Few companies adapt to a changing world and remain relevant centuries after their founding, but gunmakers have a talent for it – and none more so than London’s Holland & Holland.

It was 170 years ago that tobacconist Harris Holland began dabbling in guns at his shop on King Street in London’s Holborn district, and the company he built is still thriving – not only producing its traditional products but maintaining its reputation for breaking new ground and developing new designs, allowing it to remain at the pinnacle of world gunmaking.

When writing about Holland & Holland, one is tempted to dive into a sea of superlatives. But since buckets of ink have been expended over the years describing its past, let’s look at where the company stands today…