Darne R11
- Category
- Shotgun
- Barrel
- 686 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.68 kg
- Introduced
- 1945
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Darne R11 is a French side-by-side double-barreled shotgun built on Régis Darne's distinctive fixed-barrel sliding breech action. Rather than a barrel that tips down to open, the R11 uses a top lever that unlocks and slides the breech block rearward to expose the chambers, a design first patented in 1897. Part of the post-war R-series (grades R10 through R17), the R11 was a mid-grade boxlock-style hammerless game gun chambered in 12 gauge, with monobloc steel barrels, twin triggers, and a hand-engraved action. It was prized by upland hunters for its light weight, low profile, and fast, smooth operation.
Régis Darne introduced his sliding breech action in Saint-Étienne in 1897, breaking with the tip-down break action that dominated double guns. The system became a French commercial success and remained in production through several generations of Darne guns, with the R-series representing the company's classic post-war line.
The R-series grade number indicates the level of engraving and finish; R10 to R12 carried a XX proof rating while R13 to R17 carried XXX. Individual guns were largely hand-finished, so barrel length and weight varied between examples.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Darne
- Category
- Shotgun
- Country
- France
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1945 to 1979
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 686 mm
- Overall length
- 1145 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.68 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Internal hammer
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 2
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 400 m/s
- Effective range
- 40 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Sliding breech action
Monobloc barrels
Double trigger
Side by side barrels
Fixed chokes
Hand engraving
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 622 12 Gauge shotguns | 2.68 kg | 3.29 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 570 12 Gauge shotguns | 1145 mm | 1150 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 650 12 Gauge shotguns | 686 mm | 711 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 647 12 Gauge shotguns | 2 | 3 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Darne R11
How much does the Darne R11 weigh?
The Darne R11 weighs 2.68 kg (5.91 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Darne R11?
The Darne R11 is chambered in 12 Gauge.
How many rounds does the Darne R11 hold?
The Darne R11 holds 2 rounds.
How long is the Darne R11?
The Darne R11 is 1145 mm (45.1 in) long overall, with a 686 mm (27.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Darne R11?
The Darne R11 is made by Darne (France). It was designed by Régis Darne.
When was the Darne R11 introduced?
The Darne R11 was introduced in 1945 and discontinued in 1979.
How does the Darne R11 operate?
The Darne R11 uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is internal hammer.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/darne-r11' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "darne-r11", "name": "Darne R11", "manufacturer": { "id": "darne", "name": "Darne", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": 1881, "website": "https://www.fusildarne.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "7d636c71a810ac9957e60cd8905447d57c0582f22e8ed5ee8b1df614c463e6fd" }, "category": { "id": "shotgun", "name": "Shotgun", "description": "Smoothbore firearms designed to fire shot or slugs" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 1945, "barrel_length_mm": 686, "weight_empty_g": 2680, "action_type": "break_action"}