Just traded for this great old shotgun and have been looking through it just to see what makes it tick. It has some issues right now that I attribute to wear, but I would not hesitate to shoot it as is.

Yes the wrist is extremely fine... The checkering is typical French, flat-top and mediocre in execution for the grade of gun it is on.


The little button on the port side there is the safety and actually a rotary switch that drags a trigger block under both triggers.








Instead of breaking down like a typical SxS the breech slides back, extracting empties and clearing the way for more.


Note the reference pins and the locking lug (larger pin). The action has an internal gate that rises to lock the lug when closed.

[img]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/24quarts/knives%20and%20guns/barreltable.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/24quarts/knives%20and%20guns/barrellockup.jpg[/img]
The two barrel lugs lock by friction on the frame. Unfortunately, friction took a little bit away over time and this little lock-up is loose. I am trying to understand the shotgun fully before messing with tightening it up.

[img]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/24quarts/knives%20and%20guns/apart.jpg[/img]

art

Darnes are nice shotguns. Congratulations!

I am so jealous! I have always though those were the snottiest little buggers in twenty gauge in particular. By an large I hate S/S configuration, but I could swallow that lump and force myself to hunt birds with a Darne. A good friend has one that I have coveted for many years. To have a nice high grade Darne like that is a rare privilege. Enjoy it!

Most early checkering was flat-top. I think just about all the Fox early guns had flat-top checkering.

If it's off the face, that could be an expensive repair, but it should be worth it.

Miles
I have had a few fancier guns, especially Parkers but never could shoot them. I have an old Mode I can actually shoot and this one seems like it could point well for me... But I do enjoy a good shotgun.
thanks
art

Gene
In the first picture you can see wandering lines, missing junctions, and over-runs all in one panel... For the grade of gun it does not match well.

Just thought about it and maybe it needs a piece of really nice Turkish to make it feel whole! I have some really nice blanks set aside... May even have a two piece long enough for it...
art

Pretty neat.

never seen one like that. Very nice to say the least.

When I was in Viet Nam, I traded for a Darne shotgun from some Vietnamese militiaman. I didn't know or care what it was then, I just got it to re-trade, since it could be sent back home, unlike many other weapons. Which I did. I only knew it was French. Can't remember what kind of shape it was in, either, or if it was engraved or not. I wasn't in to shotuns then.

Instead of Turkish Walnut, what would look true is French walnut. But with the stock in that good shape, I'd leave it be. It looks fine.

(I also traded and retraded for a Model 70 in a heavy caliber, don't remember what it was, but it wasn't .458. The area we were in had been a hunting area during French Colonial rule.)

That is one cool shotgun!

Why is it I can't look at those pics without trying to figure out the best way to configure a repeating double barrel shotgun?

A man I hunted with when I was a youngster had a similar Darne that he "liberated" during WWII. It was absolutely drooling gorgeous. The mechanical extractor only extracted fired shells, and left unfired ones in the barrel for manual unloading. Although he had other shotguns, he used that beautifully engraved Darne in all sorts of ugly conditions and thought nothing of it. I had a standard grade Darne that was imported to the US in the '60's. It functioned fine, but kicked like a mule.

Darne was still producing gun not many years ago and may still be, I am not certain... I always have a hard time determining models... generally speaking you look for a stamped DARNE in a circle (referred to as the punch mark) on the barrel flats... if no PMs are stamped it is an R10 then add one for each stamp through R17, but there are other series like P and V...

most of the older guns that I know of have a metal loop that goes all the way around the stock just behind the trigger guard... makes me think that your gun might be a later production gun... also think the 70 on the barrrel flats refers the chamber length in MM and would equate to 2 3/4"

There are a few Darne experts on the Double gun bbs.

Darnes in my opinion are neat little guns and bring a surprisingly low premium unless of the highest of grades and/ or in great condition or rare gauges (there was a post on a 10 gauge recently on the DG BBS)

Congrats and have fun with it, neat gun!

Took the shotgun out Saturday for a little fun with Riley and his buddy Bow92.

Found some interesting things... It has single selective extractors/ejectors... They are really neither ejectors nor typical extractors. When unfired, cartridges are pulled out when the breech is opened; when fired they are pulled out by single selective extractors that pull them all the way out where they just fall to the side.

I suspect a serious shooter could get pretty fast with the gun.

I did shoot a rabbit with it just to say I did. The rabbits were mostly white... the ground was not... They were hopping neon signs moving through willow brush. I will post a couple more pictures on another thread in the AK forum...


art

Acquaintance has one in 12ga that I shot two weeks ago. Lots of drop and recoil was considerable. A restock with a straighter comb would be a cure. Light and quick. A 20 should be sweet. Seemed to be well made and he shoots it quite a bit on sxs events so far without any downtime.

A very nice and unique find.

Thinking the new stock is fairly likely as recoil is pretty well focused when it goes off... Part of that is the fact the stock is pretty short for me.

My Dad's friend had one in the early sixties and really liked it.

I always thought a 20 gauge Darne would be a nice upland gun, but never found one to buy.

Nice gun Art.

Thanks!

OK so now we will know which one you mean , when you say "That Darne shotgun!" NICE!

It is always "its" fault!

Darne's are one of the best things to come out of France. Mike Mcintosh wrote of then with great respect in a couple of his books. Very unique action. I have only handled one and did not get a chance to shoot it. Felt pretty good between the hands though.

Good catch !!

I bid on a fairly high grade one the other day at auction with a straight stock... sold for $425 as I recall... pretty good steal if the gun was as nice as it appeared but it was an internet auction so you really never know...