doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Where does Boss& Co fit in?

I will admit the name "Holland&Holland" has a certain romance to it. The name just seems to bring to mind safaris and adventure.

Beatiful Wallis and I think the H&H standard engraving pattern is much more attractive than the Purdey or the Boss.

Best,

Mike

Wallis,

I've got a similar pair, used much in the same way only a little older vintage. These are 90 models, like in gay ninety's. I always did like older women, that could still do the wild thing.



binko

I do believe standard Holland engraving took considerable more time to complete than standard Purdy or Boss engraving. When I hear the name Holland I think of rifles and big game, but they do make a fine shotgun.

Binko - the answer is Ignorance.

For what it is worth, You will find a lot of holland & Holland guns that are not of best quality - especially hammer guns.

Their boxlocks can be dreadful 'Cavalier' models were a development of the old Webley 700 that actually made it worse.

Boss guns were expensive and Woodwards likewise. Woodward made far fewer guns and few could afford them, perhaps fewer appreciated their finesse. Woodward also sole cheaper boxlocks but their sidelock production was very high quality.

The Purdey system sidelock is a proven design that set the standard and proved rightly popular. Purdey did sell some cheaper ggrade guns 'B-grade' hammer guns and well as 'D' and 'E' grade boxlock shotguns and rifles for a limited period.

Once you get into the 20th Century, Boss had a sidelock design and ejector system that was refined and dependable and beautiful quality, the reliable single trigger was quickly added.

Holland & Holland had the 'royal' pretty much sorted by 1900, later adding the 1922 self-opening system. They also patented and used areliable single trigger, which differs from the Boss.

Purdey had the sidelock perfected by 1880, adding ejectors later and single triggers, both these went through some developments and changes, so early Purdey ejectors and single triggers can be abit iffy.

Quality in all the models listed above is 'best'. so, just take your pick according to what you liek and can afford.

H&H Royals are nice guns and beautifully engraved. I dislike their short triggerguards, though.

With their square-looking actions and conservative engraving, Purdeys are very handsome guns. But for the most part, they don't thrill me.

Woodwards can be great. Check out this trio:

http://www.sportarm.com/shop/gunlist_detail2.asp?strCurrentGun=80223003

Those are some of the finest Woodwards I've seen.


Boss's hammerless sidelocks can be all over the place. Some of them are real nice, some of them stink. But a nice pair of Boss shotguns is as good as it gets. Check this gun out:

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/14253The_Boss_2.jpg

OWD

I think the new E.J. Churchill and the Watson Bros. rounded side lock actions are the most attractive things going right now, right up there in looks with the McNaughton bar in wood round action and the Dickson round action.

The Watson Bros.
http://www.watsonbrosgunmakers.com/Home.htm

The E.J. Churchill
http://www.ejchurchillgunmakers.com/pages/sidebyside_pop2.html

"I think the new E.J. Churchill and the Watson Bros. rounded side lock actions are the most attractive things going right now,"

Those are really beautiful guns, but IMPO, I am not interested in any gun under 100 years old, and wouldn't buy any newly mfg. sxs, no matter how beautiful...kind of old fashioned.

binko

Binko is that the top gun pictured the H&H you were offering for sale a while back ?
If it is there's quite a difference in your gun and Wallace's H&H.

jOe,

I never offered either of these 2 guns for sale. The H&H is the one I bought a while back that you pointed out that someone had buggered the hinge screw a little, [I don't know why because the gun is certainly not off face...idiots everywhere], and the Parker GH Grade 2, is the one I plan to keep...I have 2, almost identical 1890 Parkers, 1 with 30" barrels and this one with 28" barrels. I shoot the 28" one better than the 30" one, so the 30" one is still for sale, although, I am not actively pursuing selling it yet, if someone wanted a nice 119 year old Parker, I will consider parting with it only because I have the one in the picture below, also.

thanks for asking
binko