Chapuis Armes Oural Exel

     Notes: Chapuis Armes is a maker of premier break-open sporting arms in France – all of its weapons are more or less “deluxe.”  The Oural Exal is a boxlock-type weapon with a Monte Carlo cheekpiece.  The pistol grip and handguard are both checkered.  The trigger is normally a single trigger, but a set trigger-equipped rifle is also available.  The Oural Exal is typically finished with elaborate scrollwork on the receiver.  There are two even more elaborately-finished versions: the Oural Luxe has special individually-signed scrollwork (usually a scene of game animals); the Oural Elite has additional sideplate area to allow more elaborate artwork on the receiver (usually tailored to the buyer), and only the finest walnut woodwork.  All are topped with a 1.5-6x42 Zeiss scope as standard.

Chapuis Armes Progress Ugex

     Notes: This is basically a double-barreled version of the Oural Exal.  There are several variants, all beautiful weapons: the standard Progress Ugex, the Progress Brousse big game rifle; the Progress Hgex, a slightly lighter model with exhibition-quality artwork; the Progress Rgex, with the additional chambering of .300 Winchester Magnum; and a variety of “super deluxe” models with increasingly fancy artwork, woods, and/or different scenes on the receiver.  All these rifles come with the same scope as the Oural Exal.

Chapuis Armes Super Orion

     Notes: This is an over-and-under version of the Progress Ugex, with the addition of a recoil pad on the butt and the option of a shorter barrel.  The standard version (C-5) has no automatic case ejection, but does have a double trigger so both barrels may be fired at once.  Variants include the C-10, identical except for automatic case ejection; the C-15, a deluxe version; the C-25 (even more deluxe), the C-115 Artisan (even more deluxe than the C-25), the C-125 Artisan (different artwork, but just as deluxe as the C-115); the Excellence (almost top of the line); and the Prestige (the absolute premier rifle of the series).  All these rifles are identical for game purposes, and come with the same scope as the Oural Exal.

Manufrance Buffalo

     Notes: This is a basic rifle chambered for an unusual cartridge.  Hundreds of thousands of them were built over a 77-year period starting in 1900.  It is a very basic rifle, with a straight stock without a pistol grip in its base version (the Model 602).  The Models 608 and 614 are deluxe versions of the 602.  The Buffalo-Champion is a larger version, also made in versions firing other (though small-caliber) cartridges, and with a micro-adjustable rear sight, pistol-gripped stock, and spurred buttplate.  The Buffalo-Eureka is a double rifle combination gun.  The Buffalo Federale (Model 724) is a target rifle with a heavy barrel with a sighting rib and competition sights.  The Buffalo Match is another target rifle, better in quality than the Federale, with micro-adjustable sights.  The Buffalo Junior is a “youth rifle,” for new or young shooters.  The Buffalo-Mittraille is a triple-barreled rifle, enclosed in a large barrel shroud; it comes in a pre-World War 2 and post-World War 2 version, and when it is fired, all three rounds are fired at once (triple the recoil).  The Buffalo-Slave fired pistol ammunition, and is not actually a small-caliber rifle in the usual sense; it is included here for completeness.  The Buffalo-Sport comes in two versions, the Model 710 and 716, and could fire several different types of .22 rimfire ammunition interchangeably.  The Buffalo-Super-Champion could also fire the .22 Extra Long cartridge, and was regarded as the best of the Buffalo line; it has a set trigger, a palm rest below the receiver, a Lyman aperture sight, and could mount a bipod.

Manufrance Express

     Notes: These are high-powered double rifles manufactured for big game hunting in the 1930s.  They fire large cartridges and are massive weapons.  Each barrel has its own hammer and trigger, and the spent cases have automatic ejection.  The stocks have pistol-grip wrists and the sights are elaborate leaf sights.  The receiver normally has elaboarate artwork engraved on it.  The Express Ideal has somewhat shorter barrels.

Manufrance Populaire

     Notes: Built by the hundreds of thousands since shortly before World War 2, the Populaire was originally chambered for the eccentric 9mm Flobert rimfire shotshell cartridge.  Later versions, such as the Populaire Junior, were chambered for the anemic 6mm Rimfire Shotshell cartridge.  Another version, the Populaire Scolaire, was intended for cadet training and fired either .22 Extra Short or 6mm Rimfire.  The Populaire-Sport fired only .22 Extra Short at first; later, this was changed to 6mm Rimfire.  These are all lightweight, simple weapons.

Unique T-2000

     This rifle replaced the T-66 series in production, and is in fact a modernized T-66.  It has a flat-bottomed receiver and a fully adjustable trigger, along with an adjustable cheekpiece, adjustable buttplate, and an accessory rail in the fore-end.  The sights are aperture competition sights.  Variants include the T-2000 Free Rifle, which has an astounding 710mm heavy barrel, and a hook for the buttplate.  The T-2000 Free Rifle, Lightweight is similar, but uses a fluted barrel to reduce weight. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These weapons do not exist.