Holland & Holland's Paradox Gun

Рет қаралды 176,515

2 жыл бұрын

"A paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox!"
Lt. Col. George Vincent Fosbery wanted a gun capable of firing both rifle rounds and shotgun rounds, but that left him in... a bit of a paradox. Rifle rounds need rifling and shotgun shot requires a smooth bore. What's a creative Brit to do?
The answer is Fosbery's Paradox gun. Patented in 1885 and produced quickly thereafter by London gunmaker Holland & Holland, the Paradox was a innovative thinking that would see use against small upland game birds, as well as the mighty African elephant.
This particular Paradox gun is more than just a patent. We'll cover its unusual rarity, its fantastic story, and the famous collection that housed it.
Follow us!
Facebook: / rockislandauctioncompany
Twitter: / riauction
Instagram: / rockislandauction

Пікірлер: 98

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

I don't understand why this channel hasn't more subs/ viewers (not about the 🤑 you guys do quite well I understand but just these beautiful firearms and sometimes ugly needs to be seen) . Absolutely top notch . 👀♥️

@Christensenegon 2 жыл бұрын

How can they afford it

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

@@Christensenegon How do you mean?

@hamidettahiri8541 Жыл бұрын

Jeveux.traveillercheztoi.pour.apprendre.afabriquer.des.armes.a.feux.jattends.mErcilla.

@hamidettahiri8541 Жыл бұрын

Aucontraire.Mr.jesuisla.pour.participer.

@GrumpyAustralian Жыл бұрын

Just a little information about Lt. Col. George Vincent Fosbery. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross the British equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

@scottharris6423 2 жыл бұрын

Truly a masterpiece & just takes one's breath away!!!

@sgvincent100 Жыл бұрын

Fascinating video and rifle! Grateful that the algorithm made our paths cross. Subscribed! 🫡✌🏼

@RockIslandAuctionCompany Жыл бұрын

Thanks! It's an absolutely fascinating firearm.

@Rollin_L 2 жыл бұрын

"A paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox!" Worth crediting the great W.S. Gilbert for the quote, from a trio in the second act of The Pirates of Penzance, music by Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert mentioned specific firearms a few times in his comic opera librettos, the Chassepot rifle also originally named in this same work. (Later changed to the better known Mauser rifle.) In a later work, the Maxim Gun and Nordenfelt were referenced. Though Arthur Sullivan was more the sportsman than Gilbert, in practice.

@peetsnort 2 жыл бұрын

I am the very model of a modern major general Lol The wife's doing it now at the courtyard theater in Hereford UK

@Rollin_L 2 жыл бұрын

@@peetsnort That's great to hear, and my best wishes for a successful run. We had a great G&S repertory company in L.A. for over 40 years, which toured across America regularly. It was founded and run by a Yorkshire native who was steeped in the traditional style. I spent many years as a principle with that fine company. I truly miss it sometimes.

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

I'm thoroughly convinced that Pirates of Penzance is some of the most fun you can have on stage.

@marvindebot3264 2 жыл бұрын

@@RockIslandAuctionCompany John English thinks so, he will tell you it's his favorite time in front of an audience and I doubt anyone has done Pirates more times than he.

@skookapalooza2016 2 жыл бұрын

That's very cool. I'm wondering what cartridge it chambered, besides the 20ga. shotshells.

@jeffreybabino8161 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely gorgeous looking gun

@deanmacka4975 Жыл бұрын

Cool , great gun and great history 👍

@jimbeam3280 2 жыл бұрын

Having had the pleasure of shouldering and firing a 375 H&H double rifle (not mine) I have some kind of idea of the quality of this Paradox beast. The phrase "works of art" comes to mind. As for the cost of this new in 1908 , £57 , or was it £58 back then? Was no small change. My first house, here in the UK, a 3 bedroom semi detached property, was built in 1919 . It's cost new, when built was £125. Which I think, puts costs into perspective. Fact is, high quality rifles from the likes of H&H have never been cheap, and whilst the actuall numbers regarding the cost over the years change , the cost in regard to incomes and other costs in life, pro rata , changes little. Good luck yo whomever purchases this rifle, must admit, I'm more than a little envious.

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the financial context. Interesting and makes it seem like the H&H is all that much more of a steal today.

@tonyrome655 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, beautiful firearm. From everything you were saying I was expecting the estimate to be in the 20-25k range. 9-14k seems like a bargain, not that I can afford it, lol, but still seems low for the rarity and condition.

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Right? I did not expect that either.

@somefool4625 2 жыл бұрын

The puns are killing me.

@Ennio-pi2nk 2 жыл бұрын

wonderful shotgun !

