doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com I'm guessing 1940s, Darne.

I took it apart this weekend, much gummed up oil that had turned to varnish everywhere. I had to pull the ejectors out, and remove the front wood to dismantle the triggers. I'm always concerned when fooling with Darne triggers, as the main spring comes out. The pin that retains the main spring has a small bend that is gunsmith applied at the Darne factory, and I don't have the magic to reset it, or fully understand how much is just right. I believe I have it reinstalled about how it was.
When the gun was built, a beautiful coat of lacquer was applied to the case colors, but, the trigger guard was missed-Monday morning gun? Friday afternoon gun? Too much wine at lunch gun? I don't know, but, I did lay some lacquer on the triggerguard to protect those lovely colors.
My lube of choice for Darnes I have apart is Breakfree CLP, with just a touch of Mobile 1 Universal synthetic grease on any screws I don't want stuck in the future, and, the rails on the breech block. Just a touch. I use the Mobile One on conventional hinge pin guns as well, cleaning it off after each use. The factory has always used Vaseline as a lube, good as it got when Regis Darne was alive, but, the synthetics should give better stability today. Everything is loosened up and ready for another 50 years or so of use.
I look forward to a little patterning work with it in the near future.

Best,
Ted

16.0 is .630. Ted, are Darnes typically somewhat overbored? I haven't put a gauge in enough of them to detect a trend.

Larry,
In my experience they were typically UNDERBORED, tight bores and chokes. I wondered about that, I have never seen a 20 marked 16.
I don't have bore measuring gear for smaller gauge guns, and a quick spot with my dial indicator was inconclusive, other than the left is tighter than the right, at the muzzles. I'll take another quick look today. I always get a better feel for a guns choke from the patterning board vs the bore gauge, at any rate.
Something to keep in mind-the serial number clearly indicates a gun that was ordered. SPC stands for special length short barrels, and if Mr. Customer wanted, he could have specified tighter, or, looser bores. A gun marked SPL would have special length long barrels. Modern Darne chokes are also typically quite long, perhaps .001 or .002 per inch of barrel, coming to the final constriction at the muzzle. They were bored and polished lengthwise, and the crack about Monday or Friday guns on my part is flippant, as they were very proud of the care and finish on the bores.
That is all I've got, today. I'll know more after a patterning session.

Best,
Ted

Larry,
I stuck the dial indicator into the ends of the barrels again, and got readings of .625 and .614. Roughly .005 and .016 thou' of constriction, based on a .630 bore.

Best,
Ted

What kind of lacquer would you suggest to use to preserve case colors and what method of application?
My Simson is starting to show a little wear and I like the colors....

Dave,
I just used a can of Krylon artists acrylic clear. It is a lacquer based product, and dries in about 20 seconds. I just did the triggerguard, inside and out, after a wipe with wax and grease remover, and I was done. Maybe 2 minutes of time invested.
When I did my 12 gauge, I mixed up and sprayed Brownell's baking lacquer, out of my Binks No. 7 gun. Bigger job, bigger deal, bigger mess.
I used a different product on my Lefever Nitro Special, I threw the can away when I was done, it didn't lay down as nice, but, I suppose it will still protect the case colors, which, was all I was after.



Best,
Ted

Thanks, Ted!

I'd say pretty decent chokes for grouse and woodcock, Ted.

Might work OK for skeet, too, Larry. Other than the customer ordering it that way, I can't think of a reason the bores would be that big on a gun from just after the war.

I wonder about when the French moved away from felt wads for ammunition? Backbored barrels seem to be something that came along after plastic wads had been in use for some time.


Best,
Ted

Hmm. Found this picture of the flats of a Halifax 20 gauge, showing 16 as the finished bore size also:



I'm guessing the Halifax would be even older than mine, with 65mm chambers, originally. This Halifax has 29" barrels, something I seldom have seen.

Best,
Ted