that & went on.

I simply have too many years & shots taken with Barn Door &/or Ball & socket hinged guns with the safety lying on the tang, to be oushed while the gun is being shouldered with the trigger finger resting upon the guard for immediate use to ever Fully Appreciate & otherwise extremely goood gun. That safety is simply a Stumbling Block which prevents me from ever fully switching to one for all around hunting purposes.

Even if going in to flush a bird held by a pointing dog where the finger/thumb (depending upon which side the lever is placed) can be preset the motion just isn't as smooth as with a tang safe & having to think about it detracts from concentrating on the shot itself.

Miller,
See, here is the deal. A Darne doesn't really have an intrupter built into the opening lever, like a Charlin. IF a guy gets the lever up into the area where he doesn't feel spring tension against his thumb (I don't know how one would perform this with a finger, but, run with me on it) it is possible for the Darne to fire, with the lever closing under recoil. There was a time, when product liability lawsuits were in their infancy, that the Darne company advised you that you could actuate the extractor hooks on live rounds, by opening the lever slightly and pulling the trigger. Needless to say, this is a hairy maneuver, and I DON'T, WON'T and CAN'T recommend it.
When I was in the position of importing, I saw to it the this was deleted from instructions for the guns. Do you see where I'm going with this? You have to have a good feel for the individual gun at hand for it to work correctly. If you have a Darne and want to try it, I suggest you do that outside, with the muzzles pointed in a very safe direction.
I would then further suggest that you never try it again.
However, if you need to carry the gun, in a safe manor, having the opening lever up, about matching the angle of your up raised thumb when grasping the wrist in a normal carry position, will quite safely do.The lever will just have a bit of spring tension on it, and can be snapped shut, with your thumb, at the flush, very comfortably. This will work for the majority of upright hominids, at any rate. There will be an exception, or two, I suppose.
Back to a Charlin. Once the lever is out of battery, even by a fraction of an inch, it won't fire. Period. End of story.
That said, it probably doesn't work for everybody. A Darne isn't the only light and nice handling gun on the face of the planet, either, and if it doesn't work for you, move on.
Or, not.


Best,
Ted