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

Gene,
There's a quirk surrounding an already quirky gun regarding dry firing which most of us avoid with any gun. However, the effect on your Darne has different consequences. Excessive dry firing can push forward the ovoid insert in the breech face surrounding the firing pins. According to Ted, this bends the screws holding the insert in place making screw removal difficult. At the factory, the guns are stored on racks with pins cocked. Gil

Gil,
Some fact and fantasy, stirred together. Dry firing, WITH THE BARRELS OFF, can and will bend the front plate, on a gun like the OP's. But, there is some knowledge and history that go along with that notion, that complicate things. Somewhere in the earlier part of the last century, that plate went from having a beveled edge that was driven out from the side, and retained by a single screw in the face, to having a straight edge all the way around, and being retained by two screws from the bottom. If you have the earlier style, I doubt it can be bent, period, by dry firing with the barrels on or off, but, I still wouldn't do it unless the barrels were on the gun. Thats just me. Prevention. Good Darne mechanics are a scarce commodity stateside.
When Darne barrels are in place, one can feel free to dry fire the guns, sans snap caps of any sort. That is because the spring loaded plate that acts as an extractor to raise unfired rounds just a bit, is heavily spring loaded at the end of its forward travel, and that plate does a good job of supporting the breech face plate, either the flat one on lower grade guns, or the obturator disc style on higher grade guns.
At the factory, guns are dry fired and put away that way. My guns get put away having been dry fired without snap caps. When I was at the factory, if you opened the action, checked it was unloaded, closed it, pointed the barrels up, dry fired the gun, and handed it back to the builder, you got a nod of the head and a thin smile-you knew the secret handshake, so to speak.
When you see the protruding face plate, the gun has been dry fired, maybe a lot, with the barrels removed, a bad thing, as I have already stated. The fix is a pain in the butt.
Carry on.


Best,
Ted

Ted, thanks for the clarification. I obviously misunderstood a communication. Gil

Ted:

Thanks for the information. Yes, the stock is hollow. Some owner before me glued an extension on the stock, which hasn't been cut, however. The guy I got it from didn't know from anything about Darne (nor do I, but I'm learning.) He thought it was a 13 because of the shape of the action. I cancelled the order for the Silvers pad and instead found a repro buttplate, which will make the gun about 3/8" short, but there it is.

The stock needs refinishing, which I'll do eventually. The finish now isn't awful, no dents or anything, just a rather dull and ordinary finish. The wood isn't interesting at all.

I saw one of these guns when I was in Viet Nam, (former French colony) about 1969. I can't remember exactly in what context I came across it. But I didn't know what it was then. I do remember it had a bright receiver, I think.

I finally got the barrels off the gun with a little help. The barrels were really tight and took some persuasion (without hard tools) to move them back. Wonderfully simple once you see how it's done

Funny story along those lines, concerning French: Several years ago, I ran into a French girl working as a motel clerk in western North Dakota, of all places. Or at least one of the guys in my hunting party told me she was French. Turned out she was half and half--one parent each French and American, but she'd grown up in France and was totally bilingual. Then her family moved to Quebec. Having been there myself, where the French is quite different, I asked her if she had any problems. "I couldn't understand most of what my friends were saying for about 2 or 3 months!" she told me. I can imagine: Typical fast-talking, slangy teenagers. And some slang does not transfer from French French to Quebecois. "Gosse", in France, means kid. In Quebec: balls. Now there's a difference for you!

Gil,
PM sent.

Gene,
Thank you for your service.

In 1969, I was a nine year old little boy, but, I was fascinated even then with the Roger Barlow article in the 1965 Shooters Bible. Opening day of pheasant season was like Christmas morning to me, and the only day I was positive I would be able to go. My Dad had adult friends that he hunted with, and, sometimes the kids weren't invited, not until I got older, anyway. But, opener was for us kids to go, and I wouldn't have missed it. Dad got a dog in 1971, an Irish Setter out of show stock, that would hunt, and I have a lot more memories of hunting after that watershed moment.

I got my first Darne in the early 1980s, and haven't looked back. If you can make them work, they are a great little birdgun. I hope yours works out well for you.

When I was in France, the makers told me that the 20s were the rare guns, but, 28s and .410s are right in there. You could get a 24 gauge, if you wanted, few people did.

3/8ths short in the stock will be managable. If you have spent some time throwing that thing to your shoulder, I think you will understand what I mean about messing up the balance. Most 20 gauge Darnes are wisps, that don't require a pad, nor do they need one if you keep your ammunition sensible.

You are in for a treat when you go to take the stock off! If you intend to do it yourself, I'll get you through it. Do post a photo of the barrel flats when you have time, and I will tell you what I can about the gun. Some of the 20s, for some reason, have pretty big bores, I'm curious to see what your's is marked with.

Mr. Brown, how is your study going with the R model 16 you confessed to buying this summer? Did you give up yet?


Best,
Ted

I'll take some pics the next time I take the barrels off. Both barrels are marked "choke" which I assume is full and full. There are three Xs on the flats...if that makes sense. Large Xs.

I think the removal of the stretcher and adding the buttplate will make the gun about right, actually. It's a little too long on the front trigger now. Still, it feels pretty good. The stock appears to be slightly crescent shaped at the toe. Is this normal?

I'll send pictures.

I'm a little intimidated by the hollow stock. I don't know how strong it is, but apparently it's lasted this long. I wonder (but am not curious) if one couldn't strengthen it by adding some of that expandable foam inside the stock.

Only thing I ever add to the stock is a slip of paper, with my name, address, phone number, and date of purchase. Hopeful that it could aid in recovery if the gun ended up stolen.
I've seen Darnes with broken toes on the stock, actually, lots of guns, not just Darnes, but, I think the stock is more than strong enough to be used when they are hollowed. The hollow begins way past the attachment point for the action. Both of my 12s are solid, now, my little 12 was hollow when I got it, but, wears a solid stock now. It was restocked in France. The second 12 may be going that route as well.

The cresent is normal-the factory buttplates are shaped like that.

Let us know how it shoots.


Best,
Ted

Thanks, Ted et. al.

I'm looking forward to dove shooting with it in September. Traditionally, Labor Day opens dove season here. I don't know if that's true this year, though.

Gene, dove season opens at noon on the first Saturday of September which is the 3rd this year. Gil