To mark 190 years of excellence, Holland & Holland has released its new Takedown Magazine Rifle. The luxury London gunmaker’s latest creation shows how deftly it can evolve its craft, producing a contemporary firearm while preserving all the hallmarks of true artisanal luxury.
Since the days of Harris and Henry Holland, the house has pursued a single ideal: the refinement of the artisan-finished firearm without compromise. In an increasingly digital world, the Takedown Magazine Rifle stands as a triumph concerning the value of objects crafted by hand, built to last and made to be used and enjoyed for now and generations to come.
The new Holland & Holland Takedown Magazine Rifle with its traditional lines of tapered stock and barrel,
the Mauser 98 bolt action maintaining the lines of a “London Best”.
In the style of the brand, the rifle is available in Best, Deluxe, and Exhibition grades. The profile is derived from the brand’s heritage with the historic tapered barrel, traditionally blacked cold-hammer-forged rifled barrels and discreet screw-cut muzzle with hidden thread. Each piece bears a distinctive gold inlay of the Holland & Holland name, calibre and London address, the subtle details that only a hand-finished article possesses in an era of mass production.
This Takedown Magazine Rifle is built on the legendary Mauser 98 action, adapted across magnum, standard and short cartridges with its proven reliability while maintaining the silhouette of a “London Best”. Holland & Holland’s proprietary takedown mechanism allows the gun to be separated and reassembled effortlessly, a hallmark of the company’s approach and a testament to modern engineering executed with traditional perfection.
The component elements to the new Holland & Holland Takedown Magazine Rifle: tapered barrel and proprietary
trigger unit (top), handcrafted and finished walnut stock, telescopic scope and mounts, along with the bolt.
A newly developed titanium trigger unit – vapour-blast finished for longevity – offers a crisp pull with an optional single-stage set trigger. The bolt assembly, redesigned for speed and scope clearance, features hand-engraved knurling, a gold-inlaid three-position safety and a durable PVD coating for a flawless smooth reload.
At the core of the modernity of the newly crafted rifle lies a Formula 1-grade carbon fibre chassis, glass-bedded by hand. It is only when firing the rifle on the Holland & Holland shooting ground that you realise the quiet innovation in the use of this material. First, it bonds with the wooden stock, advancing strength and rigidity. This advanced structure eliminates stock distortion (theoretically allowing any hardwood to be used), enhancing energy transfer from the kickback into a linear movement, thereby materially improving accuracy. The internal geometry has also been rethought, delivering a modern answer to the traditional recoil bar while preserving long-term integrity. With the rifle nestled correctly into your shoulder, the result is near pinpoint accuracy over 100 metres.
The hand crafted stock provides comfort and assurance in any shooting position.
The magazine box revives Holland & Holland’s historic slanted profile, paired with a Mauser-style floorplate. Without any bespoke requests, the rifle is stocked in deluxe-grade walnut meticulously selected and shaped, hand-knurled where required and hand-polished, featuring a leather recoil pad, ebony forend tip, with a classic cheekpiece.
While the Best model starts at £68,000 (excluding VAT), the degree of personalisation through the Deluxe and Exhibition grades means that the rifle can be tailored to the client’s wishes and budget. Everything from bespoke stock manufacture to hand engraving on the action and main plates. It is the very definition of a “London Best” firearm.
Every grade features iron sight, with the Best model presenting a classic barrel-band rear sight and folding-hood front sight. The Deluxe and Exhibition rifles elevate this with sculptural spearpoint rear sights and a Moon Protector front sight. Holland & Holland can regulate fixed and folding leaf sights to the client’s precise requirements, reflecting the belief that true luxury is personal.
As John Henderson, General Manager, states: “This rifle represents the very best of who we are today, a traditional London gunmaking enhanced by modern engineering.”
A handcrafted masterpiece, the Takedown Magazine Rifle redefines what it means to own something truly exceptional. Contact Holland & Holland, HERE.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
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