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Ted, GR..trying to figure out some of the markings. 65mm chambers..so post 1912; Just under the proof marks on the barrel flats are crossed muskets and I have sort of subliminally associated these with Belgian made barrels for some reason. Assume the 17314 is the barrel maker's serial number. There is no SN for the gun posted that I can see - otherwise we could try to date it using Gil's posted chart. Curiosity killed the cat I know.

Last edited by Argo44; 12/12/17 04:32 PM.

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My Halifax 16 gauge SN 49505 has the SN marked at least 4 places, at least that is all I have found. #1 is on the barrels; #2 is on the metal piece attached to the stock just forward of were it steps down to enter the forend portion. Can only be seen with the barrels removed. #3 is inside the trigger guard & #4 is on the lower "Wings" of the opening lever.

Barrels are 68 CM (just shy of 27"), wt is 5lbs 14 oz, bores are marked 17mm so was proofed @ .669" a slight over bore for nominal .662" diameter for a 16. Chambers are marked 65, though they have been lengthened to 2 3/4 inchs with a long forcing cone. Check on wall thickness revealed "Plenty" of meat there. It carries the French double proof with PT smokeless powder. Marked on frame License Darne & #4. I have the original horn buttplate but it was badly moth eaten. I wanted to see if I could fill in the holes with some epoxy with black coloring added but haven't got it done yet, would need some touching up of the lettering etc as well after filling. It is currently wearing a butt plate from a Browning "Double Automatic".

Essentially I like everything about this gun except the safety. I have tried reversing it & found that even worse to me, don't like operating a safety with my trigger finger. Wish Darne could have figured out how to put a thumb push safety on the top somehow, but just doesn't seem compatible with the sliding breech action.

Stock has a very, very slight rounded semi-pistol grip. It really doesn't change the handling that much from a straight grip, but I think a straight is more aesthetically pleasing, just my opinion of course. Nothing fancy or a highly desirable collector, just a very good shooter. As far as shells I have not babied it & it has stood everything I have fed it without a hitch, including some low velocity 1 1/4 oz loads.


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Originally Posted By: Argo44
Ted, GR..trying to figure out some of the markings. 65mm chambers..so post 1912; Just under the proof marks on the barrel flats are crossed muskets and I have sort of subliminally associated these with Belgian made barrels for some reason. Assume the 17314 is the barrel maker's serial number. There is no SN for the gun posted that I can see - otherwise we could try to date it using Gil's posted chart. Curiosity killed the cat I know.


Argo,
17314 is the serial number of the gun, and appears in several places on the gun, if I am not mistaken. The "crossed muskets" are not, in fact, crossed muskets, or, Belgian, but the crossed lightning bolts of the St Etienne proof house applied to guns that have been proofed in a finished (completed) state.

Best,
Ted

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Yes that is the SN. Shot it for the first time today. Action is a little tight but I think will loosen up a bit after shooting a few more times. The safety also works as most do. Fliping the lever forward and its ready to shoot. Pull back and its on safe. Weighs 5 1/2 lbs. looking forward to shooting some dove soon.

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It takes a LOOOOONG time to break in a Darne. But, when it happens, especially on an R model, it is a beautiful thing.
Enjoy the gun, and have a great Holiday Season.

Best,
Ted

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Ghostrider, as Ted has pointed out before, and is mentioned in the English manual, (check the Darne compilation posted in the second forum) another "safe" position with the safety forward or "off" is to have the lever upright slightly opening the action. This is the equivalent of a having shells in a "tipping" double gun with the gun opened. The big difference is that with the Darne, the shells won't fall out. wink Gil
PS: The manual doesn't say anything about having the action slightly opened and implies that it is sufficient just to have the lever or "key" vertical, but I feel better about slight separation. The manual states that a stuck or swollen paper shell that resists fingertip removal when unfired can be extracted by fully engaging the action and raising the lever to its full vertical position while leaving the gun in battery, but then pulling the trigger which fully engages the extractor without percussing the cartridge allowing removal of the cartridge without firing it. This clarifies that the gun won't fire if the lever is fully vertical even though the action is in battery (technically incomplete with lever up).

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Great stuff thanks. This answers a lot of my questions. I had wondered how to unload unfired cartridges yesterday. Was able to pull by hand and remove them. Pulling the lever vertical, pulling the triggers and then sliding lever back sounds great. I also always walk with my SXS open, did not relize pulling the lever vertical accomplishes the same true safe feature.

Last edited by Ghostrider; 12/14/17 12:24 PM.
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A neat feature of the action is in unloading unfired shells, when one pulls the lever up and action to the rear, the shells lay with rims about an 1/8"+/- outside the chamber for easy removal. When fired, the extractors engage and bring the empty shells out and atop the tracks for either hand removal or tilting the action dumping them on the ground. Gil
PS: the manual suggests using an empty hull first to practice the stuck hull removal. It would give me the heebie jeebies to pull the trigger on a stuck, unfired round even with the lever up despite the safety feature.

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GLS;
I cannot pull the trigger on my Halifax with the lever in the vertical position. I have to move the lever forward until it is approximately 60 degrees above the locked position before the triggers will pull. When the triggers are pulled with the lever this far forward there is a distinct click as the strikers hit the cocking surfaces of the lever. I do not know if this is detrimental to them or not, so do not habitually do it.
First movement of the opening lever though begins to withdraw the strikers so I do not believe it is possible to actually fire the gun with it out of the locked position, though I do agree it is best to try it with an empty shell, or better a primed empty then you will know for certain if it fires.
Probably Ted can answer some of these questions for us.
I made a new safety for mine, cut the notches so it is on safe with the lever pointing up & points to the rear or fire. As I mount the gun I find pulling the safety lever to the rear to be a much more natural movement than pushing it forward, sort of akin to cocking a very low mount hammer. Having to reach way up to the side of the un to push the lever forward is nothing like the natural motion of pushing a tang safety forward while mounting. Leaving the safety in fire & raising the lever to about a 45 may be the easiest of all, am going to have to try this & see how I like it when I am able to shoot again. Ted had recommended this method to be prior to my contacting this cancer.


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The "daylight" method, noted by Gil, above, is the correct form when using the opening lever as a safety on an R model Darne. There is a position, just between daylight, and the breech contacting the ends of the barrels, where it is possible to trip the ejectors, without tripping the sears. Let me post, here and now, again, that this endeavor always scares the pee out of me, because just a bit further on the lever, and the gun will fire, with recoil closing the action against your thumb. I don't do it, as I have never needed the ejectors to haul live rounds out of a chamber, but, it can be done. Foolish move, as far as I am concerned.
The V safety, and, lever, are a different kettle of fish, few posting here will ever need instructions on the correct use and etiquette of a V model, and at the risk of creating confusion in the unfamiliar, I will post that somewhere else, on a different day, should it be needed.
You guys with a Charlin have no doubt already figured out there is an interrupter built into the mechanism, that prevents firing if the breech is open in the least.
None of this applies to you.
Hard as it is to believe, all three of these versions of the sliding breech gun are completely different, with no common parts, and subtle differences in operation.

Best,
Ted

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