france | Dogs and Doubles

12g Verney-Carron Sidelock Ejector Double Barrel Shotgun

Price and quality aren’t always linked together in the gun world. You can pay a lot for a mediocre shotgun, and you can pay a little to get a great double. The little/great scenario is the case with this 12 gauge sidelock side-by-side by Verney-Carron. At just $1,795, it looks like top quality at a rock-bottom price.

Verney-Carron is one of Europe’s oldest gunmakers. Founded in 1820, they’re one of few old-school, Euro makers around today. The reason for this longevity is simple: they make nice guns.

The shotgun pictured here is a true sidelock and it also has ejectors. The 27″ barrels are made of Verney-Carron’s top grade “Acier Diamant” (Diamond Steel), and the shotgun is stocked with a nice piece of walnut. Best of all, it weighs just 6 3/4 lbs – just right for an all around game gun.

So why is it so cheap? In France, shooters know and respect the Verney-Carron name. Over here, that’s not true. And because most guys buy names, shotguns by unknown makers are hard to sell (and cheap to buy).

BTW: check out this video on gunmaking from Verney-Carron. It’s a fascinating look at how much time and skill goes into a quality double-barrel rifle and shotgun.

Pointing Dogs: Volume One, The Continentals

The story of pointing dogs is full of half truths, distortions, and outright lies. Craig Koshyk has dedicated thousands of hours separating fact from fiction, and he put it all together in his excellent book Pointing Dogs: Volume One, The Continentals.

Here’s the intro:

“The French revolution began in 1789. When it was Over 11 years later, Napoleon was in power and nearly every aspect of French life, including hunting and dog breeding, had changed forever. Some of the changes were positive. The revolution had given the average French citizen the right to hunt. But for the dogs kept in the kennels  of aristocrats, the revolution spelled disaster. Many were slaughtered outright and others were stolen, but most were simply released to roam the countryside….”

You can read the rest of the story here, in The History of Pointing Dogs Part 2: Progress. And you can read part 1 of the story here.

Tag Archive for 'france'

Good Gun Alert: a 12g Verney-Carron sidelock shotgun…

Where Pointers Come from, Part 2…