Actually, Bob, if you had ever read anything I ever wrote on the subject, you would know I have never called ANY sliding breech gun marked with anything other than Darne a "cheap copy". The reason is, some of them are quite literally BETTER than an actual Darne. Good enough to be awarded gold medals at European expositions, which, I've posted before, but, you seem to have missed. I've also posted that you have to weigh the individual guns attributes before passing judgement on it's quality. Making note that a gun is a lower grade DOESN"T mean it is cheap.

Fransisque Darne opened his shop in 1910 Bob. Sadly, his life ended abruptly in 1917. Not much time to patent anything, Bob.

I've only posted that little bit of trivia here about 20 times, Bob.

He did not patent guns "his whole life". His company manufacured 1894 Darne patent copies while he was alive, and continued manufacturing for many years after he was dead, with the same name, under different owners.


Some of those owners were not concerned enough about quality to be awarded gold medals. And some let quality slip during their tenure.

I asked for an actual photo of a Dactu, which was not forthcoming from a different site. It came from one of our members here, which, I knew it would.


Did you read what I posted? It seems doubtful to me.

The exhaulted me ( your words, I never claimed to be expert at anything) is of the position that Francisque Darne guns were built in a different factory, by different people, in different grades, in different patents, during different eras, and are NOT the same as Darne guns.They are not Regis Darne guns, they are Francisque Darne guns, and to call them the same is to ignore history. You do a disservice to any further learning on the subject to call them the same thing. To use YOUR words, "I have the paper to prove it".
And, I HAVE pointed that difference out at gunshows, and been thanked for it.

It would seem to me that by posting photos of snippets of retailers catalogs, and claiming it proves Charlin built Darne patent guns, claiming F. Darne guns are really Regis Darne guns, and making statements like "Francisque Darne made and patented guns for perhaps his whole life", you might need to rethink the statement "how little we all know".

Some of us know a little better than that.
Best,
Ted