To answer your interest, Pooch, one of those who copied the sliding breech was F. Soleilhac and one of his guns is now at auction on Naturabuy website at 890 euros. It has 65 mm (2-1/2 inch) chambers. If interested, and I can't recall the gauge, you'd want someone to inspect it for sure. Many others made the sliding breech, often using Darne-supplied barrels.
After acquiring SIFARM, Verney-Carron made two grades of Francisque Darne guns that figure in their early-mid 60s catalogues. V-C was the last of the many successors of F. Darne who had died in WWI.
You'll find photos and the American Rifleman article on the Belgian-made four-shot sliding breech in Geoffroy Gournet's website listed above. Just scroll down a ways as I posted it a year or two ago.
Ted is on track about stock geometry, the safety etc. I prefer my short-chamber 10-gauge Darne R-16 over the 12-gauge Charlin and the 16-gauge Francisque Darne largely because the safety is easier to use -- and I've had it restocked to fit me...
Regards, Tim
A Soleilhac seems to crop up ever so often. I had heard they were rather utilitarian. However utilitarian and 2 1/2 inch chambers suits me just fine, particularly so in a 16 ga.
All of the name-on-the-opening-lever makers could and did build higher than utilitarian grade guns. But, the beaters are what sold. So that is what we are left with.
I have seen some spectacular guns that have no name on the lever. Moonlighting at a second job has always been frowned upon in France, so if you had a job filing actions and had friends who fit stocks, and did finishing work you couldn't, you had a second income. Kinda' like Johnny Cash's car, but, for sale when it was all done, and your employer was an accomplice.
It was common at one time.
Best,
Ted
