While researching a Darne shotgun I just bought, I found that Darne, and now the following maker Bruchet/Darne makes/made double rifles, at least one in .500. Currently the largest in the catalog is .375 HH, next down 9.3x72R and some smaller. It would seem to me the Darne frames, however strong, would be awfully light for larger caliber but might make a great two or three barreled set......not that I could afford one. Just wondering if anyone has ever seen or handled one?

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
While researching a Darne shotgun I just bought, I found that Darne, and now the following maker Bruchet/Darne makes/made double rifles, at least one in .500. Currently the largest in the catalog is .375 HH, next down 9.3x72R and some smaller. It would seem to me the Darne frames, however strong, would be awfully light for larger caliber but might make a great two or three barreled set......not that I could afford one. Just wondering if anyone has ever seen or handled one?

Gato, I had a Darne double rifle a few years ago, but it wasn't a factory double rifle. It was a converted shotgun, made by a guy up in Colorado. It was chambered for 303 Brit, and was a nice deer and elk rifle. At that time, back in the early sixties, surplus SMILE 303 rifles were everywhere, and factory ammo was available in any discount store.

However, as you say I don't think I'd want one chambered for 500NE. The 303 Brit was a little tough on the shoulder till I had a Pachmayr decellarator installed. It was really slow to re-load as well. I always wished it had had about a 4X32 scope with a German No 4 post, and crosshair on it.

While I don't have a DR Darne, obviously, I think reloading would be a problem in the rifles for any DG use....assuming the shooter is right handed he'd almost have to work the bolt or whatever one wants to call the opening lever with the right hand, while holding gun with left, THEN he'd have to insert two cartridges with one or the other hand, probably right, and close action with right hand, regrip and sight.....by then, you'd likely be mush unless the PH doesn't miss......

Of course, like anything, I'm sure it would get faster with practice but I doubt it would ever be even close to the standard break open double,=,

Gatogordo, have you seen this?:

http://www.gournetusa.com/foru...pic.asp?TOPIC_ID=428

Peter.

Peter:

No, although I'm familiar with the site, I hadn't seen that thread before. Interesting, thanks.

It's good they reinforce the wrist with steel because there is damn little wood to take the forces of recoil in the wrist of a Darne. Frankly, I don't know if it can take it without cracking, reinforced or not. Of course, it would depend on the wood quality as well. It had better be tight grained.

I think the unengraved, pistol grip example looks quite elegant!

As already said, slower to reload than the usual break open action.
As a NON-DG rifle though, I see it as very, very tempting...

A Darne double looks like it would be a good choice for shooting out of a blind, deer, pig, leopard,etc. as it would be easier to reload because you do not have to break it open.

Also good for shooting, and reloading prone.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
A Darne double looks like it would be a good choice for shooting

out of a blind, deer, pig, leopard,etc. as it would be easier to reload
because you do not have to break it open.

Also good for shooting, and reloading prone.

Those thoughts in red above are pretty sharp ideas IMO!

Gato, is the top lever operated by the left or the right hand?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Gato, is the top lever operated by the left or the right hand?
Peter.

The lever is pulled with the same hand you
pull the trigger with. I have a Darne shotgun.

Peter,

Jack is right on. You bring the Darne down, butt against your side, pop the ears with your trigger finger/thumb and continue the motion to fetch two new shells as your off hand turns the gun to dump the empties. With the gun back upright, you load and use the trigger hand to push the lever back down. Your off hand stays on the forend and keeps the gun or rifle stable while you do all of this.

It's very quick as I discovered when friends put up a flock of guinea fowl right at four guns just before sunset one night in South Africa. I got eight shots off in a very short time (not saying how many birds fell ).

Regards, Tim

Tim, that is exactly what I was thinking. The right hand pulls the "lever", retrieves the two loaded rounds from a wrist holder on the LEFT wrist, the gun is tilted to the right, rounds chambered and the right hand closes the action. There was some discussion about how fast this could be. I think it might even be quicker than a break open double, especially one that does not fall open on it's own. Just my 2 cents as I am still trying to figure out the best way on a break open double.
Peter.

Most (all I've seen but that isn't all that many ) Darnes have "ejectors" which are projections that pop the empty hulls out as you pull the lever back. Same basic ideal as many bolt actions, except straight pull, of course.
The problem with a Darne for quick reloading is that one hand has to do all the work or you wind up shifting back and forth. OTOH with a break open double, if you're in a rush, you pop the lever with the right hand, don't move it from shooting position, and put two shells in with the left and close the action with it as you mount. I'm not saying a practiced shooter with a Darne can't be quick, because practice does make perfect, but if you want to see quick, go to a cowboy action shoot and watch them work SxS doubles.

Gato, you mean like this?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Go8gGzF90

My problem with this video is that I don't believe that the shotgun demonstrated weighs 11 pounds, which is about the weight of my K-gun and less than the weight of my M.K Owen!!
Peter.

Peter:

Yep, like that, but that guy was slower than Christmas compared to the best.

He is not the absolute fastest, but here is a utube of Lead Dispenser shooting 24 shots.......pistol, rifle and shotgun but in this case the shotgun is a pump.....Lead dispenser

I'm not a cowboy actions shooter but my good buddy who runs "my" local gun shop is known as T Bone Dooley and currently, or, at least when this site was posted, is the second fastest on record with an external hammered double, 4 shots starting with an empty gun on table in 3.58 seconds. Current record for internal hammered double, 4 shots, on table, etc is 2.64 seconds, but scoring is not counted. This site is neat, click on the shooter's name and you can see him shoot the record.......cowboy action world records

How about 10 shots with lever action rifle that must hit target in 1.73 seconds by Deuce Stevens!!!!!

Gato, I don't want to nit pick but there was no recoil on those shots fired by T Boone Dooley. I assume we are still talking about shooting and reloading a double rifle in an African DG caliber?
Peter.

You're the one who asked the best way to shoot a break open double.....of course the recoil is low, it's a game that doesn't take heavy loads.

I mean, if you want the best way to shoot a DG double, then the answer is don't miss with the first or second shot. If you plan on missing the first two, take a bolt action, it will likely be faster for #3 and 4 with practice.

I seriously doubt that many in here are going to expend the time or effort to shoot the thousands of rounds it takes to become as quick as a cowboy action shooter with a DG double (nor are they going to put that wear on one of their guns), but you asked for the best way to shoot and reload a break open double and that is probably it, how fast a DG load shooter could recover from recoil while loading would be both up to the shooter and the cartridge.

OOPS, miscommunication I guess. I was looking for ways to improve my own reloading technique for my SxS DR and was thinking that you were suggesting that I find the answer by looking at the cowboy shooters and the way they handled their shotguns. My apologies. As you know, there have been several threads on the best (quickest) way to reload a double rifle. While the rational may well be "don't miss", there is another possibility ie. you hit, but the animal did not drop right there and is heading, wounded, for the next county. Standard procedure as I understand it is to continue shooting until the elephant, buffalo or whatever drops.
You yourself seem to consider this possibility:
"obviously, I think reloading would be a problem in the rifles for any DG use"
Peter.