Darne R-17

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by KCordell

How can you tell the date of manufacture?

I found this site http://www.gournetusa.com/darne04.htm which had this chart. Also found a site that has manufacturers owners manuals for many extinct guns and picked up one for the Darne for the 1962-68 era. http://www.cornellpubs.com/index.php

SERIAL NUMBER FOR AFFIXED BARREL MODEL R V P & HS (Many Exceptions Occur)

0-50000:up to 1910, one piece stock

A001,A002...A999,B001...Z999:1910-1925

AA001,AA002...BB001...ZZ999:1926-1935

3A001,3A002...3B001...3Z999:1935-1948

4A001,4A002...4B001...:1949-1955

4Z 1955-1952

5A001...5Z999:1962-1968 Mine is 5T264 so it fits in this range

6A...1968-1974

7A...1974-1978

8A...up to 8F 1978

8G Bruchet

8F890...8G204 1981-2004

[Kevin McCormack]

I had a Darne R-15 28 ga. that I bought from Steve Barnett about 8-10 years ago, one of the most exotic guns I ever owned. When my great English setter "Smoke" ate some hard plastic refuse in the woods and needed abdominal surgery, I agonized over whether he would even survive the anesthesia let alone the surgery at 15 yrs. old, let alone the cost of the operation (approx. $4K). I thought about all the great hunts we had in spooky, secret woodcock covers, and took the plunge. I sold the gun, he survived, and lived to hunt another full season before a cancerous tumor took him out. Best deal I ever made.

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Kevin McCormack

I sold the gun, he survived, and lived to hunt another full season before a cancerous tumor took him out. Best deal I ever made.

Flesh and bone beats wood and steel hands down. A gun for a gun dog seems a proper trade. Pretty sure we all would do whatever we could for our gun dogs who are such an integral part of what we do and who we are. My hat's off to you Kevin. Regards, Jack