doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Chapuis SxS

The name is pronounced 'sha-pwee' [short 'a', emphasis on the second syllable].

Their SxS shotguns are, to my way of thinking, more dynamic than the double rifles .. by virtue of their lighter weight and the reason their double rifles are so well thot of is because of that dynamic of pointablity of their shotguns, if that makes any sense. Blitz trigger plate actions their specialty. They will provide one with a reye bored bbl. or bbls, if so desired and pretty much what the customer wishes, within reason, inclusive of shotgun bbls for a double rifle or two sets of shotgun bbls., &c. If you can forego the need for name recogniton here [USA] I think you will be very pleased with their product, I am.

I have a Progress RGP 20 ga. purchased from WLM about 5 years ago. (Not a round body.) I wouldn't recommend a Chapuis to anyone. And I'm not sure I could recommend WLM either.

Before my purchase, I contacted Chapuis and inquired about the features of their guns, whether they would hold up to the repeated use of clay target shooting, length of warranty, and availability of servicing in the US. I also asked for the names of their dealers. I was told the Progress RGP would hold up to repetitive use on a sporting clays field. The gun had a 5 year warranty, and I could send the gun to one of their master gunsmiths who was located in the US. They never did tell me the names of a dealer, even though I asked multiple times. So I finally located WLM, who said they were a Chapuis dealer.

After the gun I bought was delivered, I found that WLM had mis-represented the gun. It did not have the chrome lined barrels I had insisted upon. It had a lot of handling marks they didn't tell me about. The serial number identified it as a gun several years older than they said it was. It came without a manufacturers warranty card, or any instructions. I put the gun together, and then couldn't re-open it! (I have opened plenty of other break action guns.)

WLM was apathetic about my complaints! They took no responsibility for the misrepresentation, and said if I wanted to return the gun, I would lose two way shipping charges AND another $100. I was LIVID! I hung up and two days later, finally managed to open the action by pointing the gun barrels upright, shaking the gun very hard, and then forcing the lever over. (I think a small shaving of metal had become lodged in the action.) Frankly, at that point, I didn't trust WLM enough to send the gun back to them. I figured I was unlikely to ever see my money. So I kept the gun.

I wrote Chapuis seeking more information about the age, and care of the gun, they referred me to their exclusive servicing facility in the US. I called them. The owner (and master gunsmith) gave me an earful. He said I had no right to warranty, or even out of warranty service, as I "bought the gun from an un-authorized dealer", and was "taking food out of his children's mouths". I was flabbergasted! All I had done was politely ask if he could give me any information about using and maintaining the gun. After getting a tongue lashing from this mean, petty man, I wrote Chapuis repeatedly, asking how they could treat a new customer this way. Never got a single answer.

About a year later, after having fired less than 200 shells in my Chapuis, an ejector spring broke, rendering the gun unusable. I couldn't even close the action. If this action is the same as their big game rifles, what happens when a lion is charging and the springs break?

I had a tough time initially getting replacement springs. I finally located Heirloom Arms, and Dale ordered me a pair - supposedly to be shipped direct from France. I had my doubts that Chapuis, who had ignored so many of my emails would ever ship them. So as a backup, I also ordered a set of springs from a Verney Carron dealer who thought their springs were compatible. After several weeks of nervous waiting, I even swallowed my pride, and called WLM again. To WLM's credit, the said they would send me replacement springs, gratis. However, I was already down $130 for the springs I ordered from Heirloom and the Verney C. dealer.

When I got the springs, I could not find a single gunsmith in the US who wanted to install them -apparently because it is a non-standard design. I had to put them in myself. Which was a real pain in the butt. In my opinion springs should not be pre-loaded more than 25%. On this gun, the almost 1/8" thick steel springs are preloaded 50%. Yes, that's right, BEFORE the gun is cocked. The springs are continuously stressed this much, even when the barrels are off the gun, and the ejectors are pushed out. There is no way to bring any commonly available tool into play to compress the springs. You have to compress the springs and insert the dowel pin that holds them into the barrel underlugs at the same time. You have to do this with your fingers. Arnold Schwartzenegger would have had trouble with this. My fingers were bloody and bruised by the time I got the springs in. I had to HAMMER the dowel pin into place. I suspect the springs will break before I fire another 200 rounds. There appears to be no way to convert the system to extractor mode. If you remove the ejector mechanism, you have no way of pulling the shells out. I emailed Chapuis asking about this, but again, no response.

