doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Charlin take down

There I was minding my own business at the Nation's Gun Show at the Dulles Expo Center. Upon arriving home, I found a drop dead gorgeous Charlin SXS (Darnish in style and action) had hitched a ride home. Anyone have a clue how to take the barrels off? This gun has a push button under the action which seems to activate/disconnect nothing at all.

It's a French thing - buttons for no apparent useful purpose other than Style and Design. http://29.media.tumblr.com/3RIWFZh6bmgk4d3iWRssq49yo1_r1_400.jpg

The barrels are an interference fit on the action. Pushing the button does indeed do something, but, there remains more to do. Put on a pair of shoes with a leather toe (bear with me). While holding the Charlin with your non-writing hand, around the center of the barrels/action, and while using the same hand to push the button, put the muzzles into the toe of that leather shoe, and deliver a blow to the center of the buttstock, in a karate chop fashion. The lever will need to be in the up position. If it has been several decades since this was last done, expect some resistance. The gun will sound a little "pop" when the interference has been broken, and you will need to remember to hold the barrels to the action gently at that time. You can then slide the barrels rearward to separate them from the action/stock assembly.
Most Charlins require tools to dismantle the breech, which, is ill advised, in any case, as you stand a pretty good chance of loosing the bearings, or their springs. There is little lubrication or maintenance work that ever needs to be done in there.
The action of the Charlin should open and close almost silently-if you are getting a "clunk, clunk", upon moving the breech block back and forth with the opening lever, you have a broken disconnector spring. No damage will come from using the gun in this condition, but, it should be repaired.
Charlins are nice guns, the trick is finding one that fits. I prefer the Darne R action, but, that is only a personal preferrence. Let us know how it goes, and good luck with the new-to-you gun.


Best,
Ted

The barrels on my Darne R-10 are removed by depressing the silvery part between the slides with the action open and "bumping" the butt on the carpet...voila' the barrels are off. Hold onto them when you bump or the barrels will be on the floor. I think the Charlin works the same way.

Now try to figure out how to remove the action slide (hint: turn the gun upside down and feel for a small 'button' under the slide near the back end; push it and you'll see the 'release' drop down, now just slide it off. Now figure out how to put it back on...Geo

Ted beat me to it with what's probably a much more understandable explanation of barrel removal. Reading his response to my post, it looks like I had it mostly all wrong anyway. Glad we have Ted on this forum; his knowledge of the French guns is a real asset here.

Geo,
The "silvery part" in the chanel of the action is the main spring on an R model Darne. A Charlin typically lacks this, as it is a completely different design. Further, there is no metal tab under the breech-the stock on a Charlin has to be removed, and a set screw removed from the action pin, which is then driven out with a drift.

"Typically" is a word used in the context of older Charlins, since, the remains of the Charlin company were purchsed by the Darne company around 1955, and Charlins were built alongside Darnes until about 1965. There exist, in very limited quantities, Charlin marked guns that are Darne actions. I've only seen photos of these guns.

Rest assured that a true Charlin, produced by the Charlin company, is a different gun, and a different design than any model of Darne, with zero parts interchange.

Best,
Ted

Joe, apparently you stopped by our booth when I was out trolling. A friend had stopped by and told me there was a Charlin I should look at, but somehow I didn't get to it. Congratulations. I have a Charlin expert on call who will help you if you need it. He lives in Montgomery County, MD and would be glad to help. I hope you are back tomorrow to visit. Bring the gun please. I love Charlins. Bill Murphy

[quote=Ted Schefelbein]The barrels are an interference fit on the action. Pushing the button does indeed do something, but, there remains more to do. Put on a pair of shoes with a leather toe (bear with me). While holding the Charlin with your non-writing hand, around the center of the barrels/action, and while using the same hand to push the button, put the muzzles into the toe of that leather shoe, and deliver a blow to the center of the buttstock, in a karate chop fashion. The lever will need to be in the up position. If it has been several decades since this was last done, expect some resistance. The gun will sound a little "pop" when the interference has been broken, and you will need to remember to hold the barrels to the action gently at that time. You can then slide the barrels rearward to separate them from the action/stock assembly.
Most Charlins require tools to dismantle the breech, which, is ill advised, in any case, as you stand a pretty good chance of loosing the bearings, or their springs. There is little lubrication or maintenance work that ever needs to be done in there.
The action of the Charlin should open and close almost silently-if you are getting a "clunk, clunk", upon moving the breech block back and forth with the opening lever, you have a broken disconnector spring. No damage will come from using the gun in this condition, but, it should be repaired.
Charlins are nice guns, the trick is finding one that fits. I prefer the Darne R action, but, that is only a personal preferrence. Let us know how it goes, and good luck with the new-to-you gun.

Karate chop - brilliant - worked perfectly. Did substitute a dog bed for the leather shoe but improvisation is a good thing. Elegant little gun with much better wood than I have seen on the typical Darne. The 14 1/2 inch LOP was a welcome difference as well. Many thanks!

Missed you Murph, and yes will be by tomorrow. Look forward to it my friend. This was one of Phill's.

Joe, the expert I referred to is an ex-National Bureau of Standards engineer who has built three barrel shotguns with hand tools. Feel free to call on his help. See you tomorrow. Bring the gun. I did not see it today. Bill Murphy

Typical Darne wood, shown below:

[img]http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php?u=39559eHIOu&i=191576[/img]



Best,
Ted