Darne Shotguns

S

Saltydog235

New member
After my father passed, his gun collection became mine. I had to clean up the vault and install a new humidifier and ran across some guns that I haven't ever seen before. One was a Darne SXS with a slide action and about a 3/4 length stock on the barrel area.

Anyone know anything about this gun or possible sources to find it.

I also have a Flusstal Kruep that looks to be a 12ga SXS with a 9.3X rifled barrel underneath. The gun has very detailed ingraving and is in emmaculate condition.
 
Sorry about your loss, Saltydog. Dads are impossible to replace and it sounds like yours had impeccable tastes in guns. Need to know a little more about your French-made Darne (gauge, condition, features, etc.) to help you in your quest for more information about it but there's no question that they were (and are) unique and finely-made, great-handling, upland bird hunting guns. The Darne was discontinued in 1979. Darn it! :)
 
Its a 20 gauge in excellent condition. The action is extremely tight and well maintained. It opens and closes like a vault and is fitted like a finely made clock. The thing is I couldn't locate the serial number on the gun. The only place the Manufacturer is listed is in the feilds of the scrollwork on the engraving. It is truly a unique gun.

I really didn't appreciate the amount Dad had collected in the waning years of his life. I knew about some of the Parkers and LC's but then I found the Darne and Flusstal, some Sterlingworths, and others that I am not familiar with. I tend to appreciate rifles more than the old SXS's but am trying to learn more about what it is, that I do have.

I know this, I must have an A-5 from every factory, in every country in every guage they were made. Dad loved the old venerable humpback.

Do any of you with larger collections have a Insurance Firm that is respectable with reguards to collections.
 
I've never owned a Darne but I've always wanted one. They are truly unique and reek with quality. Three of the more popular models were the R11 Bird Hunter, the R15 Pheasant Hunter and the V19 Quail Hunter Supreme (all models differing mostly in the level of finish, with the R11 being the "econo-line", the V19 being the "flagship" and the R15 fitting somewhere in-between). The R15 apparently was only chambered in twelve gauge, while the R11 came in both twenty and twelve gauges and the V19 was chambered in twenty and twenty-eight gauges. From what I can tell, all came with double triggers standard and automatic selective ejectors.
 
[a 12ga SXS with a 9.3X rifled barrel underneath]

That firearm is called a Drilling, and generally was made in Germany or Austria (check the action & bbl flats for the correct proofmarks) - as opposed to your French Darne.

If the drilling's action sides and/or top rib are not marked with a maker's name, the name could be coded inside, (or) a "guild gun" (made by several entities), etc.

The various grade Darne's were distinguished by varying degrees of engraving and/or inlays - but Bruchet' also made Darne clones in France, that looked almost identical.

.
 
The Drilling isn't the Darne, the Drilling's labeled/manufactuer stamp is a Fluusstal Kruep and it looks like a 12ga & 9.3X74 rifle barrel combination.
 
Yes, I know......

A Darne is a SxS double shotgun with a sliding breech & fixed barrels.

The OTHER gun is a 3-barrel combination gun called a drilling.

"Fluusstal Kruep" on the drilling is not a maker's name - it translates as: Krupp ( a famous steel mill) Fluid Steel, IOW, a description of the barrel material/advertizing.

.
 
The Flustaal Krupp is simply Krupp fluid steel, to differentiate it from Damascus. if there are no other names on the barrels, take the forearm off and look for proof marks. It might be a simple guild gun or the name might be underneath on the water table

The Darne is still made; some like the toggle action action, some do not - it does take a little getting used to
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top