Are French Firearms Popular in the UK?

Both Chapuis and Verney Carron have produced what looked like quite decent bolt action sporting rifles in recent years but I can never recall either of them being offered for sale here in the U.K. and I certainly can't recall any shooting magazine reviews or advertisments for these rifles.

I can't quite decide whether I like this one or not: Impact plus take down

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I mean, it has a GOLDEN BOLT! That HAS to make it more accurate, no?
 
I have both chapuis and verney carron importers within walking distance. Can't understand the issue in the UK. We have even less asterisk readers here.

OK, I'm not in the business right, so don't tear me apart, but could it possibly also be that certain distributors in the UK are just rubbish and feel no incentive to make an effort to shake up a market that they've stitched up for themselves to a satisfactory degree? It could just be that Chapuis and Verney-Carron have found it more effort than it's worth and prefer to work with Australian partners amongst other overseas opportunities. Just a possibility...
 
Oh dear PM how dare you suggest such a thing.

When I got to try out a Chapuis double rifle many moons ago at Bisley the person who owned it got it from Andersons of East Grinstead who were importing direct from Chapuis at the time.
 
I can't quite decide whether I like this one or not: Impact plus take down

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I mean, it has a GOLDEN BOLT! That HAS to make it more accurate, no?

It looked like a classy rifle I would have liked the opportunity to handle one or even better shoot one, but we never saw them in this country.

Another rifle that I would like to try is a Fabarm Iris (Italian this time not French) but I've never seen one of these on the shelves of gun shops in this country.
The big four have definitely got it sown up over here (GMK, Edgars, BWM and RUAG). It must be in the region of at least 95- 98% of firearms imports and sales that goes through these guys. They seem to impose a great deal of influence over the RFDs to the extent of limiting what's available in the market place.
 
OK, I'm not in the business right, so don't tear me apart, but could it possibly also be that certain distributors in the UK are just rubbish and feel no incentive to make an effort to shake up a market that they've stitched up for themselves to a satisfactory degree? It could just be that Chapuis and Verney-Carron have found it more effort than it's worth and prefer to work with Australian partners amongst other overseas opportunities. Just a possibility...

PM I was on the Chapuis stand at the cal game fair. There French sales manager was very helpful and explains that they import the guns directly to there approved gun dealers I think he said there were 4 of them in the UK
The price I was quoted for a SxS 9,3 was very good at the time and delivery with the rifle engraved with my choice was around 2-3mounth s.

I am now,just working on the funds to pay for it.
 
The other thing to consider is that the average UK hunter has no class. Whats the cry that go's up when someone asks what rifle to buy? Answer Tikka T3 . People who buy Chapuis have class they don't soil their gun cabinets with Remingtons and T3s. There's a nice Chapuis in my local gun shop in 9.3x74R with extra 20 bore barrels. I could be tempted.
 
The other thing to consider is that the average UK hunter has no class. Whats the cry that go's up when someone asks what rifle to buy? Answer Tikka T3 . People who buy Chapuis have class they don't soil their gun cabinets with Remingtons and T3s. There's a nice Chapuis in my local gun shop in 9.3x74R with extra 20 bore barrels. I could be tempted.

Please do not lump us altogether :( not all of us are enamoured with cheaply made bolt actions you know. I fully understand the draw of the Chapuis the SxS in 8mm that I was allowed to try out at Bisley was a wonderful piece of the gunmakers art sadly the price was beyond my pockets reach as the OTD price with scope and mount was around £4000 at the time. Mind you it was not a base model by a long chalk.
 
The other thing to consider is that the average UK hunter has no class. Whats the cry that go's up when someone asks what rifle to buy? Answer Tikka T3 . People who buy Chapuis have class they don't soil their gun cabinets with Remingtons and T3s. There's a nice Chapuis in my local gun shop in 9.3x74R with extra 20 bore barrels. I could be tempted.
Although I am American, I have to take issue with this. If it were not such a hassle to justify a license for each rifle, I suspect that many UK hunters would fill up their cabinets with a variety of rifles.

When someone is buying their first or second rifle, it is good advice to spend little money on something proven to do the job, like a Howa 1500, Tikka T3, secondhand BSA or Parker Hale, even a value like the Savage Axis or Marlin XL7. To me, it is snobbery to tell him to wait until he can afford a Sauer 202 Lux with Zeiss Diavari. Bring new shooters into the sport.

