From everything I have read all Darne triggers seem to be notoriously heavy. Anyone have theirs worked on? If so who worked on them and how did they com out?
"All", might be a bit of a stretch. Consider, that Regis Darne patented two different R models, the V model and the similar (but, different) P model, in sliding breech guns, and his son, Francisque, patented two models of sliding breech gun that are sorta' like his Dad's gun's, but, different.
Don't forget the Charlin, another sliding breech design.
The most common of the bunch (and, the one that seems to generate the most complaints, in my experience) is the second model Regis Darne R design. A complicating factor is the fact that a typical Darne weighs less than most SXS guns, and I think this conspires to make people believe the triggers are too heavy. This becomes quite noticable on the ridiculously light and short barreled 28s and .410s that were imported into the US in the mid to late 1970s.
I've owned perhaps a dozen Darnes of all different designs, including a Charlin. I also got to shoot plenty of them that I never owned in the decade I imported them. I didn't consider my guns to have heavy triggers, but, never used any of them in any serious clay target discipline, either. Events I have witnessed in my sporting life have caused me to question the wisdom of those who insist on 3-4 lb triggers on their own field guns. Regardless of what gun that might be.
Kirk Merrington handled warranty work on the Darnes I imported, and worked on several of the R models for my customers. His opinion on triggers was similar to mine, and he concentrated on cleaning up the break more so than fixating on the weight of the pull.
Nobody complained to me about any work he ever performed on a Darne.
I'm down to a single Darne 12 gauge, and have "played" with my own gun a bit, using information provided by the maker. I'm not sure I improved anything.
Best,
Ted
