A Historic Holland & Holland Royal Grade Double Barrel Nitro Express Rifle, Used by Big Game Hunter, Adventurer and Author A.S. Mather in Circumnavigating the Globe, 1907-08

Serial no. 17987, .500/.450 nitro express caliber, 26-inch side-by-side barrels with matted quarter rib, express sights dovetailed onto rib, with two folding leaves, graduated for 200 and 300 yards; solid blade rear graduated for 100 yards. Dual front sight dovetailed insert at front of ramp, with tiny ivory bead on blade, and with larger ivory bead inset onto copper mount (manually pivots up into position as needed). Double triggers, checkered front; plain rear; extractors; gold inlaid cocking indicators; automatic safety. Blued, with case-hardened locks, breech and fore-end mounts. Right barrel inscribed at breech: HOLLAND & HOLLAND, 38 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON. Left barrel inscribed at breech: WINNERS OF ALL THE "FIELD" RIFLE TRIALS, LONDON. Bottom of barrels at breech with matching serial number 17987. Bottom of each barrel lug with various proof and maker markings, including: "450EX", "CORDITE 70 - 480 MAX", crown over GP, crown over V, and crested NP. Water table of frame marked with serial number, and crown over V proof marking. Each sidelock engraved: HOLLAND & HOLLAND. Bottom of frame engraved within decorative cartouche: CHARGE/70 GRAINS CORDITE/.500/.450/CASE 3 1/4 INCHES. Gold oval escutcheon plaque inlaid on bottom of buttstock, with engraved initials: A.S.M. Gold inlaid SAFE on upper tang. Matching serial no. marked on inside surface of fore-end mount and engraved on triggerguard tang. Profusely scroll and border engraved, with elegant strapwork motif; coverage on sidelocks, recoil shields, pistol grip cap and compartment lid, frame, triggerguard, and fore-end mounts. Twist style fore-end latch. Oil-stained select walnut checkered pistolgrip stocks; crescent cheekpiece on left side of butt; sling swivels; rubber Silver's recoil pad; sling swivels. Four small numbers stamped on bottom of buttstock, behind pistolgrip cap. Pistolgrip compartment includes two extra firing pins and ivory blade front sight. Weight of approximately 11 lbs. With brassbound leather covered case, in which the rifle is enclosed assembled; green felt lining; cleaning rod. Top of case with tooled inscription: "A.S. Mather". Overall length 50-inches, 4 1/2-inches deep. Accompanied by two leather and cloth cartridge pouches, containing nine solid .500/.450 cartriches in one and five soft-nose cartridges in the other; pouches designed to fit onto the hunter's belt for easy access.

Condition: Very good to fine. Brown patina to barrels; gray patina with traces case-hardening on locks and breech, as well as fore-end mounts; wear, light nicks, patina and light pitting. Stocks with wear, minor nicks; buttpad worn and with abbrasions. Bores fine. Missing hood for front sight. Cartridge pouches showing use, stains from cartridges, each of which shows patina, discoloration.

Note: Page 351 of volume two of Mather's detailed two volume work on his travels (see below) is headlined: "Two Men's Outfit for Three Month Shoot in Africa, and Notes." Page 353 lists: "Battery, Etc.", which commences with the most important and powerful of his arsenal: "1 500/450 Cordite (Holland and Holland) with cartridge belt, and 100 rounds of soft-nose and 30 rounds of steel cartridges; and case". The only other firearms listed were 9mm Mannlicher, a .33 Winchester (a Model 1895 lever action), a .318 Wesley Richards accelerated express rifle, a 12 bore ball and shotgun and a 45" Colt automatic revolver (likely the New Servicie). The quite detailed "Two Men's Outfit . . . " runs through page 357.
Comparison should be made between Mather's book, and Theodore Roosevelt's African Game Trails - also a two volume work, with details of hunting and trophies, and a listing in the back of the second volume detailing the battery taken on the trip, as well as similar details of supplies, equipment, etc. Roosevelt is noted in the index to Mather's book, and it is possible that TR was aware of Mather's expedition, and hunting experiences. Mather cites numerous writings and experiences of other hunters, not a few of them also known to Theodore Roosevelt (among them F.C. Selous).
Amasa Mather was a nephew of John Hay, who was President Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of State. It is therefore highly likely that Roosevelt was aware of Mather's extended hunting expedition, and his African safari. Since Roosevelt enjoyed learning of African hunting from others who preceded him, there may have been some contact between Mather and TR prior to the departure of the President and Kermit in 1909.

