doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Darne V21 pics

My latest double is a Darne V21 made in 1970. Not the best era for Darne quality in general, but judging by this gun, they still took their top models very seriously. It's a 12g (technically a 13-bore with ID 0.718 in both tubes) with 70mm (2.75") chambers, 29.5" barrels choked R 0.014", L 0.033", and the classic Darne plume (swamped rib). It weighs an ounce shy of 6 pounds and handles like a very well balanced long-barreled 16. Everything is in fine original condition except for a plain serrated buttplate expertly fit by Dewey Vicknair. First shot I fired with it put a very motivated cottontail in the bag.
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Darne SWEET gun

I have its near sister, made circa 1962 I think and 12 bore, 27" barrels, choked about 1/4 and 1/2. Also weighs a touch under 6 lbs.
Mine has less nice wood than yours (which is lovely), and has been (quite nicely) extended in wood.

I have great respect for its design and manufacture, but don't shoot well with it, and it seems to recoil more than the same weight 'normal' gun. Poorest aspect is the trigger pull.

You have a very nice gun there.

That engraving pattern is called "rosace", it is one of my favorites. A sub 6 pound 12 is going to recoil, unless you load it down considerably.
The pulls on my recent V19 are quite light, lighter than I am used to. I haven't dealt with a V model that had poor triggers.
I've worked on a few Rs that did.
Nice gun, Bill.

Best,
Ted

Bill, that's a beaut of a gun both in metal and wood. Gil

I had it on the the range Saturday and put a couple boxes ir 1-ounce target loads moving 1280 fps. I didn't notice excessive recoil an shot well with it--at least by my very casual, too poor to keep score standards. I haven't tried any heavier loads in it. I expect that you'd notice 1 1/8 oz. Trigger pulls are about 6 pounds--definitely heavier than many but pretty crisp and not noticeble when shooting at a moving target.

I use 3/4 oz - and its lively with that. Trigger pulls are a little heavy (not measured, but I'm used to 3 - 3 1/2 lbs on my English guns), but the real annoyance is the left has a slight drag. I have not found any gunsmith willing to take on trigger adjustment in the UK, but then Darnes are neither common or popular here. When I bought mine it cost (2nd hand in 1985) about the same as a No 2 AyA. If you can find one, they are very cheap compared to the new prices.

John,

Does Brexit leave you able to take the gun to France for service? I imagine there are folks on this board that could point you towards someone there willing to look at the trigger pulls. Just a thought.

Bill

V19:



Not unhandsome wood, but, nothing like Bill's. I'll see what the stocker can round up in France.



The V19 engraving pattern was the same for more than 100 years:



I have two V19s, a 28 and a 12. I feel pretty lucky to say that, they don't turn up every day of the week. The chokes on my gun are about .006 and .029, I suppose intended as a field gun. My fast "gun show" trigger pull test on a Darne is seeing if either trigger will support the weight of the gun, useful if the gun is sub 6 lbs.
My Vs both pass by a decent margin.





Best,
Ted

That's beautifully executed engraving, Ted. I think the V19 fences are way cooler than the V21's. I forget if you had shared the vintage with us. Do you know when it was made?

BW