doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Spanish "Not so Best".

Groan!

Hehehe.. couldn't resist:)

Good one, Tex.

SRH

I actually had a PM discussion with Ted about a month ago concerning this gun because I had bought one from a guy walking it around a gun show about 7-8 years ago. When he showed it to me and said he'd take no less than $200.00, that seemed like a no-brainer given its' very nice condition, even though I like my Lefevers as much as Ted likes his Darnes.

I never really knew what it was other than knowing it was marked I Ugartechea, Eibar Spain, and was stamped Falcon on the watertable. I thought it was a model 30, but Ted tells me it is actually an upgrade of that model. It has 26" barrels chambered 3" and weighs only 6 lb. 4 oz. It has always been very reliable, and it can be very economical to shoot because often I can buy 12 ga. shells for modern guns very cheaply that I would not ever consider using in any vintage double. The case colors are very nice, and the moderate amount of engraving isn't bad looking or cheesy. Most seem to have pretty plain wood, but I was lucky enough to get one with a little crotch figure in the butt. My varnish is flaking near the buttplate, so it could use a refinish and a slight lowering of the somewhat sharp comb to fit me better. It still has those stylish 1970's white line spacers under the buttplate and grip cap that Ted wisely ditched. At the time I was having my PM discussion with Ted, there were a couple Spanish guns in the For Sale section here with several thousand dollar prices, and from the photos, the checkering on my cheap Uggie seemed equally well executed to one and actually better than the other. It sure is easier on the eyes than most of the under $1500.00 Turkish doubles, and it doesn't have those monobloc lines on the barrels either. In fit, finish, and appearance, it beats any Winchester 24, Savage, or Fox Model B by miles. Best of all, if I fell down while grouse hunting in slashings and treetops, it wouldn't be any great financial loss if I broke it.

Kyrie,
A Darne, is an acquired taste. I like to think that is true of most double shotguns at this juncture in history. There are several idiosyncratic aspects with a Darne that make it more so. To begin with, a Darne must fit you. The stock is held on with a long wood screw, which will not allow for any bend adjustments. LOP is the only thing you can alter, economically, anyway. The action is novel, and takes most of a season of use to become familiar with. The design is light, and, unless the gun was specified to be heavier, they are often too light for most people. My 12 weighs but 6lbs, 1oz, with it's sling attached.
I know folks that have sold everything they owned and converted completely over to sliding breech guns, but, I'm not one of them-but, you have been warned.
If you choose to go down that road, do contact me if you have a question about a gun you are considering. Maybe I could be of help.
This is a photo of both of my Darnes, and the case colored R10 has had a long term role in my hunting. It is restocked to fit me, and a wonderful hunting gun.




The Darne machine gun was primarily intended for pre-WWII aircraft. If there is a lighter fully automatic weapon intended for that use, I'd be truly surprised.
I can't say I anticipate a use for one in my collection, however.


Best,
Ted

I hope you get the old soldier out a bit this fall, Keith. One other thing I detested on mine were the gold plated triggers. I yanked them out and wire wheeled them until it was all gone. Agreed, they are better looking than a lot of guns made here in the US 75 years ago, or anything out of Turkey, at any time.
Lloyd and I have been toying with the idea of a Northwest Angle hunt in northern MN. this fall, and I would more than likely bring this Uggy for that. Access is tough, an indian land's license is required, and I'd be willing to bet the country is wild. Some of it might be canoe access, only. A solid and inexpensive 12 would make sense for that kind of grouse hunting.

Best,
Ted

Oh hell Ted, I'll be shooting that Ugartechea in a couple weeks when the purple grackles start trying to get into the soffit of my big garage to nest. The bastards somehow get the aluminum soffit out of the F channel and stuff twigs in to hold it open enough so they can squeeze in and out. I'll be whacking them with Wally World promo loads and clearance sale high brass factories rather than wasting any RST's or low pressure handloads on them. The survivors get educated pretty quickly and then present some fast and challenging shots.

My E grade Lefever has gold plated triggers, so I don't find that part offensive on my Falcon. But those white line spacers gotta go.

Ted,

Fine looking guns that aren�t doing a thing for my peace of mind! Let me see if I can get on top of my addiction to Spanish Steel, and we�ll talk�

I have a couple of Spanish "Not so Best" guns also. This is a 20 gauge Jose Uriguen that I gave $350 for just a few years ago. I call it my boat gun and use it when I jump shoot snipe from my boat. It it also the gun I usually take when I am expecting it to rain. I don't worry about it getting beat up and I wouldn't lose any sleep if it fell off the post in the mud while I was taking a group picture at the end of the hunt.

I only have one "much less than best" Spanish shotgun and it's a 10 ga Gorosabel.

It was about $80.00 used about 40 years ago and I used to shoot the heck out of it without a hiccup. I tore it down last year to replace the white lined pad and refinish the wood, with the intent of putting it back into service for waterfowl. Never got around to putting the new pad on, but I intend to have it ready for the fall waterfowl season.