Check out the Royal in Holt's Dec auction

Do you happen to have a direct link to the auction page?

Found it:





Description:

HOLLAND & HOLLAND
A RARE AND MAGNIFICENT .600 NITRO EXPRESS 'ROYAL' HAND-DETACHABLE SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE, serial no. 30374,
26in. nitro chopperlump barrels with matt sight rib, open sights and leaf sights for 100, 150 and 200 yards, ramp-mounted bead foresight with flip-up moonsight, the moonsight a gold-encased diamond, the sunken rib gold-inlaid 'H.H. MAHARAJA GULAB SINGH JI. BAHADUR OF REWA. 1921.', giant treble-grip action with removable striker discs, carved shell fences, automatic safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, Holland & Holland patent hand-detachable lockplates, patent no. 11319 of 25th May, 1908, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, chequered articulated front trigger, the action, lockplates and furniture deeply carved with best bold Royal scroll engraving, interspersed with floral bouquets and with beaded and feathered borders, the underside engraved 'ROYAL HAMMERLESS EJECTOR' within an elaborate ribbon cartouche, retaining traces of original colour-hardening and finish, 15 1/8in. highly-figured pistolgrip stock with cheekpiece, engraved and colour-hardened pistolgrip-cap (with trap), sling swivels and including 7/8in. leather covered recoil pad, weight 16lb. 2oz., in its brass-cornered oak and leather case with accessories, the lid exterior with 'H.H. MAHARAJA of REWA' , '600 H&H.', 'No. 30374'. and with some Hindu script.
The makers have kindly confirmed that the rifle was completed in 1921 for the Maharaja of Rewa.


Provenance : H.H. Maharaja Gulab Singh Ji became ruler of the Princely State of Rewa in 1911 and remained in power until 1936. He was the first to open an English medium school in the state in 1924 with five teachers.
He was a keen hunter and was responsible for introducing a policy of making extensive swathes of the local forest exclusive to him and his hunting parties. Special areas of forest were designated suitable for 'normal' people and entry to any areas other than these was strictly forbidden. He is recorded as having shot 91 tigers, 7 panthers and 5 elephants. His passion for hunting was such that he was instrumental in the development of his own proprietry cartridge, the .577 Rewa (Hollands .600 / .577).

The state of Rewa came under British paramountcy in 1812 and remained a princely state within the Raj, commanding a 19 gun salute, until India's independence in 1947.

Other Notes: Holland & Holland have made just fourteen .600 Nitro Express rifles, and the final example was sold with the promise that it would be the last ever to be made.
Estimate £80,000-100,000

H&H still makes .600s.

Here's a recent manufacture version

http://www.drake.net/Holland.600%2335698

Nice!

JW

quote:

H&H still makes .600s.

Correct. As I understand it, H&H was approached to build another .600, but initially declined because they had officially made the last one a number of years ago.

The customer kept asking, so H&H went to the customer who bought the "official" last .600, and asked if they could go back on their offer that he got the last one.

I think it cost H&H a new Royal Deluxe shotgun for each of the customer's children.

quote:

Originally posted by 577NitroExpress:
[QUOTE]H&H still makes .600s.

Correct. As I understand it, H&H was approached to build another .600, but initially declined because they had officially made the last one a number of years ago.

The customer kept asking, so H&H went to the customer who bought the "official" last .600, and asked if they could go back on their offer that he got the last one.

I think it cost H&H a new Royal Deluxe shotgun for each of the customer's children.[/QUOT


Heard the same story.

That story is fact!

Realy nice rifle huh! Too bad it isn't on a reinforced frame - looks too much like an overgrown shotgun to me!

Jeff

It must have been one of the last made before they moved to the bolstered bar, I think that maove was around 1920-1921.

I guess the gun will have done very little work as by all accounts the Maharaja of Rewa had a considerable collection of Holland rifles, whether he ever got use out of them all I don't know, it would be great to hear from any one who has that info though

Yes, I'd not want this one for free!

The bolstered frame is a MUST for the

600 NE caliber. All my zillionaire
friends and I know this...

If I got this gun on a payment system, with no interest, at $2000 per month (about like a house payment), it would take 9 years to pay off.

Dan

Do I sense a purchase coming up??

now that the ££ is on the slide against the US $ could be a bargain