Holland & Holland The Royal Gunmaker 2nd Edition

In May 1885, Holland & Holland advertised output. And yet, gunmaking played no part in the early history of Holland & Holland. The founder of the firm, Harris Holland was a musician and entrepreneur with an interest in live pigeon shooting. Turning this interest into a business venture, he began to retail guns in the 1830's. His nephew Henry Holland joined the business in 1860 and made an outstanding contribution to the field of gunmaking with 47 patents to his name. Several of these inventions are still in use today - the 1883 Royal hammerless action, the 1904 belted rimless cartridge case and the 1922 self-opening mechanism. In 1876 the uncle and the nephew created a partnership and Holland & Holland was born. By this time, rifle making had become the speciality of the firm, their prowess ...obvious to all after winning every class in The Field rifle trials of 1883." Chapters include: Musical prelude; The tobacconist and the gunmaker; Harris Holland muzzle-loaders; 98 New Bond Street; Early Holland breech-loaders; 'Winners of all The Field Rifle Trials, London 1883'; From retail to manufacture; The colonel commands; New premises, new direction; 'The barrels must kiss'; Holland & Holland guns and rifles. Numerous appendices include: The Holland family tree; Holland & Holland gun and rifle sales in the 19th century; Dating of Holland & Holland serial numbers; Milestones in the history of Holland & Holland; Trade labels; Holland & Holland trade marks and brand names; The diversity of Holland & Holland; Component suppliers 1907-30; Holland & Holland patents; Cartridges developed and introduced by Holland & Holland; Experts on Guns and Shooting, chapter XVIII; Unusual Holland & Holland firearms; The history of the .700 Holland & Holland Nitro Express. This brand new second edition brings the history of the firm right up to date. The book is consideraby enlarged with many new photographs and new appendices.