Cabalero Chuck Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I found this link to an article that was actually quite enlightening. Having intensely read and studied CAS gun subjects since the first of this year I thought that all of the affordable shotguns available were adequately covered. Well, I guess not. Now,I'm betting that they aren't making containerfulls of coach guns, and it might be sacriligeous to go lopping off excess barrel length and all, but I thought I read that full length barrels aren't really that much of a hindrance. Then again, just the other day someone s amongst us was touting that tailoring a gun to one's needs & preferences was actually a trait that carries over from our beloved Wild West era. So go ahead, shorten some barrels, trim the butt stocks. Why not? There is a description of the (mostly) 19th century factory where these are produced in France that is surprising. Here, read for yourself... http://www.gundigest.com/gun-digest-classics-articles/the-darne-gun?et_mid=506604&rid=56740983 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Didn't know they still made them. I almost bought one in 1960. My Dad had a gun shop and someone brought one in to see if he could sell or trade it. Had a really nice piece of french walnut and some small amount of engraving, a really pretty gun. We worked out a trade and I took the gun to the trap range and shot it. I just couldn't get used to the different style of breaking open the gun. Didn't take long to sell as I remember. Wish I'd have bought it as it handled really nice, had great balance. As I look back, with a little getting used to the action, should have been a great field gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardin Morningwood Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Nice article though I doubt anyone would be cutting down one to "Coach" length since a quick search didn't find one for less than 1,100.00 and many in the 3k-5k range. Interesting how it say's it will fully extract spent shells but only partially extracts unfired...it's a "Smart Gun". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddnews SASS# 24779 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 My brother owns one -- a very lightweight and nice handling double, but the pull-open action feels very strange until you get used to it. A little pricey to be bobbing for CAS though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Then again, just the other day someone s amongst us was touting that tailoring a gun to one's needs & preferences was actually a trait that carries over from our beloved Wild West era. Yeah, but I guarantee you that most shotguns in the Old West were used to fill the pot, not guard coaches. Long barreled shotguns are much better for shooting down a bird on the wing or a rabbit at full tilt than short barreled shotguns are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olen Rugged Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 And I thought a hammered double was a beast to manage at speed! Olen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I had a college room mate whose father was in the USAF. He had been stationed in France with some advisory unit in the early sixties (before the French government invited us to leave) and he brought back a Darne. A bit of a learning cycle, but it handled well. Very well made gun. I wasn't aware they were still being made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 A "coach gun" had a long barrel, period. I've researched this on and off for several years and have yet to find one single verifiable original picture or print of a short barreled "coach gun". THIS was more typical. Hard to tell if THESE GUARDS have shotguns or rifles, but they definitely aren't short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Hacker, #60477 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 A "coach gun" had a long barrel, period. I've researched this on and off for several years and have yet to find one single verifiable original picture or print of a short barreled "coach gun". You should have kept looking. This is about as verified as you can get. http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/remcclellen/4378939671_c48a970cc4_o.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 You should have kept looking. This is about as verified as you can get. http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/remcclellen/4378939671_c48a970cc4_o.jpg Let 'er buck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Coop SASS 5791 L Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Yeah, but I guarantee you that most shotguns in the Old West were used to fill the pot, not guard coaches. Long barreled shotguns are much better for shooting down a bird on the wing or a rabbit at full tilt than short barreled shotguns are. Howdy DJ, A few years back CAS participant Appalachia Annie (my wife Annie) and I went on a Chukkar/Pheasant hunt here in central PA. I used my Mossberg 500 pump. Annie, although having her own Mossberg 500 pump, opted to use her Stoeger 12 GA SxS 20" bbl coach gun, because she was more comfortable with it, after years of CAS competitions. Indeed, she harvested a number of Chukkars and Pheasants with that coach gun. Annie has always said, "my Stoeger coach gun has always been very easy to handle, very easy to point, and it shoots exactly where I aim it". She also typically beats me in trap shooting competition on a regular basis, even when shooting our Mossbergs. Then again, she had a great shotgun shooting teacher back in 2000 at the CAS Susquehanna Roundup that year. His name was Joe Bowman, and spent about a half