I was looking at a SxS .303 yesterday, which I missed at auction in London, for $1,100. Last weekend, I handled a Chapuis SxS just for kicks, and a Searcy in .450/400. I have owned a Holland & Holland SxS in .375, and I still own the No. 5 Enfield .303 I bought as a boy for about $12.00. Maybe its the company I keep, but when friends come over to the house, they will grab that Jungle Carbine with envy before even looking at my Sauers or Steyrs. And yes, I am very pleased with my Tikka T3 Lites, and still getting more joy every time I fire my first centerfire bought new, a Remington Model 700 ADL in .30-06, which will bust a checker offhand at 100 yards with its open sights. I wouldn't trade it for a Chapuis double.
 
Southern you have a valid point about our daft licensing system that does more to keep guns from law abiding people than criminals and without such silliness there would no doubt be more gun owners in the UK ..................... legal gun owners that is. The criminals do give a hoot for the law anyway. I would love to have a gun collection as there are just so many wonderful makes and types out there but somehow doubt that a Tikka T3 or even a Rem 700 would be included not unles I stumbled across a simply stunning example stocked up in finely firgured walnut.

Altough often plain I love the style and look of the 1920's through to the 1970's Rigbys. It seems that they are rather more embellished on their later rifles and to me it loses something. Sadly unless we move to a more enlightened country regarding firearms ownership and use the chances of my realising the dream has probably the same chance of winning the major lottery prize.
 
When you are restricted to three or four rifles, none duplicating, and are using them, it makes sense to have an all-weather rifle like a T3 Stainless in .308 , and save the nicest spot for something bought for a special trip to Africa, for example. Rifles and shotguns are tools. You can appreciate a Wetterlings axe, but also have a Fiskars with a synthetic handle for chopping out a boxwood - and appreciate them both.

I have not been to France in a long time, but there were some really nice gun shops in Paris. There were also a lot of French buying Remington 700s, pump action and autoloading rifles. A lot of the fine but unembellished stalking rifles of the 1920s and 1930s which I love, now sell for a fraction of what they would cost to build today. That is not because the British, French or Germans don't appreciate them. Some surely don't, but they just cannot own all they would like to own. Many Americans also just want plastic and stainless steel. I am glad there are rich people who had those things built, and happy today there are rich people keeping the craftsmen employed. And I am glad there are not many people competing with those of use who do appreciate a Verney-Carron.
 
. You can appreciate a Wetterlings axe, but also have a Fiskars with a synthetic handle for chopping out a boxwood - and appreciate them both.

There is only one axe worth having and thats a Gränfors Bruks. I thought you were a firearms sage but now i see you have Tikka T3s and a wetterlings axe. I see the end of the world looming :D.
 
There is only one axe worth having and thats a Gränfors Bruks. I thought you were a firearms sage but now i see you have Tikka T3s and a wetterlings axe. I see the end of the world looming :D.

The handle on the Fiskars 36-inch splitting axe is made of the same plastic composite as the stock on the Tikka T3 Lite, so I just had to buy it.

I have all kinds of good axes and hatchets, but always want another. Do the French make a good axe?
 
:lol: the only axe we have was my Grandfathers and has an old English broad bladed head and a proper wood shaft/handle. That is not as old as the head as it got wood wormed many years ago. Seeing as how the French have been harvesting good Walnut amongst other woods we can only assume they know how to make and use a good axe. It is not something I have given much thought to really.
 
The handle on the Fiskars 36-inch splitting axe is made of the same plastic composite as the stock on the Tikka T3 Lite, so I just had to buy it.

I have all kinds of good axes and hatchets, but always want another. Do the French make a good axe?

They used to make quite a good guillotin blade so they may make a good axe.
 
My old French darne R16 in action. I sold it because they are not the easiest to break down which is what I needed for transport, so I ended up with a beretta silver pigeon - again.

 
Interesting action on that shotgun. Will have to go and google it now to learn more.

Just did a bit of web surfing and it seem they also made a rifle version...... Thank you once again.
 
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Not sure I could afford a rifle action but they are out there! Personally I like the Charlin as it seems to have bearings which make the sliding breech smoother when you close it bit its a bit heavier on the action too. Its very light shotgun weighing in at only 2.9kg for a 28" model.
 
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