doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Darne Patent, Guild Manufacture, 16 Ga SXS

Ted is the Darne guru. As I recall he usually gives some tips on reassembling a Darne including not snapping the firing pins on an empty chamber. Can't remember all of it but it is a pretty unique type of action.

Gene,
When I got into Darne guns, there were no rules, only lore. The internet that Al Gore invented changed much of that. But, I got to poke you in the side now, and correct what you posted. Don�t feel too bad, it is like the eleventy millionth time on this board.

You should feel free to dry fire your Darne anytime the barrels are assembled to the action. On later production guns, there are two screws that come up from the bottom of the sliding breech, at the front, into the face plate, that, if the triggers are pulled when the barrels are removed, are subject to extreme force from the firing pin springs, often enough force to bend them. I have seen Darne guns that the faceplate is actually pushed out on from dry firing the gun with the barrels off. The faceplate is supported when the barrels are on the gun and the action is closed, and dry firing does no harm.

The OPs gun falls into a different category on account of it�s age, and the different patent. The faceplate is dovetailed into the breechblock, and retained by a screw. It is not possible to bend anything with this design.

Know what you have prior to going snap happy with your Darne. If you can�t remember, the best advice is just don�t dry fire a Darne.

Best,
Ted

Got it Ted..great explanation and I've book marked it. You had installed such a fear of dry firing a Darne in me that I was afraid to even look at the things.

What I find interesting is the age of the patent. We know it was made after 1912 due the chambers been in mm not cm. No guns made Aug 1914-Nov 1918. So probably after WWI. Jean Gaucher actually died in 1901 but I think his firm carried on so...between about 1920 and 1940?

Gene,
Age is a tough nut on French guns. I can�t say you are wrong with your guess, and I can�t say you are right. That is the bad news.

The good news is the French saw we had enough information on the flats of the barrels to put our guns to use, even 100 years later.

Best,
Ted

Patent dates are just that; Patent Dates. The one thing they tell you with certainty is whatever item they appear on was "NOT" made prior to that date. Patent dates can, & often do, appear on an item long after issue, sometimes even well after the expiration of the patent. In most cases, the patent referenced will apply to the item it is stamped or otherwise marked on, but even that is not a given. I know of one item, in particular, nut gun related, where the maker was issued a patent on Nov 12, 1850. He was sued for patent infringement & re-designed his machine being issued another patent on Aug 12, 1851, for a totally different mechanism which contained no features of the 1850 patent. The company he founded stayed in business until 1905 & this 1850 patent date continued to stamped on his machines until into the late 1870s at least. From 1851 onward they contained no feature covered by the 1850 patent.

Nothing truly puzzling about an early patent date on a later gun.

I do not believe I have ever seen a patent date on a Darne gun.

Best,
Ted

If you decide to use snap caps in a Darne, don't use plastic ones if you want them to survive. Ask me how I know.

Rather than adopting a date code as one of their proofmarks, the French like to tease us with hints. Most of the other major CIP players are more specific.

Thanks Ted. I do intend to replace the stock shield and the recoil pad to get a good LOP fit. The current recoil pad is of Taiwanese manufacture, does not seem right for an older French double. I have had a gunsmith look at the tubes, bores are nice, bright and shiny with no discernible pitting. He cold re-blued the barrels as the original bluing was probably only about 40-50%, re-blued the trigger guard as well.
Thanks again.
JeffT

Thanks for the jpgbox.com tutorial Gil... And for posting the photos.
JeffT

Jeff, here is a line for dating early 20th Century Century shotguns:
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=484199

Here is the address of a Saint Etienne gun historian. I've been meaning to write him: