Holland & Holland
Royal
A bespoke sidelock game gun with a self-opening action
Royal Hammerless Ejector · UK
Overview
The Holland & Holland Royal is a bespoke side-by-sideA side-by-side is a gun with two barrels mounted next to each other.Glossary: Side-by-side sidelockA sidelock is an action that mounts its firing mechanism on plates fitted to the sides of the gun.Glossary: Sidelock game gun.1, 2, 3, 4 Guns built today open themselves and have hand-detachable locks.3 The gun tested in 2009 has a straight diamond gripThe grip is the part of the stock behind the action that the shooter’s trigger hand holds.Glossary: Grip, a splinter fore-endThe fore-end holds a break-open gun’s barrels to the receiver and can give the shooter’s front hand a hold.Glossary: Fore-end, gold-line cocking indicators and traditional Holland & Holland scroll.5, 6, 7, 8
The Royal cocks on opening.9 Its self-opening mechanism uses a coil spring and plunger in a tube between the barrels beneath the fore-endThe fore-end holds a break-open gun’s barrels to the receiver and can give the shooter’s front hand a hold.Glossary: Fore-end.10, 11 The 2009 test gun has leaf-sprung sidelocks with intercepting safety sears, and Southgate-system ejectorsEjectors throw fired cartridge cases clear when a break-open gun opens.Glossary: Ejectors.10, 12, 13 Holland & Holland offers single or double triggers and a manual or automatic safety.3
Specifications
12-bore · game
| Lockwork | Self-opening sidelockA sidelock is an action that mounts its firing mechanism on plates fitted to the sides of the gun.Glossary: Sidelock with hand-detachable locks14, 15 |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Single or double triggers; manual or automatic safety14, 15 |
| Ejectors | Southgate system on the 2009 test gun14, 15 |
| Made in | London, United Kingdom16 |
| Introduced | 188517, 18, 19 |
| Bore | 12-bore |
| Barrels | 28 in |
| Chokes | fixed |
| Weight | 3.005 kg (6 lb 10 oz; measured, 28 in) |
Specifications
| Configuration | Bore | Chambers | Barrels, in | Fore-end | Grade | Choke system | Years | Weight | Markets | Stock | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | |||||||||||
| Game20, 21 | 12-bore | 28 | Splinter | Royal; 2009 test gun | fixed | 3.005 kg (6 lb 10 oz; measured, 28 in) | Straight diamond grip; Splinter fore-end | Colour case hardened action; Holland & Holland scroll engraving | |||
| Game25, 21 | 12-bore | 70 mm (2¾ in) | Bespoke Royal | Fixed or multi-chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke, subject to calibre and specification | Hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving to order; scroll or game scenes engraving | ||||||
| Game25, 21 | 16-bore | 70 mm (2¾ in) | Bespoke Royal | Fixed or multi-chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke, subject to calibre and specification | Hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving to order; scroll or game scenes engraving | ||||||
| Game25, 21 | 20-bore | 70 mm (2¾ in) | Bespoke Royal | Fixed or multi-chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke, subject to calibre and specification | Hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving to order; scroll or game scenes engraving | ||||||
| Game25, 21 | 28-bore | 70 mm (2¾ in) | Bespoke Royal | Fixed or multi-chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke, subject to calibre and specification | Hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving to order; scroll or game scenes engraving | ||||||
| Game25, 21 | .410 | 70 mm (2¾ in) | Bespoke Royal | Fixed or multi-chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke, subject to calibre and specification | Hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving to order; scroll or game scenes engraving | ||||||
| Game26 | 12-bore | 30 | Royal Hammerless Ejector; no. 23247 | True cylinder and improved cylinder; fixed | 1902 | UK | |||||
Scroll for more columns.
Game20, 21. Game25, 21. Game25, 21. Game25, 21. Game25, 21. Game25, 21. Game26.
