I have always like the looks of a Manufrance Ideal with Lunette triggers.This is a photo of what the triggers look like. Probably not easy to use if you have fat fingers but they look so nice in profile. Have found one which will need a restocking because it looks like it was inlet by a nearsighted beaver, with a bad cross-bite. In fact many of the ones (ideas) I come across seem to have in-letting issues so I wonder if it is the design of the top strap more than a skill issue. Lots of gaps and chips around the top tang. Before I go to the trouble of importing one, or finding one over here, I would like to know if this a lost cause. Anyone here have had one restocked or have one needing a restock?

I haven't restocked one but I do enjoy the lunette triggers. They present no problem for finding the triggers or using light gloves however many people don't like them and they don't command as high a price as the single trigger versions.

Most Ideals that have jacked up looking stocks and inletting are that way because whoever decided to have a look inside didn’t know how to take off the stock correctly. If you try to remove the stock by what would seem to be a straightforward way of doing it….you will F$&k up the inletting.

I’m personally not a fan of lunettes…but I agree with Jon, I’ve always liked the look of them. I find them just a little awkward to use. Manageable, but a little wonky.

I think the guys up in Canada and the late “wingshooter16” used to have some stock work done (building & refinishing) by Chris Dawe up there in the GWN (great white north). He’s posted his work here and he looks to be extremely competent.

I’ve never fired a Lunettes Manufrance at a bird, in anger. Handled many, 12s and 16s as I recall, and suspect it would work just fine after a brief introduction period.
All the Lunette guns I handled, and that is plenty, were black powder proofed, if that might be something that concerns you.

Best,
Ted

According to the Ideal's disassembly instructions, each Ideal was sold with a tool kit which allowed "unbungled" disassembly. The paddle shaped tool locks the under lug in the open position with the underlever in the depressed position allowing the stock to be removed without chipping the top strap's surrounding wood. Here are two such kits. The striker disc tool and tapered screw drivers fit inside the wooden handle when not in use and are held in the metal slot in the metal cap at the narrow end. Chris Dawe did beautiful stock work on an Ideal of mine. Gil

The buggered inletting is one way Mike (Wingshooter) and I used to tell if guns had been messed with by people who shouldn't be messing with them.

Chris Dawe has done a few Manufrance Ideal stocks for us and while he (and I) don't have the tool kit shown by Gil, if you have the instructions, not hard to find implements that will stand in just fine. Somewhere I have a copy of the instructions and if anyone is looking for them, they are welcome to PM me with their email and I will send a copy.

The Lunettes do handle differently. I shoot double triggers all the time, but I had issues going from back to front with the Lunnettes . With no slot on the Lunette style do you just hold the lever up when you take the screws out? Mine has inletting that is not messed up and I don't want to be the one to do it. Mark

I had no trouble with the one i bought years ago from the great klunkermeister himself.

A substitute tool can be made from a thin piece of wood. That's what Mike used. The width of my metal tools is .95" and just over 2" long. In dealing with disassembly issues of doublegun actions, for me the operative word is "don't". Gil

Several people I've talked to have fabricated tang safeties for Ideals. I'll need to take mine apart to see if I can make one also.

I have hunted with a Robust but the Ideal safety seems impossible to use so I don't hunt with them.

That’s a shame. You don’t hunt hammer guns either? Safeties are overrated. Ideals can be carried just like a hammer gun. Cock it as you’re walking in, decock it whenever you want.

Same for the Darne. In fact, in Darne manuals (see compilation in second forum in one of the English translation, green printing), it is recommended that the cocking lever be left in an upright position, chambers loaded, for safety purposes while carrying loaded gun across fence or ditch. Gil