I have never owned a Darne but I have handled them and they are lovely to handle. The experts here who have, have more than given a superb analysis about their qualities, something to be expected on this forum.

One US expert called them "greased lightning" some years ago, and if you can look beyond the hashed metaphor, that is the truth about them. They are unconventional and for a long time they were knocked because they were "mere boxlocks" but that hardly tells us anything. The French have a different way of doing things and that is to be welcomed. Uniformity is not a good thing.

It is a positive development IMO that Paul Bruchet and his sons were given the rights to use the Darne name after a long time. He kept the flame alive long after the Darne family had decided to get out of the business and aloso developed the double rifles AFAIK as well as designed the selective ejectors that the top grade Darnes come with these days.

Beautiful guns! If you want one, go ahead and buy it and enjoy yourself.

Good hunting!