I put the gun away, and only take it out for an occasional grouse hunt. I doubt it has had more than 20 rounds through it since the springs broke. As a field gun, it's light, comes to the shoulder and swings well, has beautiful barrel bluing, and fair to good looking wood, But I've never had much luck hitting anything with it. I think something is screwy about the barrel regulation, but I haven't taken the time to find out.

Incidentally, I paid $3500 for the gun at the time. If it is now $2600, I wonder if they realize just how unreliable it is, and are trying to "unload" the model.

Please forgive my ignorance, but who is WLM? I googled it and came up empty.
Steve

william larkin moore

Greg,

I recently came into bailment of one. It is well balanced with good wood to metal fit and is stock with a pretty decent piece of walnut,I would guess French. It patterned well, presenting proper regulation.

I do not like it as well as any of my British guns, nor my Prussians, but if it could be bought new for 2.5K or a bit more I would have to say it probably would serve well.

Engineeringtech - that's a real horror story. WLM, to my ears at least, has a good rep. Their behavior is unfortunate. I have a Chapuis DR and love it. Hundreds of rounds thru it. They are a well thought of rifle.

I almost bought one of their shotguns - glad I didn't.

I have a bespoke gun on order from Chapuis currently. I did thorough research and talked extensively with JJ Perodeau of Champlin arms about the guns. Having examined several I find them to have very nice wood, excellent wood to metal fit and a fine finish. I do not care for their case coloring but I don't generally like case coloring. The engraving on the progress is laser engraved however they will do custom engraving at additional charge. I found their laser engraving to be very well done though I did order a portrait of an old bird dog of mine that I am particularly fond of that will be hand engraved. The 3 guns I have handled have all been a little over 6#s on a 16 ga frame, have handled well and been well balanced. They did stop production of the 29.5 inch barrels so I ordered the 27.5 in barrels.

Engineeringtechs review is the first negative thing I have read about the guns. As I recall the new guns have a lifetime warranty on the mechanics (metal)but don't quote me on that. There is more information available on the double rifles than the shotguns but I did email to one individual that had a set of rifle barrels made for his 20 ga progress. I don't remember what caliber they were chambered for but he said he had hundreds of rifle rounds and thousands of shotgun rounds through his and had had no problems. I also conversed with a gentlemen who shoots a couple of hundred clay targets most weekends with his and he had had no issues and loves his progress. I will report when my gun arrives and give my impressions of it but with the customization I ordered it will likely be Dec before I get it.

James

I've had a Chapuis 12ga for nearly 20 years and love mine. I think JJ at Champlin is the actual importer these days. I don't know where WLM fits in the mix.

The Chapuis action, twin lumps, trigger plate, is pretty similar to the Fabarm Classis and Beta action, also years ago I recall visiting Tarcisio Bettinsoli and he had a lot of similar actioned doubles ready for delivery.

It is a simple action, engineered for simplicity. The one visible pin on the action body holds the trigger plate. There are no screws on this gun, everything is pinned. The double underlugs do just fine with no middle bridge on the action and obviously no "fitting on the circle" of the rear lump, as there is none. All these simplifications bring down costs. To the makers credit, simplification is combined with high quality finish and the result is, I think, a good deal.

Engineeringtech, had it been my gun, I would have put in a coil spring that fit and gave the preload that felt right for the job. Not blaming you, but coil springs are far more adaptable than V springs. As for the other details, they are pretty appaling.

Engineering Tech, I have two Chapuis Progress sxss, 16 ga & 20 ga. one is from G & H; the other from WLM. (By the way, Dave Moore, in my opinion, is a prince.) I have shot both extensively with no problems whatsoever. I consider them excellent guns worth more than I paid for them.