doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Darne, Charlin, Delalle?

Also send the address to me and I will mail a check as well.

So what do I have to do to get into http://www.gournetusa.com? be patient?

Ted: do you have any infromation on the Charlin company,like dates they were in existence, size of the operation, etc.

Charlin was around a long time, but was purchased by the Darne company around 1955-a lot of French makers went bust around then. I seem to recall the company being founded in the 1890s

The Darne company quit producing Charlins and the P model Darne (a gun similar in operation) in 1965. I have two Charlin catalogs, they are both printed in French language, and appear to be from two different eras of ownership, (I can't document who owned the company at what time) and taste-one catalog features art nouvo and almost Celtic style engraving, the other, more typical game scene and scroll type work.

Charlins are interesting guns, and had some interesting features and patents-a full stainless steel action was available, as was a hollow ventilated rib.

Many people, here, and in France, consider the Charlin a better design. I'm not in that camp. I prefer an original R Darne, either the 1894 or 1909 patent, to anything else, including V or P model Darnes. Just my preference after using just about eveything sliding breech out there. Stock measurements on a Darne seem to be critical, and most people don't own a Darne they ordered new, so they are shooting someone else's gun. Hence, the guns have a so-so reputation in the field. But, if you find one that fits, and learn to use it, they are efficient bird guns, comparable to any other design.
Best,
Ted

.... Just for my own information... any "knuckleheads" or others ever had a Charlin 'open up' or come "out of battery" on them while shooting??? And, yes, French gunboards under cyber attack.... sad, funny,... okay then, but not. Please educate me.

The gun doesn't "open up", it just moves the key a bit upward, disengaging the interupter.

I have had several folks over the years call me to tell me it happened, and witnessed it one time when Remington 2 3/4" game loads (the black case rounds, I suspect they were pretty hot loads) were fed to a Charlin 12 (a beater, owned by a friend, during patterning testing-he knew he was abusing the gun, and didn't care).

The worst case was an otherwise fairly good mpls. area gunsmith who reported he saw it happen on a "Darne". I asked if was actually a Charlin he saw do that, to which he replied "same thing".

It does, and can happen, but, is NOT the guns fault.
Best,
Ted

Thanks, Ted, I'll pass this information on to the owner of the Charlin and the Delalle.

I hear you about the fit on Darne stocks being critical. About 6 months ago I bought a little jewel of a 28 ga Darne, probably a very late one as the barrels are stamped Firearms Center Inc, Victoria, TX. The stock is very straight and I have to hold it quite high on my shoulder to see down the rib. Only the point of the toe is against my shoulder. Not too many rounds of even the mild 28 ga and I have a bruise.

The barrels on this contraption are stamped 65/70. I hope this means it is chambered for 70mm shells, as I've been shooting nothing else in it.

You don't have much to worry about, in any event. A Darne doesn't really care if it has 2 3/4" ammunition in it's short chamber, and that gun was triple proofed.

You might look into having a pitch adjustment made on that stock, maybe with a recoil pad thrown in. A Darne stock is a poor cantidate for bending, since it has a wrist with a steel rod down the center.

Good Luck.
Best,
Ted