31-Aug-2026
There is a small group of London names that sit above everything else in the shooting world, and two of them dominate the conversation: James Purdey & Sons and Holland & Holland. Add Boss & Co, and you have the trio most often meant by the phrase “British best gun”, guns built essentially by hand, to order, over a period measured in years rather than weeks.
If you have found your way here, you are probably doing one of three things: dreaming, valuing something inherited, or seriously considering a purchase. All three are legitimate, and all three benefit from understanding what actually separates these makers, because on paper they look similar, and in practice they are not.
What “best gun” actually means
The term is not marketing. It describes a category: a gun made to the highest standard the trade is capable of, without compromise for cost or production speed. In practice that means hand-filed action work, hand-struck barrels, hand-cut chequering, bespoke stock dimensions taken from the client, and engraving executed by a named artisan rather than a machine.
The consequence is time. A best gun is the product of many hundreds of hours across several specialist craftsmen, and the waiting list for a new one is measured in years. It is also why the second-hand market matters so much: for most buyers, a pre-owned London gun is the only realistic route in.
Two structural notes worth having straight. Almost all of these guns are sidelocks, the lockwork mounted on removable side plates rather than within the action body, which allows finer finishing and easier access. And most are side-by-side, though all three makers have built over-and-unders, and those are their own separate conversation.
Purdey: The house style
Purdey’s reputation rests on the self-opening action patented in the 1880s and on a distinctive house aesthetic, rose and scroll engraving, a particular slimness through the action, and a finish that is deliberately restrained rather than showy.
What owners tend to talk about is the handling. Purdeys are built to feel alive between the hands, and the balance point is a matter of considerable fuss during construction. A Purdey game gun is designed to be swung, not aimed.
Purdey also holds significant weight as a name, and that is reflected in value. A Purdey with good provenance, matching numbers and its original case will command a meaningful premium over an equivalent gun from a lesser-known London maker, sometimes a very large one.
Holland & Holland: The rifle house that also builds shotguns
Holland & Holland’s identity is bound up with the rifle. The .375 H&H Magnum and the .500/.465 are the maker’s cartridges, and the double rifle is where the firm’s reputation was made: big game, big cartridges, and the engineering to make them regulate.
The shotguns are no less accomplished. The Royal is the flagship sidelock, and the model most people mean when they say “a Holland”. The Badminton sits below it, and the Sporting models cover the modern clay ground. Holland’s house engraving is generally bolder than Purdey’s, with more open scroll and more visual presence.
Interest in Holland & Holland has been rising sharply among Rightgun.uk searchers over recent weeks. Our Holland & Holland shotguns buyer’s guide goes into the model range in more depth.
Boss & Co: The connoisseur’s choice
Boss is the smallest of the three and, among people who know guns properly, often the most admired. The firm built comparatively few guns, which makes them rarer and harder to value, and the over-and-under Boss action is regarded as one of the most elegant solutions ever devised for that configuration, remarkably shallow, because the barrels sit in trunnions rather than on a hinge pin.
The Boss single-trigger mechanism was also genuinely influential and widely copied. If Purdey is the famous name and Holland is the rifle house, Boss is the maker’s maker.
How they actually differ
Strip away the mystique and the practical differences come down to four things.
Configuration bias. Purdey and Holland are best known for side-by-side game guns; Boss for the over-and-under. All three built both.
Aesthetic. Purdey restrained and slim, Holland bolder and more open in the engraving, Boss understated to the point of severity. This is genuinely a matter of taste rather than quality.
Rifle heritage. If you want a British double rifle, Holland & Holland is the obvious starting point in a way the others are not.
Availability. Purdey and Holland come up for sale with some regularity. Boss guns are scarce, and scarcity does what scarcity always does to price.
For a broader look at how British guns sit against the wider market, our side-by-side shotguns buyer’s guide covers the Spanish alternatives that many shooters consider alongside, AYA in particular built to a genuinely high standard at a fraction of the London price.
What drives value on a second-hand London gun
If you are buying or valuing, these are the factors that move the number most:
Barrel condition. Wall thickness and bore condition matter more than almost anything. Barrels that have been heavily lapped, re-blacked repeatedly, or sleeved are worth substantially less. Get an independent measurement.
Originality. Original barrels, original stock, matching serial numbers, original case and accessories. A gun that has been restocked or re-barrelled is still a good gun, but it is not the same asset.
Proof. Current British proof, and proof marks consistent with the gun’s stated configuration and chamber length.
Engraving and provenance. A named engraver, an interesting original owner, or documented history from the maker’s records all add. Both Purdey and Holland maintain records and will confirm a gun’s build details.
Dimensions. A best gun was stocked to one person. If the length, drop and cast suit you, that is worth real money; if they do not, alteration is possible but affects originality.
Our gun valuation guide covers the general principles, though at this level a specialist assessment is always worth the fee.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Purdey or Holland & Holland? Neither, in any meaningful sense. Both build to the highest standard the trade offers, and the differences are of house style, configuration bias and heritage rather than quality. Choose on how the gun handles for you and on which aesthetic you prefer, and if you want a double rifle, look at Holland first.
Why are British best guns so expensive? Because they are made almost entirely by hand, to order, by a small number of highly specialised craftsmen, over a very long period. The cost reflects the labour, and the resale values reflect both that and the scarcity of the makers’ output.
Is a second-hand Purdey a good buy? It can be, but the condition of the barrels is decisive. A gun with thin walls or heavy restoration is not a bargain regardless of the name on the rib. Always commission an independent inspection with barrel wall measurements before committing.
What is a sidelock, and does it matter? A sidelock carries its lockwork on removable plates on the sides of the action rather than inside the body. It allows finer finishing, more engraving canvas and easier access for servicing, and it is the traditional configuration for a British best gun. Boxlocks can be superb guns too; the distinction is one of tradition and finish more than function.
Browse British shotguns on Rightgun.uk
London guns come to market quietly and do not stay long. Browse the current shotgun listings on Rightgun.uk to see what UK sellers and dealers have available, and set your search to catch the makers you are following. If you are selling an inherited or long-held British gun, listing it on a dedicated shooting marketplace puts it in front of the people most likely to understand what it is.
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