A Rare Chance To Acquire A Holland & Holland .577 Nitro Express At Auction

[Wilson Auctioneers]

#74: Holland & Holland Certified .577 Nitro Express, SN 30336, Calibre: .577 3 Inch, Model: Royal & Case: https://wilsonauctioneers.bidwrangler.com/bid/42230?item=2774379&section=auction

Super Rare, and Collectible, Holland and Holland Certified .577, Serial Number 30336, Calibre: .577 Nitro Express, 3 Inch, Model: Royal, Barrel Length: 26 Inches, Regulated with a 470 Grain Bullet, Stock Length: 14.5 Inches at Centre, Manufactured November 15th, 1924, Weight 13 Lbs., with Hand detachable locks, double triggers, treble grip, long top strap, top lever and auto safety, half pistol grip with cap box, cheekpiece, recoil heel plat, standard fixed sight with 1 folding leaf sight. This is the rarest gun our company has ever had the opportunity to sell and will make an incredible addition to any collection. More History of the H&H:

TO LEARN MORE OR BID ON THIS AUCTION CLICK HERE: https://wilsonauctioneers.bidwrangler.com/bid/42230?item=2774379&section=auction


See attached documents.

 

[sierraone]

This auction is advertised on the Little Rock TV market daily for the past two weeks. So for those of you looking for a beast of a rifle, here you go!

 

[Hank2211]

Wow. Beautiful rifle.

 

[Wilson Auctioneers]

RARE FIREARM & LUXURY FURNITURE ABSOLUTE AUCTION

LINK TO AUCTION: https://wilsonauctioneers.com/auctions/301/

AUCTION DESCRIPTION
400+ Item Estate Auction with 86 Firearms Including, a Very Rare 1924 Holland & Holland .577, 300 Jarrett Model Wind Walker, Winchester, (15) Benelli Shotguns, (17) Browning Guns, Black Powder Handguns, Colt Pistols & Ammunition!

Also Selling, 300+ Lots of High-End Furniture, Collectibles, Silver, Ducks Unlimited Prints, Large Oil Painting Collection, Bronzes, Statues & Much More!


ALL SELLING REGARDLESS OF PRICE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDERS!


ONLINE BIDDING OPENS: TUESDAY ~ OCTOBER 1, 2019 ~ 10:00 A.M.
ONLINE BIDDING ENDS: TUESDAY ~ OCTOBER 22, 2019 ~ 5:00 P.M.
LIVE AUCTION BEGINS: TUESDAY ~ OCTOBER 22, 2019 ~ 5:00 P.M.

 

[grand veneur]

A very nice rifle.

As I have already noted , it is IMHO not regulated for a 470gr bullet but for the usual 750gr bullet of this cartridges. On the barrels you can read "CORDITE 90-750 MAX" , one of the normal regulations of this kind of rifles. I have a old DR caliber 577NE from Webley & Scott with the same regulation. Unfortunately my rifle is not comparable to this one in terms of aesthetics.

 

[Gunsmoke]

there is definitely some strange information in the correspondence from Holland and Holland??
I note the covering letter from Holland and Holland refers to a different serial number (30226) rather than the actual serial number of the rifle
The second page refers to the correct serial number (30336) ........but I would also be quite sure that the .577 Nitro was not regulated for a 470 grn bullet.

 

[grand veneur]

470gr would be very unusual for a nitro proofed rifle of this caliber.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

A very beautiful rifle. My favorite actor , Stewart Granger acted in film named " King Solomon's mines " where he stops an elephant charge at the beginning of the film with either a Nitro Express .577 or a Nitro Express .600 calibre double barrel rifle. I watched that film in 1956 and it influenced me very strongly to become a professional hunter.
However , 470 grain bullet seems very odd for a rifle of this calibre. Even a magnum .458 by Winchester uses a 500 grain bullet.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

On a related subject , the rifle must have been brought from India to England before 1972 . After 1972 , all the fire arms owned by Maharajas were confiscated by Indira Gandhi's renegade government and destroyed to further their anti hunting and anti fire arm agendas after the so called Wild life protection Act - 1972 . Were l to guess , this rifle must have been brought back from India , some time prior to 1961 . Until 1961 , old British fire arms from the colonial period would often be seen lying around in arms shops. Many British and American visitors would come and purchase two of them at a time , to take back to their home country. The arms shops would sell them for very low prices , as ammunition for these guns were not available.
His Royal Excellence , the Maharaja of Sirguja owned 29 fire arms , most of which were made by Holland and Holland
. He also owned a beautiful double barrel rifle in Nitro Express .600 bore , also made by Holland and Holland . I have seen that rifle in an auction house in Sirguja in 1956 and have a photograph of it .

