Verney Carron going under!

[SRvet]

Sadly I have heard from another forum that they have gone bust. I have no further details.

 

[KJE81]

I really hope that they will still honor their commitment to those that have custom orders not yet finished with the firm.

One of the oldest arms companies in France went bankrupt because of Ukraine: EADaily

EADaily, February 12th, 2025. The French arms company Verney-Carron, established more than 200 years ago, announced the termination of payments to employees and launched a bankruptcy case, one of the reasons for this was the breakdown of a contract with a Ukrainian company worth € 36 million.

eadaily.com

 

[BeeMaa]

I really hope that they will still honor their commitment to those that have custom orders not yet finished with the firm.

One of the oldest arms companies in France went bankrupt because of Ukraine: EADaily

EADaily, February 12th, 2025. The French arms company Verney-Carron, established more than 200 years ago, announced the termination of payments to employees and launched a bankruptcy case, one of the reasons for this was the breakdown of a contract with a Ukrainian company worth € 36 million.

eadaily.com

I hope so for the sake of the people who have placed their orders, however I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. Their recent track record for even simple warranty claims has been a nightmare for the owners.

 

[uplander01]

This will not be the last European manufacturer of boutique type firearms we will see go under in the near future, IMO. Many of them have been teetering on the brink for a while now. The only thing that has been saving some of them is getting bought up by billionaire conglomerates.

 

[Bandera]

Sadly there are a lot of small arms companies that bet the future of the company on military contracts.
Also interesting that some companies continue to produce products at a loss. Not a sustainable business model.

 

[baxterb]

Sadly there are a lot of small arms companies that bet the future of the company on military contracts.

Was going to say the same thing. I’ve known a few gun folks whose sole interest was making the ‘next best thing’ for some military somewhere.

 

[analog_peninsula]

This sounds very similar to the problems Colt experienced a few years back.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

No double rifle for me! Iv'e got a half built verney double going cheap, any takers?

 

[rookhawk]

I hate to see anyone forced out of the marketplace because competition makes everyone better.

I’ve never taken a VC apart so I don’t know how proprietary they are, but let’s hope they are simple A&D boxlock, HH 7-pins, and south gate ejectors. Any good smith can keep those in service for a century.

 

[KJE81]

I hate to see anyone forced out of the marketplace because competition makes everyone better.

I’ve never taken a VC apart so I don’t know how proprietary they are, but let’s hope they are simple A&D boxlock, HH 7-pins, and south gate ejectors. Any good smith can keep those in service for a century.

If they still have this kind of special locking lugs I'd say that they are very proprietary.

 

[Russ16]

If they still have this kind of special locking lugs I'd say that they are very proprietary.
View attachment 664941

The lugs aren’t what needs to be worked on. The internal springs etc. are what you worry about.

 

[rookhawk]

If they still have this kind of special locking lugs I'd say that they are very proprietary.
View attachment 664941

It might be better, it might be worse, I cannot speak to the technology. I can say that when you go outside of normal, the finest gunsmiths in the world don’t want to fix your guns. Bolt guns better be Mausers and their derivatives, shotguns/DRs better be A&D, HH7-pin, and south gate ejectors. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to get service.

I’m sorry for anyone that made deposits. Being an EU/French company, there may be legal protections that result in a refund versus a US bankruptcy you’d likely be SOL. Might be worth identifying the receivership and asking for your money back or to get on a creditor’s list to maintain a claim.

 

[rookhawk]

I asked the US agent, Rod Coons to join the thread if he can share any details about guns in progress, refunds, or whether another firm will finish guns mid-production. Let’s hope he joins to share facts.

 

[Tom Leoni]

As someone who manages another French brand (Chapuis), I had heard that already months ago. It appears that management has decided to focus on military/defense and abandon the production of sporting rifles. I have found this extremely disconcerting, since I know the quality of the rifles they manufactured and the dedicated following Verney Carron has rightfully gained among double rifle aficionados. Sad news indeed.

