African Outfitter is an independent international bimonthly publication promoting
fair hunting and ethical business practices within the hunting industry.
From a hunting perspective, the preservation of biodiversity on the
African continent is the first and foremost priority. The emphasis
is however also on the sustainable utilisation of wildlife.

About the Cover... - Johan van Wyk

The lovely rifle on the cover of this edition of African Outfitter is a very rare .303 on a Holland-Woodward falling-block single-shot action by the prestigious London gunmakers Holland & Holland. Owned by Pierre Pretorius of Stellenbosch, the order for this rifle (serial no 28026) was placed by a Swedish nobleman, Count Fersen, on 16 March, 1911 in Paris through Holland's French agents at the time, Guinard & Co, and it was finished during March 1912. The original ledger description for the rifle in the Holland & Holland records reads as follows:

A .303 Modele de Luxe Single barrel drop block action, Cordite rifle, pistol hand stock, cheek piece, auto safety, no extra safety.

Horn heelplate, gold oval, small loops for slings, light pull.

Standard 100 & 4 leaves 200, 300, 400 & 500 yards.

Engrave oval P.F.

3 Spare foresights different sizes. Detachable telescope sight (with tunnels).

Best Oak & Leather case B/C flap lid to take rifle, telescope, etc.

Leather sling case for telescope, Cleaning implements & snap cap, Leather sling, leather sight cover.

Bend: 2 3/8" x 11/2"
Length: 14 15/16" x 14 3/4" x 15 1/4"
Castoff: 1/4" x 1/8" x 1/32"

The ledger continues to state that the basic cost of the rifle was £47-50, the telescope £12-12, oak & leather case £6-15, all the other bits and pieces, such as the sling, etc £3-12-6 for a grand total of £70-4-6. Additional entries note that the rifle's sight leaves were shot and regulated with 33 grains of "Moddite" powder and a 150-grain bullet on 29 July 1911, and the telescope sighted on 27 September 1911. The rifle is indicated as having a weight of 7 lbs 4¼ oz, has a trigger pull of 4 lbs and a 26" steel barrel.

The first Holland-Woodward actioned rifle was completed by Holland & Holland in 1894 and total production amounted to no more than about seventy rifles, with the last one completed in 1926. The most common chambering was in .303, but they were also chambered for the .500/450 NE, .280 NE, .375 H&H Magnum Flanged and .500/465 NE.

The famous English author and African hunter FC Selous used a number of rifles built to his specifications by Holland & Holland, and in fact an often-used photograph of Selous features him relaxing next to his wagon with two freshly killed Khori bustards and a single-shot rifle in the background. The rifle is often mistaken by authors for one of Selous's favourite Gibbs-Farquharsons but is, in fact, a Holland-Woodward in .303, virtually identical to the rifle on the cover.

What makes this particular rifle especially rare, however, is the fact that it was made as a Modele de Luxe, denoting Holland's highest grade of finishing. All their Modele de Luxe guns and rifles feature a unique and very bold foliate scroll style of engraving and exhibition quality wood, not to mention the best finishing possible, and they are the finest examples of the gunmaker's art to be found anywhere. Holland's only finished a grand total of three Holland-Woodward pattern single-shots as Modele De Luxe rifles, and the very next entry in the company ledgers after this .303 was for a .375 with exactly the same description and costs and consecutive serial number (no 28027), so it seems that this rifle is one of a matched pair, probably built for the same customer!