Identify and date
The Royal name also appears on Holland & Holland's over-and-underAn over-and-under is a gun with one barrel above the other.Glossary: Over-and-under with hand-detachable sidelocks.27, 28 The side-by-sideA side-by-side is a gun with two barrels mounted next to each other.Glossary: Side-by-side Royal cocks on opening, while the Purdey sidelockA sidelock is an action that mounts its firing mechanism on plates fitted to the sides of the gun.Glossary: Sidelock cocks on closing.9 Older Royals may differ from today’s: a pair from 1906, for example, has fixed locks and no self-opening mechanism.29
Gun no. 23247 carries “HOLLAND & HOLLAND. 98, NEW BOND STREET. LONDON.” on its barrel tubes.30 Its underside carries separate ROYAL HAMMERLESS EJECTOR and PATENT SINGLE TRIGGERA single trigger fires each barrel of a multiple-barrel gun in turn, with a separate pull for each.Glossary: Single trigger cartouches.31 British shotgun proof marksProof marks are stamps on a gun that record the proof tests it has passed.Glossary: Proof marks sit on the barrel flatsThe barrel flats are the smooth bearing surfaces under the breech end of side-by-side barrels.Glossary: Barrel flats and actionThe action houses the mechanism that loads, fires and unloads a gun.Glossary: Action, and the year mark records proof or reproof.32, 33 LP 92 means London Proof 1992.34
| Where | Markings |
|---|---|
| Barrel tubes of no. 23247 | HOLLAND & HOLLAND. 98, NEW BOND STREET. LONDON.35 |
| Underside of no. 23247 | ROYAL HAMMERLESS EJECTOR and PATENT SINGLE TRIGGERA single trigger fires each barrel of a multiple-barrel gun in turn, with a separate pull for each.Glossary: Single trigger in separate cartouches36 |
| Top leverThe top lever unlocks a break-open gun so that its barrels can hinge open.Glossary: Top lever and safety of no. 23247 | Gold-inlaid 1 on the top leverThe top lever unlocks a break-open gun so that its barrels can hinge open.Glossary: Top lever and SAFE on the automatic safety36 |
| Barrel flatsThe barrel flats are the smooth bearing surfaces under the breech end of side-by-side barrels.Glossary: Barrel flats and actionThe action houses the mechanism that loads, fires and unloads a gun.Glossary: Action | British proof marksProof marks are stamps on a gun that record the proof tests it has passed.Glossary: Proof marks37 |
Proof date
London began marking dates in 1972. LP above 72 denotes 1972, and LP 92 means London proof in 1992.38, 34
Holland & Holland estimates the production year from the serial number and offers a scan of the factory-ledger entry with original specifications.39 Contact the maker
Before you buy
- Have the barrel walls measured for thickness; The Field lists this among its checks on used Royals.40
- Have a specialist look for hidden cracks in the stockThe stock is the part of a gun that the shooter holds and puts to the shoulder.Glossary: Stock, another of The Field’s checks.40
- Compare the barrels with the maker’s original specification: the 1906 pair carries barrels that Holland & Holland replaced in 1995 and 1998.41, 42
- Check the lock type and opening mechanism against the gun’s age and specification: the 1906 pair has fixed locks and does not open itself.29, 41
- Before choosing cartridges, confirm the gun’s chokeChoke is a narrowing of the bore at the muzzle that controls how widely the shot spreads.Glossary: Choke and steel-shot specification; Holland & Holland offers both subject to calibre and specification.43
- Check the stockThe stock is the part of a gun that the shooter holds and puts to the shoulder.Glossary: Stock measurements against your own; Holland & Holland builds each Royal to its owner’s measurements and offers several stockThe stock is the part of a gun that the shooter holds and puts to the shoulder.Glossary: Stock shapes.44
History
The Royal name first appeared on guns in 1885, though Donald Dallas dates the hammerless actionThe action houses the mechanism that loads, fires and unloads a gun.Glossary: Action behind it to 1883.19, 45 The actionThe action houses the mechanism that loads, fires and unloads a gun.Glossary: Action took its modern form in 1892, when conventional lock plates replaced the early dipped pattern.46, 47 Hand-detachable locks followed in 1908, and the self-opening mechanism in 1922.29, 11
Holland & Holland now builds the Royal on scaled actions in 12-, 16-, 20- and 28-boreThe bore is the inside of the barrel ahead of the chamber.Glossary: Bore and .410.48 Its chopper-lumpChopper-lump barrels join two tubes, each forged in one piece with its part of the lumps.Glossary: Chopper-lump barrels run from 25 to 32 inches, with 70 mm chambers.43 StockThe stock is the part of a gun that the shooter holds and puts to the shoulder.Glossary: Stock shape, measurements and hand engravingEngraving is decoration cut into a gun’s metal surfaces.Glossary: Engraving follow the customer's specification.44, 49
