doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Varney-Carron bankruptcy

BFM TV in France has reported that Varny-Carron filed for bankruptcy. There appears to be an unclear secondary story about a contract they signed several years ago with the Ukrainian government for military arms that may have had something to do with it.

I toured the shop, and met the old man and the eldest boy. They were furnace brazing O/U barrels that day, the shop was neat and well lit. They weren’t very interested in the US market at the time, which, I didn’t really understand, but, they ended up with a few importers over the years. Hope none of them are awaiting a load of new guns anytime soon.
The family was well to do. They made a great living on that name.

Best,
Ted

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/eco...mande-un-redressement-judiciaire-2624005

Le fabricant d'armes stéphanois Verney-Carron en cessation de paiement et demande un redressement judiciaire
Saint-Étienne
De Mardi 11 février 2025 à 10:17
Par Louise Thomann
ici Saint-Étienne Loire

Via un communiqué publié ce mardi 11 février, Cybergun, le propriétaire de l'ancestral fabricant de fusils de chasse stéphanois, annonce que Verney-Carron est en cessation de paiement. L'armurier demande son placement en redressement judiciaire : l'audience doit avoir lieu demain, mercredi 12.

L'annonce tombe ce mardi 11 février au matin dans un communiqué de Cybergun, confirmant les craintes en interne depuis le début de l'année. Le fabricant de fusil de chasse historique de Saint-Étienne Verney-Carron se déclare en cessation de paiement. Il demande également son placement en redressement judiciaire, qui doit être étudié mercredi 12 février au tribunal de commerce.

L'annonce tombe ce mardi 11 février au matin dans un communiqué de Cybergun, confirmant les craintes en interne depuis le début de l'année. Le fabricant de fusil de chasse historique de Saint-Étienne Verney-Carron se déclare en cessation de paiement. Il demande également son placement en redressement judiciaire, qui doit être étudié mercredi 12 février au tribunal de commerce.

Un potentiel nouvel actionnaire ?

Dans le même communiqué, Cybergun annonce que des "discussions avancées" sont en cours avec un potentiel "partenaire" (Hugo Brugière, le PDG de Cybergun, refusant le terme de "repreneur"), "acteur majeur de l'armement de petit calibre au niveau mondial". Le groupe, actuellement actionnaire majoritaire de Verney-Carron, entend garder une participation au capital de l'armurier stéphanois, mais '"minoritaire", dans le cadre de ces négociations.

Le gérant de Cybergun explique que ce passage par le redressement judiciaire est un point d'étape nécessaire à l'arrivée d'un nouvel actionnaire, pour le rassurer. La procédure permet en effet de figer la situation financière de l'entreprise Verney-Carron, toujours endetté à hauteur d'un million d'euros malgré les 12 millions d'investissements de Cybergun. Ne voulant pas dévoiler le nom du groupe qui pourrait rentrer au capital de l'armurier stéphanois, il précise cependant que les choses pourrait avancer dans les prochaines semaines, une fois la procédure enclenchée au tribunal de commerce. Hugo Brugière ne se dit pas inquiet pour l'emploi chez Verney-Carron.

Contactée, la CGT de Verney-Carron ne souhaite pas communiquer avant l'audience au tribunal de commerce de Saint-Étienne, prévue mercredi 12 février à 14H. Une soixantaine de personnes travaillent dans l'entreprise familiale bicentenaire, qui avait été rachetée en 2022 par le groupe Cybergun spécialisé notamment dans les armes de airsoft et les armes non-létales type flashball.

Saint-Étienne arms manufacturer Verney-Carron in cessation of payments and requests receivership
Saint-Étienne
From Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 10:17
By Louise Thomann
here Saint-Étienne Loire

Via a press release published this Tuesday, February 11, Cybergun, the owner of the ancestral Saint-Étienne hunting rifle manufacturer, announces that Verney-Carron is in cessation of payments. The gunsmith is requesting to be placed in receivership: the hearing is to take place tomorrow, Wednesday 12.

The announcement falls this Tuesday, February 11 in the morning in a press release from Cybergun, confirming internal fears since the beginning of the year. The historic hunting rifle manufacturer from Saint-Étienne Verney-Carron declares itself in cessation of payments. It is also requesting to be placed in receivership, which is to be studied on Wednesday, February 12 at the commercial court.

