31-Jul-2026
Few names in the shooting world carry the weight of Holland & Holland. Alongside Purdey and Boss, the London gunmaker sits at the very top of the English gun trade, a maker whose shotguns are bought as much for their craftsmanship and heritage as for the seasons of sport they deliver. If you have been searching for a Holland & Holland shotgun, you are looking at one of the soundest purchases in the gun world, provided you know what you are buying and why. This guide walks through the marque’s history, the models you will encounter on the second-hand market, what drives values, and the checks worth making before you commit.
A short history of Holland & Holland
Harris Holland founded the business in London in 1835, initially as a gunmaker catering to the sporting gentry, and his nephew Henry Holland later joined to create the partnership name we know today. Over the following century, the firm built its reputation on two fronts: best-quality shotguns for driven game shooting, and rifles for big game; the company’s cartridge developments, including the celebrated .375 H&H Magnum, remain in worldwide use today.
For shotgun buyers, the marque’s defining contribution is the self-opening sidelock ejector that reached its mature form in the Royal model. The Royal’s action has been refined rather than reinvented for over a century, a testament to how right the original design was. Holland & Holland remains an active gunmaker with its factory in London, still building guns to order, which matters to buyers: the company can service, restore and authenticate its own historic output.
The models you will see on the market
The Royal side-by-side is the flagship, a self-opening sidelock built in 12, 16, 20, 28 bore and .410, and the gun most people picture when they think of the marque. Pre-owned Royals span everything from Edwardian examples with damascus-era heritage to modern guns barely run in, and condition and originality matter far more than age alone.
The Royal over-and-under joined the line in the twentieth century and was substantially redesigned in the 1990s into the gun offered today. It competes directly with the Purdey over-and-under and top-tier continental sidelocks.
The Sporting over-and-under, introduced in the 1990s, was conceived as a slightly more accessible route into H&H ownership, still a London best-quality gun, but aimed at the game and clay shooter who wants a working gun rather than an heirloom commission. On the second-hand market it represents one of the more attainable entries into the marque.
You will also encounter the Dominion and Northwood grades on older side-by-sides, soundly built guns that carried the H&H name at a lower price point in their day, and which now offer a genuine bargain route into ownership for shooters who care more about the shooting than the engraving.
What drives Holland & Holland values
Values across the marque are driven by a consistent set of factors. Originality comes first: guns with original barrels, unmolested actions and factory finish command a premium over refinished or sleeved examples. Bore condition and wall thickness matter enormously on older guns; a Royal with thin barrel walls is a very different proposition from one with plenty of life left. Gauge affects price too, with small bores (20, 28, .410) often attracting strong interest. Paired guns, guns with provenance, and guns with recent factory service history all carry weight. Finally, proof status matters: any English gun should be in current nitro proof, and re-proof history is worth understanding before purchase.
A related point for sellers: because H&H maintains its records, a gun’s build history can often be confirmed with the maker. If you are selling, having the ledger details adds real credibility to a listing.
Buying second-hand: What to check
Buying a best English gun second-hand is less risky than many assume, because these guns were built to be serviced indefinitely, but a sensible inspection routine still applies. Check the barrels first: look for dents, bulges and pitting, and ask for wall thickness measurements on anything pre-war. Check the action comes off the face; a Royal should lock up tight with no discernible play. Look at the stock for cracks behind the action fences and around the hand, and establish whether the wood is original. Ask when the gun was last stripped and cleaned by a competent gunsmith, and factor a full service into your budget if there is no recent history.
None of this should put you off. A well-kept Royal that has been shot for eighty seasons will happily shoot eighty more, which is precisely why these guns hold value the way they do.
Holland & Holland vs Purdey: The eternal question
Buyers weighing the two great London names should know there is no wrong answer; the differences are of character rather than quality. The classic distinction is mechanical: Holland & Holland’s Royal uses its famous self-opening system, while Purdey’s guns are built on the Beesley action, which is self-opening by a different route. Handling preferences between the two are personal and hotly debated in equal measure. In practice, most buyers choose on condition, configuration and price of the individual gun in front of them rather than the name on the rib, and that is the right way round. If your search widens, our guide to Beretta’s 686 Silver Pigeon shows how far modern production guns have closed the gap for pure shooting utility, even if they will never be a London best.
FAQs
Are Holland & Holland shotguns still made? Yes. Holland & Holland remains an active London gunmaker, building shotguns and rifles to order and providing servicing and restoration for its historic guns, one reason second-hand values stay strong.
How much is a Holland & Holland shotgun worth? The range is enormous, from four figures for older Dominion-grade side-by-sides needing work, to six figures for recent Royals and paired guns. Condition, originality, gauge and provenance drive the price far more than age. Browse current listings to get a live feel for the UK market.
Is a Holland & Holland shotgun a good investment? Best English guns have historically held value well when bought in good condition at a fair price, though like anything they should be bought primarily to be used and enjoyed. Buy the best condition you can afford and keep the service history current.
What is the difference between a Royal and a Sporting model? The Royal is the traditional flagship sidelock, built as a side-by-side or over-and-under. The Sporting is a more recent over-and-under conceived as a more accessible route into the marque, aimed at game and clay shooters.
Find your Holland & Holland on Rightgun.uk
Whether you are after a Royal side-by-side with a century of seasons behind it or a Sporting over-and-under for next week’s clays, the right gun turns up more often than you might think. Browse the current Holland & Holland shotguns for sale on Rightgun.uk, or explore the full range of shotguns for sale from England’s finest makers and beyond. And if you are thinking of moving a gun on, listing it in front of a dedicated UK shooting audience takes minutes.
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