Holland & Holland, long respected for producing firearms of the highest quality, was acquired in 2021 by the Beretta Holding Group from the French perfume company, Chanel. For three decades, the French company tried to redefine and reinvent the venerable old gun company into a fashion-focused entity with questionable success. Quoting one of Chanel’s directors, the French fashion giant tried to turn the English company into “the Ralph Lauren of the shooting world.” Ultimately, it failed and sold the company to a renowned family-owned enterprise that has crafted guns for the past 500 years.

“We have admired Holland & Holland since my great grandfather, Pietro Beretta, first studied the company as early as the 1930s,” said Franco Gussalli Beretta, executive vice president of Beretta Holding. “Holland & Holland is a project that is much more complex because we absolutely want to keep the strong English identity of the brand, and which is the reason we acquired it. As far as the firearms are concerned, they are and will be completely produced in the London factory and we are reinvesting to have the products and the shop upgraded. The shooting range is also a big asset. We are also analyzing the famous Holland & Holland ammunition heritage and we will soon make some decisions about the right strategy to take.

”As the “Royal” gunmaker, Holland & Holland’s ties to the British monarchy go as far back as the late 1800s. Since then, the venerable gun company’s London factory has produced some of the world’s finest and most reliable sporting shotguns and rifles. Hollands’ guns are handmade by integrating both traditional and contemporary techniques. Time-honored gunmaking skills and state-of-the-art machinery mesh perfectly to instill quality and artistry into every shotgun and rifle. For many H&H owners, these are not just guns—they are pieces of art to be treasured for generations.Long-time loyal Holland & Holland customer, William Feldstein, sums up his philosophy about the artistry and function of fine double rifles: “Most men who purchase English best double rifles do not hunt with them because of their value. I believe to the contrary. Skilled craftsmen have devoted 1,400 to 1,500 hours of their time…is it not our responsibility as a tribute to their artistry to take the rifles into the field and use them in the manner for which they were built?”

Holland & Holland’s DNA has always been that of a pure gun company—one of the best. Once a gun was ordered, H&H dedicated itself to that purpose by being masters at determining and satisfying the customer’s wants and needs. They’d say whether they could do it, how they could do it and when they could do it. The customer was involved from the first moment and the excitement of initiating a new-build was maintained throughout the process. Excellent customer relations were cultivated by maintaining personal relationships that began with a one-on-one relationship with Hollands’ “man” behind the counter.“We have an exciting future ahead of us and this new era sees the company re-establishing itself as the very hallmark of fine English gunmaking,” said Mike Jones, H&H’s marketing manager. “We have undertaken a full strategic business review alongside an extensive brand positioning exercise to put us firmly back on track."

Read the full article here: Sporting Classics - 2024 Guns & Hunting Issue - Page 60-61