Let's review here . . . in my case, for the final time:
We've been told that all guns made on Darne patents should be referred to as Darnes. Interestingly enough, if one goes back to the Caunier catalog information on the "Regina", the word "Darne" is never mentioned. Not "this gun is as good as a Darne!", nor even "this gun is made on the famous Darne system". So it appears that not even the French themselves refer to all Darne patent guns as Darnes. To me, it would seem wise to follow their lead in that area. In fact, what Caunier touts most on that page--in bold letters, no less--is that two models of the Regina are available at greatly reduced prices. Not the gun's action or design, but its price. Interesting contrast to the Charlin on the next page, in that regard.
The way we discuss the action of the "sliders" is, again, quite different from the French. We talk about what happens to the breech; they refer to what happens (or doesn't happen) to the barrels. ("Canons fixes" versus "canons basculants"--the latter phrase translated by Darne themselves as guns with "tipping barrels". Has a funny sound to it, but it certainly conveys the way a "conventional" double works.)
So . . . we're still left with the suggestion that Charlin made Darne-patent guns. I suggest that we await the well-established standard of proof before accepting that as fact. And that is, of course . . . someone actually showing us such a gun, or solid documentary evidence that such guns were indeed produced by Charlin. Until then, a Darne patent gun not made by Darne remains somewhat of a mystery. It would seem the phrase "Darne clone" is quite appropriate, carrying with it no comment--either positive or negative--on the quality of the gun itself ("buy the gun, not the name!"), but rather on the design of the gun and the fact that it was not made by the company founded by Regis Darne.
Robert, if I were interested in books on Darne, I would procure them--just as I would all the books on Parkers if I wished to delve into Parker history in that much detail, which I don't. But possessing the Darne books would seem to be of little value to someone incapable of reading them.
M. Gournet, that "Abeille" link might lead Beagle somewhere interesting, but I can't get it to work.
Kerryman, I do indeed take "old spook" as a complement. And I'm enjoying retirement because it gives me more time to hunt and shoot--although currently, an excess of snow and ice has rendered our local pheasant population far more accessible to viewing out in the middle of barren fields rather than to a hunter pursuing them with bird dog and doublegun. Sad to say, but this season may end with a whimper as opposed to a bang.
