Ted, thank you..your reply brings up more questions...Hope your up for a round of questions... Please excuse me in advance if I ask what may seem to be a ridiculous question. Although I have a pile of stuff on the Darne explosion, and I've examined all of it, I've not yet structured it into a timeline as a Darne collector would. First, we're talking about Regis, correct, in regards to the 1894? patent? I can't find anything that shows Regis being active as an inventor before 1909. I've read stuff about that refers to earlier dates but I can't seem to get past 1909. I've come across other sliding breech patents and advertisements that pre-date that, but not by Darne. Clair Freres in 1907 and Charlin to 1904, but even then things look a little strange. Beyond that, the Darne evolution seems to wander, like this 1891 Chevalier ad. So we know some Darne was active before 1890, but who?
Any insights or clues could be very helpful...also when I compare this Darne type to the patent drawings, it most resembles a drawing by Francisque Darne in 1911. And, no I didn't pay a lot. The Darne type cost $125, needing restocking and more. The Compain 16 was very nearly free, needing restocking and rebluing. The Compain is a Cadillac, made to withstand heavy range use, which is good around here, because all our pheasants are gone.
