Anyone have info on this? Holland & Holland side lever falling block W/pic

[AbitNutz]

I'm looking at a Holland & Holland Side Lever Falling Block Single Shot in 45/70. I'm not familiar with this rifle at all. It surely must have been re-barreled as I doubt H&H made it in 45/70.

This one is quite plain. It has what look like, stock reinforcement down either sides through the pistol grip.

Can anyone point me at good source? Any history would be appreciated. There are dates on it but I don't believe they correspond with production dates.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn94/AbitNutz/HampH_1.jpg (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/AbitNutz/media/HampH_1.jpg.html)

[kenyerian]

Is it this one ? http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/1027/lid/313

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It is an action built on Field's patent, which was used by Holland and Holland and Greener, while John Farquharson's patent was used solely by its co owner George Gibbs of Bristol, until its expiry in 1889. The patent was 1877 (the significance being that it was five years after Farquharson's) and another date you might hear is 1883, when it was the winner of the "Field" rifle trials. The name is only coincidence, since on the rifle it is a family name, and in the trials the name of a magazine which conducted numerous gun trials.

Although it can be considered a patent-dodging design, it was a good one. It might give a little less extractive leverage than the Farquharson, depending on the length of the side-lever, but enough, and it is less likely to be jammed by debris getting under the lever.

The best books on the British falling-block rifles are Winfer's "British Single Shot Rifles", which are so good that second-best is nowhere. But it is a very multi-volume series, and I don't know whether the best detail on this one would be in the Holland and Holland volume or under Field elsewhere. I only have the Westley Richards volume, as I have a rifle built by Gibbs on their "Improved Martini" action, which the Farqharsons et al more or less killed off. Maybe someone else who has them could tell you. You can find them on www.bookfinder.com .

The Nock's form on the barrel looks a bit long for the other possibility, which is that an original barrel for one of the British .450 cartridges was set back to accommodate the .45-70. It is just conceivable that Hollands might have chambered it that way for the US market, and they could probably tell you from their records. I wouldn't exclude the possibility that that light stock is more recent than the rest of the rifle.

[AbitNutz]

Wow...how many volumes are there? LOL. Each volume is about $90.00 and I saw up to seven volumes! Man I would love to have a set of those. I think I'll start with the obvious ones...and then perhaps put them on my birthday, Christmas, Hanuka, father's day, arbor day list.

I thought it was based on the Fraser action but I think you're right. It is a Fields. My goal in life is to leave a genuine Farquharson in my will to no one and have my decedents fight over it...

[AbitNutz]

I couldn't help it...I ordered three volumes...ouch! At least I was able to find some on the used list.

[45workhorse]

Mighty fine sights. I hope your eyes are better than mine!

[AbitNutz]

No, they're not but you have to work with what you have. On rifles with open sights I try to migrate to tang and front globe or hood, if the rifle can take it.

I have decided that you can always want a better sight picture and by that logic, I would end up with a scope on every rifle I have...If the rifle has crappy open sights I do try to make the best of it unless it will end up as an obvious bubba art project.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I couldn't help it...I ordered three volumes...ouch! At least I was able to find some on the used list.

I hope you don't end up cursing me in the dark watches of the night. They are books more for collectors or historians than shooters, but they really are very good.

[AbitNutz]

The development and the history of the subject is what I like the best...

[Frank46]

Try posting this on the nitroexpress.com forum in the single shot section. If info can be found anywhere it's there. Frank

[Von Gruff]

Another good source of information is the http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/directory#.V0PYUeRJnIV