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

As to safety location, ill fitting stocks, 2 1/2 chambers and slow to reload, that is why they are called darns, among other things. If we preferred simple shooting this would be the Beretta forum.

Very interesting, Tim. Likewise Ken's post about V-C being willing to make a sliding breech gun today. Of course with their "atelier" (custom shop) operation, I expect they could make about anything.

I wouldn't be in a rush to have a company build me a gun outside their area of expertise. The employees that built sliding breech guns for VC are long gone by now. The "bits" that go in a Darne are a lot different than those in a sidelock or a boxlock. Look at what Purdeys went through to get their new hammerguns right.

Every Darne has to be weighed on it's own merits. This is of course true with any gun, but, with fit, especially, changes are tough. My copy, traded to me by Mr. Steve Bodio and restocked to fit me, while I stood there and tried it as he went, by Bruchet, is likely to be the only Darne I ever see that truly fits me.

A Darne that doesn't fit is no prize.

Best,
Ted

Ted, that's an interesting provenance. A gun for gun trade?? Gil

No. Mr. Bodio was interested in a new Darne slug gun. He had been spending a lot of time in Mongolia, and wanted a gun suited for big game and bird hunting. I didn't typically deal in used Darnes as I figured out pretty early in the game that fit was especially critical, and I wasn't interested is selling people guns that didn't fit them. I accepted his gun, a 1946 vintage R10, in trade as I knew it could be restocked to fit a south paw (me) for a bunch less than a new gun-I'm cheap. It is stocked in the French "Galwi" pattern, and has the Darne sling installed. As both my Father, and my first Gordon setter aged, I was thankful to have had that sling fitted to the gun.
I have used that gun relentlessly, but, have had little time for bird hunting since my son was born. It's not for sale.
The only used Darnes I ever sold as the importer were a 28 gauge Bruchet that an outdoor writer (not Larry) asked me to dipose of, because it didn't fit him (it wouldn't have fit any upright hominid that I ever knew) and the R16 grade magnum 12 gauge that was my demo gun for a decade, which, was a spectacular gun. I had a guy who used to call me once a week, for about five years, asking if I had any used Darne 28 gauges, and he was simply delighted to get that Bruchet, even though it didn't fit.

I was simply delighted that he quit calling.

I'm not a very good salesman.

Best,
Ted

Ted:

Geoffrey Gournet had (and maybe still has) a 28 gauge Darne in the white, awaiting a buyer who will decide how it's to be engraved. The asking price, the last time I saw it, was over $13,000, before engraving, which I didn't even ask about, as the gun was already well out of my league.

I do have one of the very small handful of 10 gauge Darnes. At 7 pounds, 3 ounces it's light enough to be a nice bird gun. Probably very late 19th century, although Mr. Gournet could not say for sure. 2-7/8 inch chambers. RST's shells have worked quite nicely in it. Choked 20/1000s and 35/1000s. I have far more in it than I'll ever get out of it (rarity notwithstanding - how many people are there looking for a 10 gauge Darne? My guess is none.), but I enjoy shooting it and it does get attention at the local clubs when I take it out for exercise.

Rem

Hmm. Post a photo or three and I'll see what I can tell you about your gun. If you'd like, you can PM me the serial number, too. A 7 lb 10 gauge could be interesting, with good stock dimensions and light loads.
That 28 gauge has been waiting for engraving for a long time.
There was a guy who used to call about 10 gauge Darnes and wanted one in the worst way. I actually had Herv� call him and tell him "no can do".
My own opinion, and it is free, so it is worth what you paid, is that a light 12 or a 16 Darne R model is about where the guns become very useful. I am unimpressed with V or P models, I don't care for the way they snap open, and they are often (not always, but often) simply too light, especially the 12s. I own too many guns, but, out of my little collection, the Darne R10 is about the closest thing I have to a perfect upland gun. It fits, it shoots where I am pointing, is has a sling, it is light, and the perfect-for-me stock dimensions keep the recoil tolerable. In my collection, lethality is all that really matters, and the only gun I own that compares is a lowly Remington model 17B. I do not shoot either gun especially well on any clays course. I don't know why that is, and mostly don't care.
Gypsy, the gender confused English Setter, is 13, and this will perhaps be her last season-I said that last year too, however. The sling will be handy again, I'm sure.

Best,
Ted

Champlin currently has an R13 28ga in the mid-$4K range. Right around 5 1/2. I can shoot OK with a gun that light, but that's about as light as I'd want to go. However, I think I'll stick with my Parker Repro in that gauge.

That would be best, Larry. No sense learning that lesson, again.

I wouldn't advise you to start practicing chewing gum and walking at this late juncture, either.


Best,
Ted

I have a Darne clone 16ga with the only name on it is J. Durand under the bbls on the bbl flat. Does anyone have any info on this maker?