hour, (first asking permission from me "to speak with my wife"), working with her on her shotgunning techniques, and coaching her. After that, I've never bested her on trap and skeet shooting. You go girl <<GGG>>. Chicken Coop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 You should have kept looking. This is about as verified as you can get. http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/remcclellen/4378939671_c48a970cc4_o.jpg Yes, but that's not a coach gun. It's a hearse gun. I spared you the "hearse of a different color" quip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 A pard name of Homer Suggs has one of them French shotguns. It is a bit odd with the sliding action, but operates quite slick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 You should have kept looking. This is about as verified as you can get. http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd29/remcclellen/4378939671_c48a970cc4_o.jpg I guess I don't get it... how is a doctored still shot from an old movie verifiable historical proof of coach guns originally being short barreled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylie Harp, #21158L Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 A "coach gun" had a long barrel, period. I've researched this on and off for several years and have yet to find one single verifiable original picture or print of a short barreled "coach gun". THIS was more typical. Hard to tell if THESE GUARDS have shotguns or rifles, but they definitely aren't short. You are absolutely correct, J Bar This photo is from U.S. West, The Saga of Wells Fargo by Beebe & Chegg. It clearly shows how long the barrels on coach guns really were: Click ~:Wylie:~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I guess I don't get it... how is a doctored still shot from an old movie verifiable historical proof of coach guns originally being short barreled? J Bar - That's the point, although jokes seem to loose something with explanation. CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairshake Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Three of my Mother's brothers served in WW11 and all of them were in the European theater. My uncle was with Patton and I could never get too much from him. He brought two guns back some how. One was a MP 40 and the other was a Darne. I remember the times he would allow me to hold the Darne, as it was a very well made and sleek type of shotgun. He left it to his grandson when he passed away in 1982. I have never found out where it is AS I TRIED MORE THAN ONCE TO BUY IT. If you see one up close the craftsmen ship is so much better than guns made now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild John Scattershot #984 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I agree with BOTH J Bar Binks and Mack Hacker ... yes, it is "as verified as you can get". After seeing several old photos posted here, it is clear that the guards on old-west stage coaches and freight carriers USED LONG-BARREL SHOTGUNS. And why not? Would you want to wait until a shooter got within range of a short barrel shotgun? And after seeing the black & white photo of Yul Brynner posing with the guy with the short barrel shotgun ...> IT SEEMS "VERIFIED" THAT THE SHORT BARREL SHOTGUN (as a defensive weapon on stage coaches) WAS ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD INVENTION. Thanks to all who posted pics. best regards to all, Scattershot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Hacker, #60477 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I agree with BOTH J Bar Binks and Mack Hacker ... yes, it is "as verified as you can get". Bingo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Hombre #23212 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Would that be classified as double or a pump!! Or Both BH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Junky Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Those long bbl guns do make more sense in the open range......but for SASS (as much as I hate to say this) I'm gonna' have to go with Holloywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairshake Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Wild John, I can't believe you can't call out the name of "THAT GUY" with Yul. How about STEVE MCQUEEN one of the greatest actors of all time. The motorcycle jump in the Great Escape was done by him and no stunt man. On the barrels of shotguns, I think that you will find that both were used by the guards.It was the preference of the guard.Most shotguns of the times were offered with 26 inch barrels as the shortest but in my child hood I saw more than one old shotgun that had the barrels cut back. In fact I watched as two old doubles were chopped off. The reason given was for a door gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 A "coach gun" had a long barrel, period. I've researched this on and off for several years and have yet to find one single verifiable original picture or print of a short barreled "coach gun". THIS was more typical. That poor fella's in a world o' hurt there... but at least the scenery's purty! Uh... Fairshake, that jump was performed by Bud Ekins... look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang, SASS #53480 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I guess I don't get it... how is a doctored still shot from an old movie verifiable historical proof of coach guns originally being short barreled? I think she was funnin' you If it appears in a photo with Yull Brenner then it must be coo-rect ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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