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In 'The Shooting Field' they have serial numbers 9000 to 10849 are missing. Does your gun's serial number fall in that range?

Gun number 1849, underlever hammer gun, like yours, inscribed on the barrels, H. HOLLAND, 98 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON.

The engraving of the name and address on the top rib looks very sharp to me, considering the age of the gun, and the state of the proof marks. The engraving on the locks, and the action need to be compared closely to evaluate if portions have been re-engraved or possibly altered, and those pictures are a bit blurry.

The fact it has Birmingham proof marks is not unusual. H&H did not start manufacturing guns in house until 1893. Prior to that they had them built to their specifications from a variety of sources.

I decided to take the locks off and take a look on them for numbers. Very clearly engraved on the front of each lock, and on the insides of the hammers is "1217". And in small letters upside down on the lower rear of the lock plates is "J. Stanton". The barrels equally clearly say "1277". As 1 and 7 can look very similar, I studied them closely, and am convinced that there is no mistaking either.

The outside engraving matches the pattern I've seen on other H. Holland back locks, and to my fairly unexperianced eyes seems legit.

Treblig, do you have a date on number 1849 or any further details?

Clay, gun number 1849 was built on June 16th, 1871.

With your serial number of 1277 according to the Holland & Holland records, Clay your gun was built between 1865 and 1868.

According to 'The Shooting Field' on page 175, they state, that
"The details given at this early period are in most cases extremely brief, and in the remainder they have not been entered."

A John Stanton lock, that's not unusual. I was thinking either him or Joseph Brazier of Ashes Works, Wolverhampton.

Re the "reversed" chokes (front trigger fires the R barrel with tighter choke than the left): However logical that might seem for driven birds, I don't think it was that common. I have a catalog from Christie's, back when they were still in the gun business, that includes a dozen or more pairs of guns. If someone bought a pair, chances were very good they were going to be used for driven birds. Yet not a single gun of all those listed had reversed chokes. Of course one could order a gun any way they desired, but having the chokes "backwards" doesn't appear to have been at all typical for driven bird guns.

Something like these would make that good looking H&H look even better.

Let me add my heartiest congratulations to those earlier written by the other correspondents. Yours is a lovely, early hammergun by Harris Holland (i.e. "H. Holland," gunmaker as of 1835; Henry Holland was the nephew and one-time apprentice of Harris Holland, whose common surname was joined to the later established firm of Holland & Holland), which we are delighted to learn you intend to use afield and / or at the shooting club. The choke arrangement, as has also been suggested by others here, is standard for driven game shooting. Several of my antique, U.K.-produced guns have this same configuration.

From the photographs, it appears the nose of either hammer does not strike the firing pin or detonator and that it is instead struck by a metal stud affixed at the offside of the hammer breast, which if I have correctly described it, is an interesting mechanical arrangement. Though I do not think it unique, as I recall seeing this arrangement employed before and used by other period makers. The presence of its Jones under-lever locking system is a definite plus and one in which you can have confidence.

It seems unusual for a gun from this era to have original 2-3/4 inch chambers, although not impossible, unless they were later lengthened. But if lengthened properly, and if adequate chamber wall thicknesses remained following the work, should serve. Your choice of low-pressure loads is sensible. I shoot all of the my antique guns and only employ similar low-pressure ammunition, at standard of the era velocities, and with no more than standard weight charges of lead shot, which has proven more than appropriate for my shooting.

Enjoy your wonderful Harris Holland gun to the fullest; it is an excellent example of the gunmaker's art!


Regards,

Edwardian

Thank you gentlemen for the compliments! I shot two rounds of skeet with it this week using the 3000 psi loads, and she shot far better than I did! The first round, I carefully examined the stock and the barrels after every station to make sure no unforseen cracks in the wood developed or any other issues. None at all.. she worked beautifully! And Mr. Douglas Pratt at H&H was able to find a record of it using the lock numbers, the copies are in the mail on the way here. And a copy of The Shooting Field for more Holland info. I'll report in what I find in Holland's info

Look forward to finding out more. Thanks. Lagopus.....