Sources
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, name. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, bespoke. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, action. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The world’s 20 best shotguns: London sidelocks, royal-use-and-price. The Field, 2007-09. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, barrels-and-stock. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, fore-end. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, visible-details. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, action-finish. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal sidelocks, purdey-distinction. The Field, 2019-01-21. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, opening-mechanism. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal sidelocks, self-opening-change. The Field, 2019-01-21. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, locks. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, ejectors. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, Action. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, Ejectors. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Hallmarks & Heirlooms, London factory. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Holy Trinity of London gunmakers, Royal name. ShootingUK, 2017-01-06. magazine
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, Bespoke. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holland & Holland, The Royal Gunmaker: author’s synopsis, royal-action. Donald Dallas, 2003. book
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, Test gun; Barrels and stock; Fore-end; Finish and triggers; Action finish; Measured weight. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- The world’s 20 best shotguns: London sidelocks, Royal use and price. The Field, 2007-09. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, Visible details. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, Barrels and stock; Fore-end; Action finish. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, Opening mechanism. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, Calibres; Barrels; Stock; Engraving. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holts April 2026 catalogue: Royal lot 1451, p. 274, Lot 1451; Lot identity; Barrel name; Visible marks. Holts Auctioneers, 2026-04-15. auction lot
- The Royal Over & Under, name. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Royal Over & Under, lockwork. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holland & Holland Royal sidelocks, locks-and-engraving. The Field, 2019-01-21. magazine
- Holts April 2026 catalogue: Royal lot 1451, barrel-name. Holts Auctioneers, 2026-04-15. auction lot
- Holts April 2026 catalogue: Royal lot 1451, visible-marks. Holts Auctioneers, 2026-04-15. auction lot
- London Proof House: services and shotgun marks, shotgun-stamp-positions. London Proof House. proof house
- Rules, regulations and scales for proof of small arms 2006, proof-year. Gunmakers’ Company and Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House, 2006. proof house
- Warlow — London proof-date example in mirrored book text, london-example. Taylor & Francis; book text mirrored by Dokumen, 2003. book
- Holts April 2026 catalogue: Royal lot 1451, p. 274, Lot 1451; Barrel name. Holts Auctioneers, 2026-04-15. auction lot
- Holts April 2026 catalogue: Royal lot 1451, p. 274, Lot 1451; Visible marks. Holts Auctioneers, 2026-04-15. auction lot
- London Proof House: services and shotgun marks, Shotgun stamp positions. London Proof House. proof house
- Historic Arms Resource Centre: British proof-date codes, london-dates. Historic Arms Resource Centre. magazine
- Serial Numbering of Holland & Holland guns, Year estimate; Ledger. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holland & Holland Royal sidelocks, buying-checks. The Field, 2019-01-21. magazine
- Serial Numbering of Holland & Holland guns, ledger. Holland & Holland. maker website
- Holland & Holland Royal sidelocks, replacement-barrels. The Field, 2019-01-21. magazine
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, barrels. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, stock. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Holy Trinity of London gunmakers, royal-name. ShootingUK, 2017-01-06. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, action-development. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- Holland & Holland Royal shotgun review, early-locks. ShootingUK; Mike Yardley, 2009-09-29. magazine
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, calibres. Holland & Holland. maker website
- The Royal Side by Side: maker specifications, engraving. Holland & Holland. maker website