Does anyone have experience with the Artisan RGEX or REX? What's the difference between the Artisan series and the standard guns?

Has anyone seen a Chapuis rifle with a splinter forend? Or can you order this option? What about articulated triggers?

Thinking about a 9.3x74r in Chapuis, but I'd like to know what some of the options are. And what offers the best fit and value.

Drop a PM to KebCo here or call him.

Right before I bought my Chapuis from Ken Buch in November, I got an E-Mail from Ken's son Carl in Williamsburg, Va. Carl runs Blackbern LLC, and he imports Chapuis doubles. He said he was going to order a new lot of of Chapuis doubles soon, and this was an opportunity to order one with special features. I did not follow up with Carl as I bought my rifle from Ken,but it may be worth your while to contact Carl at Blackbern LLC.
Mangwana

I bought my wife a RGEX 9.3x74 this January. It has upgraded wood, game scenes, scope, toe of stock kicked out for women, recoil pad added, all the upgrades...
It is a more refined rounded action than the UGEX and handles great. Very accurate, great gun!
Now here is my honest opinion on upgrades: the basic Chapuis UGEX is probably the best value of any modern double. When you start upgrading the model and features, as I did for my wife, the price goes up fast. I paid more than double the price of a basic UGEX and got a gun that was a "little" bit prettier.
My advise is to buy a basic UGEX, or purchase one of the used ones you see listed. Much better bang for your buck, than the upgraded stuff.
Just my experience...
ND

It would not surprise me if Chapuis and Piere Artisans follow on with Verney-Carron in offering custom additions such as a Splinter Fore-End.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
It would not surprise me if Chapuis and Piere Artisans follow on with Verney-Carron in offering custom additions such as a Splinter Fore-End.

My opinion of Chapuis doubles is that they are one of the most accurate double rifles made today. I have never shot a more accurate double rifle, and the fit and finish is as good as anything for sale new today. I believe them to be a quality double rifle.

Having said all that, there are three reasons I do not own one! #1 is I find them to be too light for chambering! #2 the very thin barrels are too short, and look tiny because of that damn BEAVERTAIL fore wood. The Beavertail fore wood on a double was not designed to be used on a double rifle, but was to be used on shotguns for pass shooting of driven birds where the barrels became so hot they would burn your fingers. A double rifle is not designed to be fire more than four or five rounds starting with cool barrels, so the BT fore end is out of place on a double rifle.

If the ballance needs the BT fore end then the barrels could be left slightly heaver and use a splinter fore end wood so the fingers can wrap the barrels.

If I bought a used Chapuis double I would have get it cheap so I could justify the mods I would want made to it, and the first thing I would trash is that beavertail fore end shape, slim it and re-checker, and add a proper recoil pad on anything above a 8X57JRS!

I think tha the beaver tail forends on the Chapuis are a turn off, visually. It just doesn't look right to me. Also, they don't come in .450-400 but it seemed like they would offer them in that cartridge.

They don't offer it in 450 NE either.

I never figured out what a splinter forend on anything is good for. To me they are kind of like the forend on a Thompson Center Contender, just a piece of wood hanging there for no good reason. I want a Handle I can get a hold of on any firearm. One of the things that appealed to me about the Chapuis is the beavertail forend. Since Chapuis seems to sell a lot of rifles I guess I'm not entirely alone in my tastes.

Bob,

Have you shot anything with the splinter forend? I didn't really understand it either until I got my hands on a splinter forend shotgun. I'm not totally convinced on a hard kicking rifle but, on a 16 gauge shotgun on a 20 gauge frame I know it would be a splinter forend all the way.

Best Regards,
Sid

quote:

Originally posted by BayouBob:
I never figured out what a splinter forend on anything is good for. To me they are kind of like the forend on a Thompson Center Contender, just a piece of wood hanging there for no good reason. I want a Handle I can get a hold of on any firearm. One of the things that appealed to me about the Chapuis is the beavertail forend. Since Chapuis seems to sell a lot of rifles I guess I'm not entirely alone in my tastes.

quote:

Originally posted by Sid Post:
Bob,

Have you shot anything with the splinter forend? I didn't really understand it either until I got my hands on a splinter forend shotgun. I'm not totally convinced on a hard kicking rifle but, on a 16 gauge shotgun on a 20 gauge frame I know it would be a splinter forend all the way.

Best Regards,
Sid

Gentlemen the wood on the fore-end of a double rifle is not there to hold onto, nor is there to hold onto on a double barreled shotgun. On the shotgun it is a heat guard to protect you fingers while pass shooting driven birds where barrels get very hot.

Double rifles are not designed to be fired more than about four shots starting with a cool barrel set. Also double rifles, at least, the big bores produce a lot more recoil flip than most shotguns, and holding onto the wood only is hard on the hanger hook. The drill for properly holding a double rifle is to wrap your fingers and thumb around the barrels with a splinter resting in the palm of your fore-hand!

I do not even like a Beavertail fore-end wood on a shotgun. They are useless, ugly, and place too much strain on the fore-end hanger. This is the reason you never see a beavertail fore-end on any double rifle except a Chapuis! In fact you rarely see one on a shotgun unless it is made in the USA, by folks like Savage! They look like a beer can that someone dropped a baby-giant firecracker in making it fatter than it was supposed to be! They especially look out of place on a Chapuis because of the very thin barrels.

It is not a matter of taste only, but one of proper design!

quote:

Originally posted by BayouBob:
I never figured out what a splinter forend on anything is good for.

I want a Handle I can get a hold of on any firearm.

As Mac stated, the proper "Handle" to get a hold of on a double rifle is the barrels themselves. I have a Merkel with the splinter and a Chapuis with the beavertail. The Merkel feels right, the Chapuis, not so much, although it is a really nice rifle.

I prefer the splinter forend as well but I think this is a tempest in a teapot. I have guns with both and my hands are big enough so I can get my fingers on the barrel even with a beavertail forend. I would not reject a gun because it had a beavertail forend and I really like the Chapuis.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
I prefer the splinter forend as well but I think this is a tempest in a teapot. I have guns with both and my hands are big enough so I can get my fingers on the barrel even with a beavertail forend. I would not reject a gun because it had a beavertail forend and I really like the Chapuis.

Dave I too would not reject a rifle because it had a BT foreend, but I would re-do the foreend to a splinter in short order!

I much prefer a splinter forend.
But, the standard 9,3 Chapuis forend is not really a real beavertail, and not really a real splinter.

It is kinda like a long splinter.

I MUCH prefer a splinter too...

I was as JJ's with my Chapuis, and he wouldn't cut the BT forearm down, saying it never would look right because of the way it was designed. (i assume he ment the forend iron)

DM

Here's an example of what Mike Merker did with a Heym:

Click Here: Heym Beaver to Splinter Forend

I like the look of a splinter ,it looks more racey, but i dont like the feel of it [i thought wrapping your hands around the barrel was a NO NO,]a beavertail doesnt look so great, but feels alot better to hang onto ,more comfortable to me ,up to buyer what suits him best

I'm like the guy who breaks wind just before he gets off of a crowded elevator. Made a smart aleck remark and went off to deer camp for four days. Unlike that guy though, I got my com-upence; never saw a brown hair in 4 days in the swamps. I have shot shotguns with splinter forends; just don't care for them. It might be the XX large paws on the end of my arms. I can almost wrap my hand around the barrels of my Chapuis beavertail and all.

I want a splinter forend on any double rifle or shotgun for that matter, nothing else is acceptable to me..