Armurerie Darne

Heirs to the highest traditions of the gun-making craft, Hervé Bruchet ensures the continuity, in the most modern of forms, of the famous Darne company founded in 1881 in Saint Etienne by Régis Darne.
After its formation, Darne rapidly became one of the leading figures in Stéphanoise gun-making. It was renowned for its famous fixed-barrel sporting guns, fitted with a sliding breech block and a tilt lever locking mechanism.
Popular with its users for the elegance of its lines, its perfect balance, the reliability of its mechanism, its ballistic performance and refined finishings, the Darne sporting gun is a high-class hunting gun.
In 1915, Darne was contracted to manufacture Lewis aircraft machine guns under licence, and initially produced five per day. However, its production capacity increased, and by the end of hostilities, Darne had produced 3,266 machine guns. The armistice of 11 November 1918 resulted in the termination of the contract, but Darne was invited to continue to develop its machine guns with a view to improving their performance. From 1918 to the mid 1930s, Darne manufactured approximately 11,000 machine guns, which were sold in many countries. This “munitions” business ended with the onset of World War II.

Bought in 2013 by the FORT ROYAL arts and crafts group, the new company was renamed "Société nouvelle des Armes Darne" (the New Darne Gun-making Company) and continues to be headed by Hervé Bruchet in the purest tradition of craftsmanship, providing its customers with all of the experience and know-how acquired in the Darne workshops manufacturing the famous models of R and V juxtaposed sporting guns and rifles, as well as a number of models of superposed hunting guns, with the Blitz system and the side locks. The name Bruchet, permanently associated with that of Darne, is now featured on the barrels next to the latter.

Darne firearms are entirely constructed to your specifications. Each gun is given customised finishing in accordance with the preferences of the buyer, who selects the engravings, the shape and the wood for the stock. Each weapon is therefore unique.