Provenance: Rifle noted from time to time in Mather's book, even recording that he took shipment in Hong Kong, November of 1907: ". . . my 450 rifle . . . . has reached me here at last!"
Holland & Holland factory ledgers record Mather's rifle as follows, heading: H.C. Phipps/WB 13/215. Data listed as: ".500/.450 DB hammerless rifle top lever top safety; 26" steel barrels. Pistol hand & cheekpiece recoil heelplate.
Bend: 2 1/4 + 1 5/8
Length: 14 3/4
Cast off 3/16 + 3/16 + 1/8 + 5/16 . . . Weight of rifle 10-8 [lbs]; [weight] of barrels 5 - 13 1/4 [lbs]
Pulls 4 + 5.
Finished @ factory 17/10/05; Memo C.232 6/3/05. Shot & regulated with 70 grains Cordite 365 grain S.N. bullet - Kynoch Nitro . . . . Sights 100-200-300 yards."

A.S. Mather, Extracts from Letters Diary and Note Books, 2 volumes, published in a limited edition of 150 copies for private distribution, and printed by The Arthur H. Clark Company, Cleveland, Ohio, 1910. Volume I, 458 pages, illustrated; volume II, 436 pages, with index for both volumes; extensive bibliography. Most of the references to hunting are in volume I, though a major section in volume II deals with Kenya (pp. 237-365). A list of game and location taken in Kenya (pp. 364-365) includes 33 different species.

Descended from historic figures in colonial America, Increase and Cotton Mather, and from a long line of distinguished Americans, Amasa Stone Mather graduated from Yale University in the spring of 1907, and in June "started together on a trip around the world" (quoting from the foreword, by Mather's father, Samuel). Young Mather was accompanied by his friends and classmates, Hervey Bates Perrin (Indianapolis IN), Arthur Purdey Stout (New York NY), and Gilbert Little Stark (Saginaw, MI). The trip would last until December 1908, and only three would return - Stark having died enroute, in Mangalore (India), of black fever. The expedition visited several countries, chiefly Japan, Korea, Formosa, China, Mongolia, Manchuria, Siam, Singapore, Sumatra, Ceylon, India, Java, Kenya and Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, France and England - all thoroughly recorded by A.S. Mather's two volume treatise. The intent was to hunt at every opportunity, and numerous shoots are described. Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, leopard and lion were all hunted in Kenya; the express rifle was regularly used, and several trophies were taken.
Citations to the Holland & Holland are found on several pages, including (from volume I): hunting tiger and other game in the Cooch Behar jungle (p. 122), killing buffalo (228), wild boar (231-232), a record buffalo (236), elephant (239), killing leopard (260), Kenya hunting (318-325), and so forth. There are several photographs showing fallen game, including a trophy Yak or water buffalo (p. 225, the .500/.450 rifle leaning against the fallen beast). Mather's team for his Kenya hunting numbered no less than 40, including 30 native porters. His professional hunter was none other than Leslie Tarleton, who would later play a role in the Theodore Roosevelt Expedition.
The Mather book pre-dates the historic 11-month safari of President Roosevelt and his son Kermit, in 1909-10. Roosevelt's African Game Trails was also a two-volume work, but deals in greater detail with the collecting of specimens, primarily for museums, and with descriptions of game. The Mather narrative, nevertheless, is a rare instance of a detailed early work by an American hunter internationally. By specifically documenting his treasured .500/.450 Holland & Holland, Mather preceeded TR doing the same thing - for a virtually identical rifle. The Holland was also the most valuable object taken along on the lengthy expedition.

Estimate: $20000 - $30000