doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bruce’s Darne type gun.

I recently received an email, and request for some help from a guy named Bruce, who was looking for some answers about a sliding breech gun.

Photos, first:







A couple things, in no particular order. We have chambers marked with the 6.5 nomenclature, as opposed to the newer 65. It means exactly the same thing, but, the 6.5 went away sometime in the late nineteen teens or early nineteen twenties. The push button safety was patented in the very early 1920s, and the timeline dovetails nicely with the proof house markings. The shape of the detonation practically screams late nineteen teens as well. Single proof for powder T, not much other than that going on with those barrel flats. There is NOT an extension on the barrels to take a rising bite from the sliding breech, and that right there is a new one on me. No name on the gun. The stock is, sadly, a mess, it may have been a one piece stock when it was new, hard to tell for sure from here.

31 years since I was last in St. Etienne, and I can offer very little solid information as to who finished this gun. I have never seen a version that didn’t have the rising bite. It has lived a hard life, my advice to Bruce would be to not throw a bunch of money at it. I’m guessing it was a slick little 16 gauge short chamber bird gun, back in the day.

If anyone else has anything, feel free to post it.

Best,
Ted

I suppose I should point out that this is NOT a Darne. A Darne gun ALWAYS says Darne on it. The single exception being when they say “Halifax”, and those usually say Darne somewhere on the barrel flats.

Best,
Ted

Can't add much Ted - you are the expert. We've finally decided the changeover from cm back to mm in Saint-Etienne was circa 1924 which would fit your analysis.
https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=635957&page=21

Here is the latest chart of guns with dated Didier-Drevet barrels confirmed by photos:

1852 - DD begins to serial number and date his barrels
1855 - Gold Medal for Barrels - Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris
1873 - . 3020;. . XX . xxx; 18.8; Gun maker: Jean Fournel; no Sn. (Damas Lefaucheaux U-L converted pin-fire hammer gun)
1878 - . XXXX;. . 65 . mm; 18.6; Gun maker: Didier Fusil; Sn: ?? (damas underlever hammergun)
1879 - . 3675;. . ??? . . ??; 18.3; Gun maker; ??. . . . . .; Sn: ??
1885 - ..4922;. . ??? . mm; 17.0. Gun maker: Pondevaux et Jussy; gun sn: ??
1887 - ..5275;. . 75. .mm; 18.4. Gun maker: L.Chalet; gun sn: ??
1889 - shift from mm to cm in Saint Etienne per Wildcattle
189X -. .6652;. .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ??; Gun SN: ? SxS Steel.
1896 -. .7572;. .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: Darne R grade; Gun SN: ? SxS Damascus.
1896 -. .7653;. .6.5. .cm; 15.6; Gun maker: Darne; Gun SN: 657 SxS Steel
1898 -. .8357;. .7 . . .cm; 16.8; Gun maker; ?? Gun SN: ?
1899 - ..8532;. .7 . . .cm; 19.6; Gun maker: Cizeron-Gabion; Gun SN:
1899 -. .8855;. .6.5. .cm; 17.0; Gun maker: Moulard; gun sn: ??
1900 - Grand Prix for Barrels - Paris Universelle
1900 - ..8975;. .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: Darne; gun sn??
1901 - ..9451;. .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: Darne V series; gun sn: 1508
1903 - ???????? . .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: Buford Armurier SN 5397
1904 - 11412; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ?? gun sn: ??
1905 - 11604; . . ??? . . ??; 18.4? Gun maker: ?? gun sn: ??
1906 - 11985; . .7 . . .cm; 17.0; Gun maker: Gerest Berthon; gun sn: ??
1906 - 12075; . .7 . . .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ??
1907 - 12455; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ??
1907 - 12537: . .7 . . .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ??
1907 - 12613? . .7 . . .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: Geneaux; gun sn: ??
1907 - ???????? . .7.5. .cm; 19.6; Gun maker; ??; gun sn: ??
1908 - 12707;. . 6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ?? Decorative boxlock
1908 - 12740; . .6.5. .cm; 17.0; Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ??
1910 - 13184; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4: Gun maker: ??; gun sn: ??
1918?- 13986? . . 65. .mm; 18.4: ??????? 1st mm chamber?? Outlier? reproofed?
1918 - 14204; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4: Gun maker: ?? gun sn: 19488; (Skeetz's gun)
1919 - 14340; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker: ?? gun sn: ?? La bascule jaspée avec son axe d'origine porte la signature en lettres cursives « Didier Fusil 1919.09.23 » . Une inscription en majuscules vient la compléter sur la table : « MARQUES DÉPOSÉES D.D-1919-23 ».
1919 - 14341; . .6.5. .cm; 18.4; Gun maker; ?? gun sn: ??
1921 - 15034; . .6.5? .cm; 18.4; Photo is unclear but 6.5 is the best guess
1924 - shift from cm to mm in Saint Etienne
1924 - 16571?;. . 75. .mm; 19.6; Gun maker: Didier Drevet (SIFARM) "Excelsior." gun sn: 1080

I noted the zebra skin in the background. In 1982 in Brazzaville, a commo-guy was in the embassy repairing something and I did him a big favor. He was baed out of Harare in Zimbabwe, newly rechristened from Rhodesia. I asked him if he could get us a couple of zebra skins. A few weeks later a package arrived with a note he had accidentally taken some tools and wanted to return them. Inside - 2 zebra skins, one for me and one for the State Commo lady. Gene

Gene,
Rumors, hints and allegations of any expertise with Darne shotguns, on my part, remain pretty much just that.

I’m just a student.

1924 was a hard line in the sand in St. Etienne, as the proof laws were updated, and many of the marks were updated or changed. It would make sense that the 6.5 mark disappeared about then.

No zebras were harmed in the writing of my post.

Best,
Ted

I'm no expert just a happy owner of both Darne and Charlin. Could it be an early Charlin?

The big pin through the sliding breech in the back third of it practically screams ”toggle locked R model”. Eliminating the rising bite would eliminate a bunch of work and fitting, but, put all the stress of lockup on the toggle.

The gun would be cheaper, but, I’m not crazy about giving up one of the locks. To be fair, none of the things wrong with it involve not being well locked up and failing.

When we think of a Charlin, we are thinking of a pure, over the center device. There were other designs of Charlin, but, the money maker is the former.

Best,
Ted

Thanks Ted for putting this up for me. I figured it probably wasn't an actual Darne, but couldn't figure it out. Yes, the stock is a mess and I certainly won't put much money into it. I would just like to figure out some history on this and it is a confusing one for me.
Bruce

It’s confusing for me.

As a public service I always advise guys to stay away from project Darne guns. There is no supply of parts or wood, and many ‘Smiths aren’t interested in working on them. This one is unique enough that it likely has few parts in common with the more common versions of Darne R models.

Best,
Ted

This gun is in very good mechanical condition and locks up very tight. That is good. I have done a lot of stock work, so the wood doesn't really scare me. It's certainly shootable as is but at least needs some wood clean up to at least be respectable. I'm not disappointed with it. I knew what I was getting.
Bruce