I would be surprised if a time-honored brand like this wouldn't honor the open orders they still have with customers.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Didn't receive their Biden-Harris payments??!

 

[C.W. Richter]

'Not familiar with international bankruptcy laws, but most involve NOT having to pay off small creditors ($10K gun vs. $100K or $1M materials order, utility companies, law firms, accounting firms, vehicles, machinery suppliers, back taxes.) IF it's belly-up I'd venture to guess that people would NOT be paid (unless their finances can support it after going through the courts.) IF re-organization, and the torch is carried forward by the proud new owners (banks, investors) you might just get your money back. 'Been there many times in business (and somehow always managed to get paid, as I was a professional that assessed the environmental conditions and estimated cleanup liabilities, for all the other professionals involved to make financial decisions going forward.)

 

[Doug3006]

As someone who manages another French brand (Chapuis), I had heard that already months ago. It appears that management has decided to focus on military/defense and abandon the production of sporting rifles. I have found this extremely disconcerting, since I know the quality of the rifles they manufactured and the dedicated following Verney Carron has rightfully gained among double rifle aficionados. Sad news indeed.

I would be surprised if a time-honored brand like this wouldn't honor the open orders they still have with customers.

Same decision William M. Keys made when he was president of Colt. They put all of their eggs in the military basket. They still made guns for the consumer market, but put nothing into their commercial lines. Reliability problems with the M4 and a winding down of US wars in the Middle East lost them their contracts with the government. They chapter 11’d and were eventually bought by CZ. Having one, big customer can be a problem.

 

[Excessexpress]

That’s quite a distressing development. Hopefully they can be reconstituted or similar. Their bespoke guns were quite well made, but their production guns were, in my view, quite underrated.

 

[One Day...]

If they still have this kind of special locking lugs I'd say that they are very proprietary.
View attachment 664941

It might be better, it might be worse, I cannot speak to the technology...

The selling argument for the Verney Carron action, which is nothing but the Demas action (Verney Carron purchased Demas in 2004) is to have 3 lugs. On the surface, 3 lugs sounds stronger than 2 lugs, right?

The reality however, is that the Demas/Verney Carron 3 lugs action is not wider nor heavier than any classic 2 lugs action, therefore the question becomes: what is bigger: 2x3 or 3x2? What I mean is that there is no transcendental difference in bearing surfaces or material strength between a 3 lugs action and a 2 lugs action of similar dimensions and mass, it is just that the approximately same material mass is divided in 2 bigger lugs or 3 smaller lugs... In any case, if there is a quantum leap in strength, it failed to be revealed by various tests and it failed to catch wide interest...

Post WWII Verney Carron reached a certain proeminence in France by introducing the Sagittaire, the first mass-produced French over-and-under shotgun, in 1966. And a good shotgun it was. I remember my youth in the French Alps, anyone who could afford one got one. I actually learned shotgunning on one and have fond memories. No amount of snow, ice, sleet, dust, mud, or banging on rocks could prevent a Sagittaire from closing, going bang, downing a brace of chukars, opening, ejecting, and doing it again, and again, and again...

Verney Carron has on and off teetered on the verge of financial solvability for many decades. It was first saved in the 1980's by a large military contract to manufacture parts for the FAMAS French bullpup 5.56 military issue rifle - and a good rifle this too was - and this contract allowed the retooling of the company and the subsidizing of the development of new civilian rifles and shotguns, including a light weight alloy receiver Sagittaire that was quite successful.

There is no question regarding the quality of the rifles and shotguns produced by L'Atelier Verney-Carron Demas Artisan in the last two decades but there have been recurring questions about its economic viability. I guess that the response has been provided, sadly...

 

[Green Chile]

Sorry to see this development. Another casualty of the war. I really enjoyed my VC double rifle in 500NE, which has gone on to do more ele hunts as it should.