doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - Darne R12 28 Gauge

I've been looking for a 28 gauge Darne for some time and made a deal on this one on gunbroker after looking at it for months. This is a model R12 as it has two Darne Stamps on the bottom of the barrels. This particular gun sports 27 1/2" barrels choked almost cylinder and modified. The gun came with the original factory butt plate but has a leather covered pad installed that brings the LOP out to 15". The gun weights in at 5lbs 15oz. I'm guessing the gun came out of the factory originally with 65mm chambers and then was lengthened out to 70mm chambers as indicated by the stamps on the barrels. The gun was imported by Firearms Center Inc, Victoria, TX which I think would date at least the import of this gun to the 70's. I would guess the gun was manufactured earlier with the shorter chambers, but may be short 28's were still more common in Europe at that time. I have included some pictures for your viewing interest.


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Do you use the wrench on the gun? Just kidding.

James Wayne brought in a group of those guns, graded, case hardened 28s. You do have to watch the chamber lengths, 2 1/2” was the common 28 gauge length on the continent, long after 2 3/4” was standard on everything else. R12 seems to be the common number, it was likely a cleanup of parts shorty before the end of the road. The company suffered an embezzlement toward the end of the 1970s, and closed the doors for a few years.

I walked into a local gun shop on my lunch break at work, and they had a leather cased pair of those guns, 29” tubes, 28 gauge, for stupid cheap $2500. I told the guy I didn’t have the money on me, but, would be back in an hour or so.

When I got back, they were gone. Those guns haunt me, to this day.

Good hunting, in the coming new year.

Best,
Ted