The elusive running bunny grade Charlin....
Well done. The fact you are comfortable with a sliding breech gun demonstrates a few things, you can walk and chew gum at the same time, and you were picked first or second for team sports as a youth. These are undeniable truths. ‘Kinda. My guess on age would be just before the Second World War.
You can get the breech off a Charlin, it simply takes tools, and a bit of knowledge to do it. Contrary to what some gun salesmen say, there should be two tiny little springs, with a ball bearing perched upon the top of the springs, between the breech and the bottom metal. They preload the action a bit, against the lever work.They are beyond easy to lose, so, be very careful if you decide to go “in”, so to speak. The good news is, there is usually no good reason to take a Charlin down that far. The bad news is, if someone has been in there before you, they will likely be gone. The gun will work without them.
Save that, and an occasional broken flat lever spring (easy to diagnose, the gun will make a clunk, clunk sound as you cycle the cocked action, an easy fix, and the gun keeps working in this condition, as well) they are bulletproof.The “smoother” thing is debatable, and if the gun is not cocked, there is really no difference in effort or smoothness between a Darne R model, or, a Charlin. Hyperbole is where you find it. The Darne V guns pop right open in either case, but, I do actually prefer an R. I own some of each, at the moment, but, no Charlin. The damn safety on a Charlin is sprung like a truck, and I struggled getting it off at the flush. The interrupter built into the action key makes the lever an effective safety, as well, but, that said, we get back to the preferences issue.
Congrats. Finding one that fits is most of the battle. If you ever have any trouble with it, don’t hesitate to run it by me before sending the gun off. I see you are in Minnesota, perhaps we will cross paths sometime.
Good luck, and good hunting.
Best,
Ted