@jorgechalub8930 2 жыл бұрын

Sería muy bueno que pusieran los subtítulos en español y otros idiomas ya que muchos no sabemos inglés y soy un seguidor de su programa gracias

@d-dun-d 2 жыл бұрын

if we were only allowed one gun man this would be my choice bird or beast

@ericsprado4631 2 жыл бұрын

Would rifled slugs that we have today out perform the several inches of rifling ? It would be fun to see old results of Paradox gun..

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

Love it, Yo Joel keep it up with them bad jokes 😉🤠

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Death, taxes, dad jokes...

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

And on and on it goes , the wheel

@chaabo666 2 жыл бұрын

I also wonder about the double trigger. In the book it clearly states single trigger, but the gun looks very much like a double trigger. It would be great if we could get an answer from Rock Island.

@Waltham1892 2 жыл бұрын

A 160 pound Englishman carries his 16 pound rifle into the bush and shoots a 6000 pound elephant. Both the man and the Elephant are thrown the the ground. Whomever gets up first is the winner. If neither get up, their material possessions are divided according the rules of the jungle.

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Best comment.

@Waltham1892 2 жыл бұрын

@@RockIslandAuctionCompany I'd love to say is mine...But I heard it somewhere.

@rogervincent8314 2 жыл бұрын

that is a contest gun, once fired it is a contest to see who gets up first, the shooter or the targeted animal

@scottdomenick5530 2 жыл бұрын

I'm the second comment that can speak americanish.

@freedomofspeech2867 2 жыл бұрын

Epic

@messibill 2 жыл бұрын

Have I missed something - at 12:48 Number 2 Paradox s/n15883 is documented as being single trigger but the gun on display is double trigger??

@andybelcher1767 2 жыл бұрын

That's what I thought....

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

With the level of thorough research in the Paradox book, I have little reason to doubt it. This Paradox may have been altered at some point (barring some sort of error by the authors or an error in the documentation at H&H). That said, I have not personally verified the original trigger configuration with the H&H factory.

@chrischiampo7647 2 жыл бұрын

Now my Paradox Is What Should I Bid 😩😩😩

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

I see what you did there. 😏

@jorgechalub8930 2 жыл бұрын

Muy bueno tu vídeo saludos desde Argentina

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Hola! Buen dia.

@matthewmoody2760 2 жыл бұрын

Wouldn’t it make better sense to have one barrel rifled and one smooth bore ? Since it was to pull double duty

@ericwilliams2317 2 жыл бұрын

I've heard of a 'Paradox' gun, but never knew what it was. Now, here comes what may be a stupid question; What's the story regarding recoil? You have the normal rearward recoil, or 'kick' upon firing, but what happens when the bullet suddenly slams, at about full velocity, into the rifling. Does impart a slight, or noticeable forward pulling impact on the gun, as if to cancel out the 'kick'? If you think about it a moment. when a metal object moving at high speed down a barrel is suddenly met with a resistance as it engages the rifling, suddenly forcing it to spin and cutting into the bullets body. It is different to the almost immediate engaging of rifling with a normal rifle bullet, plus a regular rifle bullet has hardly moved any distance before it is then accelerated along the barrel. Anyone know the answer?

@MrPh30 2 жыл бұрын

Like a ordinary shotgun with Slug ammo or other shot ammo.

@ericwilliams2317 2 жыл бұрын

@@MrPh30 Hi, thanks for your reply. I do get the bit about 'shot' ammo, although you can't apply a spin to loose lead shot obviously, but when it comes to a big lead slug flying down the 'smoothbore' barrel and it then hits a rifled section and is forced to suddenly start rotating / spinning, I would imagine the sudden shock to the projectile must be enormous! BTW, I've been shooting fullbore rifles for over 30 yrs and I just don't get this idea. Perhaps I'm missing something obvious here, and H&H sure as hell know what they're on about when it comes to firearms. Little wonder it's called a 'Paradox' eh? All the best.

@johnhaylett3643 2 жыл бұрын

pity the gun does not match the book info [says in the book single trigger ,that gun is a double trigger]

@olesuhr727 Жыл бұрын

The rear trigger could be a hair trigger when shooting rifle ammunition.

@johnhaylett3643 Жыл бұрын

@@olesuhr727 yes its posible but unlikly on an english gun of this period as one of the main reasons for double triggers on shotguns/ paradox guns was to give you an instant choice of choke/load for varying situations plus if one barrel failed to fire you stil had a functioning firearm

@rickb1973 2 жыл бұрын

3:57...strange flare on the muzzle too, huh?

@superchase4106 2 жыл бұрын

Wonder why this idea hasn’t been used since...

@TheSeanoops 2 жыл бұрын

Wouldn’t a double gun with ovoid rifling the serve the same purpose? I envision a barrel with a void rifling throughout its entire length would be more effective then regular rifling at the very end of a barrel of the same length.

