doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Questions about a Darne copy

The guns with the rifled dispersion barrels are made with European woodcock hunting in mind. Verney-Carron offers one (an OU), as does Beretta. They're usually short barreled and very light, and the other barrel in the newer ones often has choke tubes.

I saw a Manufrance Robust set up with a canon raye dispersant. Would've bought it just to give it a try, but the seller was way high in my way of thinking.

Larry has just nailed it: Becasse/woodcock, close cover, quick shots, close range, very light guns, short barrels (65cm app.), need for dispersing the shot. They call them "fusil bécassier".

I had a VS 20SLE with two sets of barrels one of which was 65cm with the right one "rayé". Did not work for slugs as one would have expected.


JC(AL)

Thanks guys for all the info on Canon rayé. The gun in question has 27 1/2" barrels. Don't know a weight. I want to use the gun for grouse and woodcock. Canon Raye could be just the ticket (if it works). Larry it is funny you mention that you've seen a Manufrance Robust set up that way. About 6 years ago my wife and I were at Cabelas in Dundee. They had a couple of Manufrance robusts in 16 gauge. One of the guns had the rifling. I assumed it was for slugs (now I feel dumb) and my wife ended up buying the one Robust that didn't have the rifling. Live and learn I guess! Now with the help of you all I have determined what the rifling is indeed for. It doesn't sound like a bad thing. Now has anyone heard of the maker, Gardin? My wonderful wife found a thread that had the following information. Gardin: Gunmaker in Havre (Seine-Maritine) during 1924-1959. Does anyone have any other information on the maker? BTW JayCee I love that woodcock picture!

Thanks,
Dave B

Dave,

That 'Raye' bbl in Dundee belonged to a friend of mine. It did, indeed, work as advertised. Old fashioned paper-wadstack shells really use it to wide effect. I beleive it was marked as a 'becasse gun somewhere, as well.

JC, wonderful print, there.

http://www.beretta.com/index.aspx?m=74&idc=1&ids=29

Beretta's 686 Ultralight SR. I don't think it's imported to the US.

Wow, I have been seriously going through withdrawal since this BBS went down! Glad to see everything is back to normal. Thanks for all the information on the Canon Reyes. Here is a picture of the muzzles so you can see the rifling in the bore.

Dave B

Briley offers difussion choke tubes, which are rifled and, I think, supposed to work on the same basis as the canon rayé dispersant. I have a set of them that I never patterned, but seem to work reasonably well at skeet, given my limited shooting skills.