I have a Holland & Holland 12 gauge Hammer Gun, SN 21796, with 30 inch steel barrels choked about IC in the right barrel and Mod in the left barrel. It has 2 ½ inch chambers. It weighs 6 ½ pounds, has a straight stock with 14 ¾” LOP to a spurred steel butt plate and 1 ¼” DAC and 2” DAH. Shoots quite nicely with ½ and ¾ ounce hand loads using RST 2 ½” hulls. Top rib is marked “SHOT AND REGULATED BY HOLLAND & HOLLAND, 98 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON.”

Some pictures below.

I recently acquired the gun from a fellow shooter who purchased the gun in England in July of 2011 from a gun dealer in Leicestershire for 1600 British Pounds. Once in the US, it got a once over check that included per the work order:

Remove original, broken firing pin bushings and deformed firing pins. Carefully measure and make 2 new bushings to correct dimensions and Whitworth thread style. Make and fit 2 new firing pins, shaped and polished for best ignition – right protrusion 0.060” and left protrusion 0.060” (longer lengths still produced pierced primers). Bushings were made to somewhat larger external dimensions for greater durability and ease of cleaning (1/4” head size), and all parts made of Brownell’s “Fatigue Proof” high quality steel, designed for high stress parts/uses.
Carefully cleaned out all inletting (butt stock and fore end), repaired 2 – 3 cracks at head of butt and strengthened all with thin penetrating glue and other clean up.

I had pictures of the gun with me at the Las Vegas Gun Show in January and showed them to a couple very helpful gentlemen. Based on my photo’s and the gun’s markings, proof marks, etc., it was made around the turn of the last century and was not manufactured by Holland & Holland but some other maker, probably in Birmingham and marketed by H&H.

If anyone would care to add any comments and what an estimated current value would be here in the USA, I would appreciate that. It’s a delight to shoot and I’m not planning on selling it. I would just like to add to its current appeal.

Thanks for any comments and I apologize for this lengthy dissertation.

Jolly

well Bill - Regulated by instead of made by - or just the H&H name may well point to a gun made for resale

but the original proofs look like London marks to me

there were outsourced guns made in London as well

have you emailed H&H- they may be able to fill in some blanks

The offset top tang screw reminds me of Scott or W and S details.

Looks to me to be a fairly standard mid-quality trade action possibly sourced from Greeners. The offset tang screw (aka breech pin) is often indicative of Greener type lever work?
It's a decent gun. Value? No more than 2k (on the high side). It's a very plain, keepers grade gun.

The numbering is correct for 1898. The Proof marks agree and those were in use from 1896 to 1904 and was Proofed in London. Not necessarily made by Holland & Holland but bought in and finished by them. A good useable gun. Lagopus.....

Nice looking old gun. Just curious though. You mentioned 2 or 3 cracks were repaired in the head of the stock and strengthened with glue. Were any reinforcing rods used as well?

I'm sure there were no reinforcing rods used in the repair. The only visible cracks, and very slight, were just behind the top tang as pictured below.

And thanks so far for all your comments. I sincerely appreciate them.

Jolly