The Holland and Holland Nitro Express .600 bore double barrel rifle belonging to His Royal Excellence , the Maharaja of Sirguja . It was purchased by an American gentleman for 80,000 Rupees.

 

[grand veneur]

80000 Rupees 1956 , i suppose !

If not , I'll buy 2 or 3 of that sort !

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

80000 Rupees 1956 , i suppose !

If not , I'll buy 2 or 3 of that sort !

Kurpfalzjager
Yes. It was in 1956 . I went there with baba ( father ) , on a leisure visit.
It was a beautiful big rifle which his Royal Excellence would use to shoot Gaur bison. Today , l imagine that it would be worth a great deal of money. A .600 bore Nitro Express rifle is the largest bore rifle which l have ever seen. It came with three cartridges in a white box , from the firm , Kynoch . The bullets were of 900 grain weight and the cartridges looked like Denobilli cigars in size. I imagine an elephant hunter in Africa could put one to great use , but it must have a massive amount of recoil. A white hunter in Africa could probably use it to stop charging elephants wounded by clients.
Very fascinating , indeed.

 

[grand veneur]

It is known that relatively many DR caliber 600NE were sold to India.

For the size of the big game in India , Gaur included , you usually do not need such a cartridge. But a DR caliber 600NE was also a object of prestige.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

It is known that relatively many DR caliber 600NE were sold to India.

For the size of the big game in India , Gaur included , you usually do not need such a cartridge. But a DR caliber 600NE was also a object of prestige.

Kurpfalzjager
Indeed. Infact ,when l was a professional Shikari in Darjeeling , India from 1962 to 1970 , my best clients would kill them with magnum .375 bore bolt operation rifles , like so .

This client used a magnum .375 bore bolt operation rifle made by the English firm , John Rigby and Co

But there were also those who preferred double barrel rifle , like so

This Gaur was killed by my client using a double barrel magnum .458 Winchester calibre rifle made by Holland and Holland.
Unfortunately , during my time , l have never seen a .600 bore rifle being fired . A client never brought one .
They were also very heavy. The .600 bore double barrel rifle which l provided the picture of , weighed 17 pounds, that is roughly eight or nine pounds heavier than a magnum .375 bore rifle

 

[IvW]

Strange that it would be regulated for a 470 gr bullets...defeats the object really...

 

[bruce moulds]

yes that would make me stay away from it .
even the nitro for black versions used 520 to 600 gn bullets.
there seem to be too many variables for a rifle that is too good to be true.
bruce.

 

[Bullhunter]

when l was a professional Shikari in Darjeeling , India from 1962 to 1970

Oh, you must have an adventures life at this time.
Did you ever think to write your bio in an book, pp.?

Best wishes.
F.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

Oh, you must have an adventures life at this time.
Did you ever think to write your bio in an book, pp.?

Best wishes.
F.

Bull Hunter
Thank you so much for your kind words.
I have written a few of my accounts here in the articles section with photographs . Perhaps , they may interest you ?
A good deal of forum members certainly enjoy them. I have one or two still left to write .

 

[Bullhunter]

We have 2.00 clock in the night in my hometown.

I have stopped sleeping and read with great interessed your postings here.
(I was on an hunting tripp to Angola in the ast weeks, so I missed your start here.

 

[Kawshik Rahman]

We have 2.00 clock in the night in my hometown.

I have stopped sleeping and read with great interessed your postings here.
(I was on an hunting tripp to Angola in the ast weeks, so I missed your start here.

BullHunter
Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad you enjoy those old accounts so much . I try contributing to this community with my first hand field experience as much as possible , even if it is probably outdated now

 

[Bullhunter]

even if it is probably outdated now

I have read some parts of your adventures here.
Great content.
Very interessting and learn-full.