The announcement was made this Tuesday, February 11 in the morning in a press release from Cybergun, confirming internal fears since the beginning of the year. The historic hunting rifle manufacturer from Saint-Étienne Verney-Carron has declared itself insolvent. It is also requesting to be placed in receivership, which is to be examined on Wednesday, February 12 at the commercial court.

A potential new shareholder?

In the same press release, Cybergun announces that "advanced discussions" are underway with a potential "partner" (Hugo Brugière, CEO of Cybergun, refusing the term "buyer"), "a major player in small-caliber weapons worldwide". The group, currently the majority shareholder of Verney-Carron, intends to keep a stake in the capital of the Saint-Étienne gunmaker, but "minority", within the framework of these negotiations.

The manager of Cybergun explains that this passage through receivership is a necessary step for the arrival of a new shareholder, to reassure him. The procedure allows the financial situation of the Verney-Carron company to be frozen, still in debt to the tune of one million euros despite Cybergun's 12 million investments. Not wanting to reveal the name of the group that could acquire a stake in the Saint-Étienne gunmaker, he nevertheless specifies that things could move forward in the coming weeks, once the procedure is initiated at the commercial court. Hugo Brugière does not say he is worried about employment at Verney-Carron.

Contacted, the CGT of Verney-Carron does not wish to communicate before the hearing at the Saint-Étienne commercial court, scheduled for Wednesday, February 12 at 2 p.m. Around sixty people work in the two-hundred-year-old family business, which was bought in 2022 by the Cybergun group, which specializes in airsoft weapons and non-lethal flashball-type weapons.

Ted;

I envy you for being able to visit this great gun maker and especially a great double rifle maker. I cannot tell you how many times I viewed the video (see attached link) showing how VC brazed the shoe lumps onto their barrels. When I decided 12 or so years ago to make a set of shoe lump double rifle barrels, I did so entirely upon my own as I could not find anyone who actually had made a set in the USA where I could learn how to do it. Some claimed to have done it on a double rifle, but there was not empirical evidence of that claim. So I had to learn my self and it required making 11 individual shoe lumps on my milling machine and hand filing to succeed during a six month process.

View this VC video and tell me if you met the VC barrel maker who is building a set of shoe lumps barrels (he is wearing a blue shirt)

Kindest Regards;

Stephen Howell

Stephan,
It will be 30 years ago this May that I was in St. Etienne, a guest of the Bruchets, Paul and Herve’. I went through Verney-Carron at about 6:00PM, after the worker bees had gone home for the day. Most of my discussions were with management and centered on business, and business models pertaining to exports and imports of civilian firearms. Sadly, I never had the pleasure to meet your barrel guy. The kids spoke fluent English, and I did get to see the setup that they produced brazed shotgun barrels on, an automated furnace that had a conveyor to run barrels into it. I handled and fired a Flashball double, with non-lethal rounds, beanbags of some sort. Wicked looking weapon.


https://flash-ball.com/

I also had the chance to tour G. Grangers operation, owned by Richard Levi. That tour was one of the highlights of that trip, and that evening, Herve’, Richard, and myself went out on the town and had an excellent meal, and a fine time bird dogging girls at a few Irish themed pubs in Lyon. We were all single. I also toured the proof house the next day, an interesting side trip. I was able to tour it, as there were no military guns in for proof that day, it would have been forbidden if there had been some on the docket. The place was full of racks of Verne Carron aftermarket barrels for Browning A5s, and a few Darnes that had been dropped off, prior to my arrival.

Everything passed proof, that day.

I had a great trip.

Best,
Ted

Thanks, Ted.

It is a sad day for craftsmanship and quality when Verney Carron folds.

Stephen

I think that, at this juncture, most of them have folded. Manufrance, Damas, Darne, Verney Carron, there are others, are all gone.

Mores the pity.

Best,
Ted

The way I read the French text, it seems that they will try to buy the remains of the company from the administrators and restart it. However these things get very complicated, and the French Trade Unions are very strong, but keen to keep jobs.

Chapuis are still making shotguns I believe, and a few are sold here in the UK.

HB

Ted

Did Darne close?

I did not know that

Damas wanted me to import some of there guns but I did not, I turned it over to my buddy, Jon Thomas of Gunsport in Odessa, He brought in a few but was not a good seller


So many companies in Spain, Italy, also now gone

Sad

John
Quality Arms