Holland & Holland, 98 New Bond Street, London
12 bore 'Royal’ Bar Action, Sidelock Ejector
No. 12860

Date of manufacture: 1891

   

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Heritage Guns' Comment

Holland & Holland records show that this gun was finished in 1891 for ‘Dodd’ and is a very lovely example of Holland & Holland's 'flag ship' gun. The original Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel barrels have survived the intervening years brilliantly and were specified with cylinder chokes but a little choke has been added over the years in the left barrel.
There is considerable original hardening colour on lockplates and parts of the action.
The highly figured restock is thought to be quite recent and although we have no indication of just when it was done, the head of the stock is stamped ‘AWR’ which might help in tracking down the stocker and his records. The stocking is the work of a very skilled craftsman and this leads one to assume that the work was done by a stocker with considerable experience of H&H stocks, maybe even an ex-H&H worker. The gun balances almost exactly on the knuckle.
With its excellent weight and balance, interceptor sears, fine stock and barrel dimensions, this gun would make a superb target or game gun for the discerning shooter.
Presented in a contemporary leather & brass case, relined with ‘Rifle Green’ baize, equipped with some accessories and fitted with the Gunmakers’ labels.

Tremendous value at only $13200

On Consignment in USA with MacNab Fine Firearms



The action is of combined Holland & Robertson design and features:
Rounded action bar;
Baraction, 'Dip Edge', 9 pin locks with bolstered tumbler pivots and gold washed tumblers;
‘Block Patent Safety' interceptor sears;
Double triggers bolted by an automatic top tang safety slide;
Breech face 'Patent Gas Check';
Top lever operating a 'Purdey Bolt' by way of a 'Scott Spindle';
Top rib extension providing a 3rd bite;
Holland & Robertson's patent ejector
and Anson's push rod forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 11oz. 
Engraving style
Best Bold Foliate Scroll. Under-bar engraved ‘ROYAL EJECTOR PATENT NO. 11623’. Top lever engraved ‘PATENT EJECTOR’. Gold inlaid ‘SAFE’.
Beaded fences. Breech face stamped ‘PATENT GAS CHECK No 4267’.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ¾ lbs Rear trigger 4 ½ lbs.
The Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel barrels are 30" in length, chambered for 2 ½ " (65mm) cartridges and are of chopperlump construction with soft soldered ribs. 
Top rib
is of smooth, concave game type.
Birmingham reproof
for 65mm nitro powder cartridges 1968.

Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:

 
Nominal Proof Size
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
Minimum Wall Thickness
Choke Constriction
Right Barrel
0.729"
0.732+"
0.026"
Cyl
Left Barrel
0.729"
0.732"
0.021"
0.007" (IC)

Replacement Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut.
The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed shot, features a vacant white metal oval, well defined drop points and is finished with a 1” leather covered recoil pad. There is a wood inlet to a shake near the oval.
The forend is fitted with a finely engraved steel forend tip and diamond.

Highly Figured Walnut

The 24 lines per inch chequering has been freshened to normal sidelock pattern.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based preparation as used on best guns by one of the top English makers. This finish uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre, only many hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.


Approximate stock measurements
at date of publication:

Pull to Heel
Pull to Bump
Pull to Centre
Pull to Toe
15 1/4"
15 3/8"
15 3/8"
15 3/4"
Drop at Comb
Drop at Face
Drop at Heel
1 1/2"
1 3/4"
2 3/8"
Cast at Comb
Cast at Heel
3/16" approx.
3/8" approx.

For the purposes of these measurements, 'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8" from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).

Patents Exhibited include:
Scott's gas check patent no. 617 of 1882;
Needham & Hinton interceptor sears patent no. 706 of 1879;
 Holland & Robertson's ejector patent no. 11623 of 1887;
 'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863;
'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865;
 Scott's top extension patent no. 1902 of 1875;
 Anson’s forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.