@ArcturusOTE 2 жыл бұрын

Isn't that similar to the Lanchester rifling, like how a lot of Russian civvie guns are?

@ishratkhan7253 Жыл бұрын

Nice video sir thanks I have paradox army London Navy gun in India

@danielburgess7785 2 жыл бұрын

Is this the same Paradox that you auctioned 3-ish years ago?

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

Any old west firearms with a know(n) story attached to it coming up?

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah. The May Premier is going to be fantastic.

@AIRRAID2 2 жыл бұрын

🤠🙏🏻👀🤤😫

@benjimenfranklin7650 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if anybody will have the money to buy one a Holland and Holland will probably cost you $100,000.

@JohnSmith-tx9ii 2 жыл бұрын

No telling how many they've sold. Probably wealthy collectors and die hard elegant hunters.

@brianwinters5434 2 жыл бұрын

Only in the 1880s was a 8 bore be considered not big bore.

@bmstylee 2 жыл бұрын

Back when men were men.

@ArcturusOTE 2 жыл бұрын

Is smokeless powder common for 19th century shotguns? I wonder if the large caliber was necessary for black powder loads?

@ZELENSKYJMUSTDIENOW 2 жыл бұрын

3:58 the barrel on the ride site is deformed ...

@kennethbriody8396 Жыл бұрын

What caliber bullet does it fire???

@beeboop1726 5 ай бұрын

It’s 20 gauge

@YameenLund-qq1zq Жыл бұрын

;eautifull gun

@sardarshabir6624 Жыл бұрын

THE WORLD BEST GUNS I LIKE THIS

@juancarlosbelletti6335 Жыл бұрын

Dichosos los norteamericanos que tienen la posibilidad de adquirir estas obras de Arte .lógicamente, para todo aquel que le gustan las armas ,sobretodo las ESCOPETAS.lo único que hacemos los sudamericanos es ver los videos de estas HERMOSAS ESCOPETAS Y NADA MAS .y les comento esto porque aunque uno tuviera la oportunidad de adquirir una de estas hermosa armas,sería prácticamente imposible dado los problemas y papeles que tendría que hacer .lamentablemente es lo que hay 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

@stevehuffman7453 2 жыл бұрын

Straight no twist "rifling = shotgun. "Rifling" to help with powder buildup, can use shot or slugs. Twisted rifling = Rifle. Solid projectiles only. Worthless with shot beyond 3 feet or so from the muzzle.

@maruzura3658 2 жыл бұрын

What did he mean by this?

@rayfoster6980 Жыл бұрын

But wait , there’s more .

@nuvityologlu8778 2 жыл бұрын

muhteşem tüfekler

@mukundram3063 Жыл бұрын

Best guns

@BAMBI243 Жыл бұрын

It’s not a screw head it’s a cocking indicator

@christrumbly 2 жыл бұрын

Haha, 9-14k I seriously doubt that. What an amazing piece of history.

@markusaralius 2 жыл бұрын

I was going to say the same thing. Bidding will blow past those figures in a heartbeat. They're just trying to lure bidders in thinking they may have a chance against the big money.

@jihadkhaled9679 Жыл бұрын

افضل جفت صيد كان عندي ومسدس ويبلي ولكن بعتهم منذ عده سنوات لعدم وجود ذخيره لهم ولحاجتي للما ل

@MegaRiffraff 9 ай бұрын

👍🏻

@scottstewart5784 2 жыл бұрын

I'll use my Venmo balance

@archangel20031 Жыл бұрын

I much rather have a Drilling as in a double barrel 12 gauge shotgun with something like 30-06 below in the middle.

@parasram3654 Жыл бұрын

@FidaKhan-vm2mn 4 ай бұрын

I seal this gun

@ThunderChunky101 2 жыл бұрын

I'll tell you right now it'll sell for a LOT more than 9-14k

@Foxpest 2 жыл бұрын

Rifle cartridge? Are you sure? The rifling was to spin the shotgun slug! A bulleted cartridge of shotgun size really?

@RockIslandAuctionCompany 2 жыл бұрын

Really! Check out a period advertisement @6:31 showing an example of the cartridge.

@user-sk6mb2bj2x Жыл бұрын

Цена токово ружья

@tomthumb2057 2 жыл бұрын

Where is the "Gun Jesus"?

@sanjursan 2 жыл бұрын

Was it a success ... or did the Fosbery flop?

@FantomWireBrian Жыл бұрын

Incredible mistake. I have a Beretta 626 Side by Side 12 gauge magnum. Using rifled slugs it does a nice group in a 4" circle at 75 yards . I've taken white tail at 100 yards a couple times. With a 3 " mag it will stop just about anything. Nice bird gun too . One of the biggest mistakes in doubles are Over and Unders. No sense at all.