Larry Herwig is an avid outdoorsman from south Texas who grew up hunting, fishing, shooting, and camping from a very early age. He loves traveling and photography, and his journeys have now taken him to 6 continents, 33 countries, and 31 American states. He is currently active in wildlife and habitat preservation and conservation worldwide so that his daughters, sons-in-law, 4 grandchildren, and everyone else can also enjoy all of these outdoor activities, along with the relationships and the memories that are created along the way.
Holland & Holland: Guns for the Bespoke Shooter
My deep-seated love for hunting and firearms was a journey significantly marked by an evolving appreciation for bespoke firearms, particularly Holland & Holland guns. These masterpieces not only represent the pinnacle of gun craftsmanship but also echo a rich narrative of heritage and mastery in the world of firearms. What unfolds is a reflection on my years of nurturing a passion, inspired by early hunting days under my father’s guidance, and a lifelong dedication to collecting guns that are a testament to the Holland & Holland legacy.
Growing Up in South Texas
South Texas was a great place to grow up, not least because I was in the perfect area to begin learning to shoot safely and hunt at an early age. By age seven, I was dove and duck hunting with a short stocked .410 H&R single shot. Later on, I graduated to an 870 Winchester pump 20 gauge. Then, at age 9, I took my first white-tailed doe with a Remington Mohawk in .243 caliber.
It wasn’t until adulthood that I reminisced and appreciated just how good I had it. I remembered duck hunting in the morning before elementary school with my dad in the open coastal areas near us, and hunting on many of the famous South Texas ranches for world-class deer.
Father's Influence
Guns and hunting were my dad’s passion, and for a time, he ran the gun department at Oshmann’s Sporting Goods in Corpus Christi. Consequently, we owned only second-hand guns, often trade-ins from the store, and we reloaded all of our ammunition for cost-effectiveness. Hunting was a necessity and we had to be successful or we would not eat, given that our hunting budget was a large part of our total budget for food!
My love of the outdoors, hunting, and guns is certainly due to my father’s influence, and that was a strong bond for us throughout his life. Eventually, dad joined the Corpus Christi Gun Club and we shot in some competition events. One of my favorite days was the first ever “Silhouette Shoot” in the mid-1970s. It involved steel targets at different distances, shooting off-hand. He won the inaugural Men’s event and I won the Junior event with my .243 Mohawk.
Early Competitions
Occasionally, I shot in a junior category of competitive skeet and trap events. However, with the likes of Robert Paxton shooting at our gun club, my success was minimal. That changed when he moved into the men’s category; he soon won the World Skeet Shoot in San Antonio, TX. Around that time, we transitioned to Remington 1100 semi-autos, favoring them over the old 870 pump shotguns. The concept of a double-barreled gun of any type wasn’t on our radar, largely due to the hefty price tag. My dad never owned one; since he mainly shot skeet, it wasn’t necessary for him.
My First Double-Barrel
Fast forward about 20 years: my wife surprised me with the gun of my dreams for our 10th wedding anniversary. Yes, it was a Browning Citori over and under with invector chokes that could shoot 3” shells – what a gun! It was my first double-barreled gun, and I still shoot with it regularly today. This experience ignited an interest in learning more about double guns, including the nuances of quality and price.
Discovering Holland & Holland Guns
Another 20 years passed before a friend of mine, Jeff Bartley, brought one of the finest English gun manufacturers into his boutique store in Dallas. That was Holland & Holland (H&H). When I saw and held some of their “bespoke” custom, hand-made shotguns and double rifles, I became instantly aware of the vast gap between these pieces and my utilitarian guns.
Building a Collection
In 2015, Holland & Holland closed their New York location, moving all their inventory to the new Dallas showroom, which became the only Holland & Holland retail gallery in America, and one of two in the world, alongside London.Â
My friend Jeff introduced me to the newly arrived store manager, Guy Davies, a genuinely kind and incredibly knowledgeable gun aficionado. We hit it off instantly, bonding over the finest collection of guns I had ever seen in one place. I realized, for the first time, that owning a vintage hand-made English Holland & Holland double-barreled, side-by-side shotgun for under $10,000 was possible. Naturally, I bought one!
Over the past 8 years, my collection has grown to include several Holland & Holland shotguns and even one H&H double rifle for big game. These items are not only individual works of art but also great investments, appreciating in value over time.
Holland & Holland Guns Today
In February 2021, Beretta Holding SA acquired total ownership of Holland & Holland from Chanel. This change included the renowned shooting grounds in West London. Despite this change, the brand’s reputation for the highest level of quality custom gun making in the world remains unaltered, with no apparent changes in operational strategy foreseeable.
Visit the Showroom
For anyone living in or visiting the USA, it is well worth making a trip to Dallas to visit the Holland & Holland showroom on Preston Rd above DeBoulle Diamond and Jewelry. Meeting Guy Davies and witnessing the incredible collection of guns and shooting accessories on display is a memorable experience that gun enthusiasts should not miss.
