doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Field's Patent falling block by Holland & Holland

Greetings,

For my second post on this Forum, I thought you might enjoy some pictures of a Holland & Holland Field's Patent falling block rifle from my collection. The Field's Patent action (also known as the Model of 1877) was a very advanced design for its day, and featured a massive breach actuated by a side lever, in addition to having an automatically cocking hammer and rebounding firing pin. This example was also fitted with a sliding tang safety, and an additional swinging lever (unique to Holland & Holland) that locks the side lever in place. Rifles based on the Field's Patent action spanned the transition from black powder to smokeless powder, and were offered by various British makers during the 1880s through the early 1900s.

Somewhere along the line this beautiful rifle was rather crudely rebarreled to .30 WCF and a replacement forend fitted by the well-known American gunsmith, Bubba Holland. Fortunately the remainder of the rifle from the barrel back (action and buttstock) remained completely untouched and original. I have owned the rifle for years and always intended to rebarrel it with a more appropriate British cartridge. However, time passes and so I have reluctantly placed it for sale on GunBroker.com to let someone have some fun with it instead (search on "Holland falling block").

Cheers,
Peconga in Boise, Idaho

One of my favorite actions, but the action has been "gunsmitheed" also, H&H didn't fit the brass washer did they? That is probably the lever retainer, but don't imagine it came with a brass one.

Has the block been bushed for a smallnose firing pin? How much does rifle weigh?

I think I used to know 'ol Bubba. And I have had various rifles that I would call "School of Bubba Holland" for lack of proper provenance. (In fact, looking at some of my work, I may well be related to 'ol Bubba.....)

THIS Holland deserves better, say, a proper long .303 barrel and skinny little forend with an ebony or steel tip.

I also love the action and have one in 22LR.Whitey

Whitey has the (maybe) somewhat rarer Field's Patent sidelever Martini action, and it too had the smaller additional/safety side lever that locks the main sidelever in place. This additional small lock lever is to prevent the main sidelever from inadvertently being moved while stalking, thus accidentally opening the action. I've seen several Field's sidelever falling blocks but only one Field's Martini, thus my statement that the Martini action may be rarer than the falling block one. Unfortunately Whiteys' smaller lock lever was removed when Bubba renovated his action, but the evidence is still plainly visible. Whitey's sidelever and his other action furniture & architecture are identical to the H&H shown with the single exception of the upper tang extension and safety. It's my assumption, based on this furniture shape similarity, that the basic actions were produced at a single location and then sold to the various assemblers such as H&H, Westley Richards, etc., who then added their own unique touches when completing the rifles.
Regards, Joe

For those interested in Bubba and his activities, here some pics of a Francotte-style large martini acgion, originally with safety lever.

At a certain point in time, bubba decided hee needed a re-enactment rifle, so fitted a barrel with holes drilled in it and a bolt in the bore, some butt-ugly wood, and removed the safety lever as originally on the action. to make matter worse, he drove in a bolt i nthe hole on 1 side and a chunk of steel the other side

The rifle, as received:


After takedown, left side of the receiver


... and right side


The action innards, left side - pretty much mint


The right side, cocked


And 2 detail pics of the safety sear lever inside the action:



I will now try and restore the action to its original condition, making safety lever and pin.
Of course, I'll need to put it to some use afterwards, but I don't yet know what I'll use this one for...

I just hope that I will be able to undo Bubba's handiwork.

I wonder if one of the (few) good effects of the rise in the cost of used guns is that Bubba will think twice about his bright idea of the moment? (Probably not, if I know that ole boy. And I do.).