A very warm welcome to Heritage Guns

We are dedicated to the restoration of fine shotguns and their accessories. Using a finely balanced combination of traditional and modern techniques and materials, we work tirelessly to bring these beautiful examples of true craftsmanship back to full working condition.

 

Upcoming Shows

The Southern Side by Side Championship & Exhibition 23rd to 26th April, 2026 Venue: Deep River Sporting Clays, Sanford NC. This is really the premier, dedicated S/S show in the USA and we will have our usual booth in the sponsors tent, exhibiting some of our stock. Bob Nay of MacNab Fine Firearms and J-P Daeschler of John Dickson & Son, whose booths bracket mine, will be there also. If you have been before, you will know that a single day wouldn't do it justice so try and make the whole weekend. Click below for more details.

 

 

Some Recent Additions To Our Stock List

This gun is a very fine example of the rare and famous round action shotguns for which James MacNaughton is renowned. One does not have to look very hard to appreciate the loveliness of this gun. Complete with replacement steel barrels by John Dickson & Son and beautiful original wood of excellent dimensions, this is a very desirable gun. What is really interesting about the round-action design is that although Dickson is synonymous with the action type, it was actually patented and first used in the UK by MacNaughton. It was then copied by Dickson which apparently caused some friction between the two Edinburgh gunmakers, although it never came to court and a private settlement is thought most likely. However, the cocking slide and so called ‘gear rods’ are a Dickson patent and were duly copied by MacNaughton: what goes around, comes around! Our sensitive restoration of this rare gun. excellent stock dimensions and fine nitro proofed replacement barrels make it a very useable, pretty and collectable gun for any connoisseur of Scottish gunmaking. Presented in a contemporary leather case, which has antique reinforcing on edges and corners, relined in all wool burgundy baize and fitted with a reproduction Maker’s trade label and some accessories. Click here for full details.
John Rigby, grandson to the company’s founder of the same name, opened a shop in London in 1866 and proceeded to become a world famous gunmaker. It is not often appreciated that Rigby’s reputation was built to a large extent on superb single and double rifles, competing in rifle matches being a very great enthusiasm of the principles. However, their shotguns were not an afterthought and when the new .303 rifles superseded the larger calibres, the production of fine shotguns became more important to the firm. The gun we have here is a fine example of this change in emphasis to shotgun production, featuring their famous ‘Rising Bite’ patent and very individually shaped lock plates. Interestingly, Rigby went with a rather different ‘interceptor’ safety mechanism from the rest of the London trade, using a rotating blocking piece, located behind the standing breech that is actuated by the cocking lever and lifted by the safety slide. It would appear that this gun was made out of sequence, perhaps to pair with No.1, as although the number dates it to 1880-85, the ejector mechanism was only patented in 1887. Our sensitive restoration of this gun, its excellent stock dimensions and fine nitro proofed damascus barrels make it a very useable, pretty and collectable gun for any connoisseur of London gunmaking. Presented in an oak and leather case with original red baize lining and fitted with a reproduction Maker’s trade label and some accessories. For full details, click here.
Holland & Holland records show that this gun was finished in 1887 as one of a pair and it is a spectacular example of Holland & Holland's 'flag ship' gun. Made as a non-ejector, it was converted to ejector in the early C20th with a Deeley ejector box, tripped by slides pinned to the tumblers, all of which has been very beautifully finished. The new chopperlump barrels were fitted in 2003 and we suspect that the fabulous new stock and forend were executed at the same time. The locks are very interesting as they exhibit the earlier method of securing the mainspring: a collar at the front of the lock bar and the top limb of the spring riding on a recessed roller, cut into the tumbler anvil, hence no locating pin. 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 ‘Light Navy’ all-wool baize, equipped with some accessories and fitted with a reproduction Maker’s label. For more details on this lovely gun, click here!