A Holland & Holland Royal Deluxe over-and-under made in 1998
B eretta have bought long established London gunmaking firm Holland & Holland, which had been owned by Chanel since 1989. The sale includes the Holland & Holland Shooting Ground at Ducks Hill in West London, as well as the company’s factory where the guns are made. The deal follows much speculation in the gun trade, where there have been rumours of a sale and Beretta’s interest was well known.
Holland & Holland trace their history back to 1835 when the company was founded by Harris Holland. He joined with nephew Henry in 1876 to form Holland & Holland. The firm’s guns became highly regarded alongside other great names of the London gun trade. It currently holds Royal Warrants to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales.
Beretta themselves go back further – the world’s oldest gunmaker, they began in 1526 making arquebus barrels. The big question now is what Beretta plan to do with the great old British name. They say that “Beretta Holding wishes to preserve the heritage of Holland & Holland in the United Kingdom with a high dedication to skilled craftsmanship.”