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Eleven top-tier shotguns with an RRP spread of nearly £249,000 between the cheapest and the dearest with a figure attached: Fieldsports Journal’s guide to the world’s finest guns, published on 29 September, reads from the trade side as a map of where the top of the UK shotgun market prices itself in autumn 2026, and of who brings each gun to the British counter. It runs from Purdey’s Damascus model sidelock at £249,600 down to an £890 Mossberg pump-action, taking in Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, John Rigby & Co., Karl Hauptmann, Beretta, Perazzi, Rizzini, Caesar Guerini and Fabarm along the way.
The 11 guns are the Fieldsports Journal team’s selection rather than the results of a test. Each is listed with its price and its maker or UK distributor. Prices are those supplied at the time of publication and may since have changed; note that some are quoted inclusive of VAT and some exclusive.
For the dealer the routes to market are the useful part. Of the 11, six are listed direct from the maker (Purdey, Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, John Rigby & Co., Karl Hauptmann and Fabarm) and five through a UK distributor or importer: the Beretta DT11 EELL through GMK, the Perazzi High Tech Game through Perazzi UK, the Rizzini BR552 ‘de Luxe’ Special through ASI, the Caesar Guerini Invictus ArtCo SG Specialist through Caesar Guerini UK and the Mossberg 590 Mariner through Viking Arms. The VAT basis matters at the counter too: most figures are inclusive, but the Holland & Holland and the Hauptmann are quoted exclusive and the Westley Richards is on application.
Bespoke Best guns from Purdey, Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, Rigby and Hauptmann
Purdey The Damascus model Sidelock s/s
A side-by-side sidelock from Purdey, sold direct and priced from a starting figure to the customer’s specification.
RRP: From £249,600 inc VAT
Holland & Holland Royal Over & Under
An over-and-under from Holland & Holland, sold direct and quoted exclusive of VAT.
RRP: From £175,000 exc VAT
Westley Richards Hand-detachable lock shotgun
A side-by-side from Westley Richards, sold direct and priced on application.
RRP: POA
John Rigby & Co. The Rigby Rising Bite shotgun
A side-by-side from John Rigby & Co., sold direct at a fixed ticket.
RRP: £137,310 inc VAT
Karl Hauptmann Triple shotgun s/s/s .410
A three-barrelled .410 from Karl Hauptmann, priced in euros and exclusive of VAT, so the sterling figure moves with the exchange rate and the duty treatment.
RRP: €120,000 exc VAT
That is the bespoke tier, and none of it passes through a UK distributor: four British houses and one Austrian, each selling direct, and only Rigby, of the British houses, publishes a fixed figure; the Hauptmann is a flat €120,000 before VAT. For the trade it is a reference point rather than a stock decision; the volume in this guide sits below it.
Over-and-unders, side-by-sides and a pump-action from £890 to £19,181
Beretta DT11 EELL
An over-and-under from Beretta, listed through GMK, its UK distributor.
RRP: £19,181 inc VAT
Perazzi High Tech Game
An over-and-under from Perazzi, listed through Perazzi UK.
RRP: From £13,273 inc VAT
Rizzini BR552 ‘de Luxe’ Special
A side-by-side from Rizzini, listed through ASI.
RRP: £7,866 inc VAT
Caesar Guerini Invictus ArtCo SG Specialist
An over-and-under from Caesar Guerini, listed through Caesar Guerini UK.
RRP: £6,895 inc VAT
Fabarm Grade IV Sporting
An over-and-under from Fabarm, listed direct from the maker.
RRP: £5,950 inc VAT
Mossberg 590 Mariner
A pump-action from Mossberg, listed through Viking Arms and the one gun in the guide under £1,000.
RRP: From £890 inc VAT
Read as RRP bands, the guide gives the counter three tickets to work with. Under £1,000 there is the Mossberg through Viking Arms. Between £5,950 and £7,866 sit three Italian over-and-unders and side-by-sides through Fabarm, Caesar Guerini UK and ASI. Between £13,273 and £19,181 sit the Perazzi through Perazzi UK and the Beretta through GMK. Above that the list moves to six figures, to euros or to application, and out of the distributor trade altogether. Four of the eleven guns are British-built, one is Austrian, five are Italian and one American, and the five distributor lines are all Italian or American.
Top tier shotguns at a glance
| Gun | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Purdey The Damascus model Sidelock s/s | Side-by-side sidelock | From £249,600 inc VAT |
| Holland & Holland Royal Over & Under | Over-and-under | From £175,000 exc VAT |
| Westley Richards Hand-detachable lock shotgun | Side-by-side | POA |
| John Rigby & Co. The Rigby Rising Bite shotgun | Side-by-side | £137,310 inc VAT |
| Karl Hauptmann Triple shotgun s/s/s .410 | Three-barrel .410 | €120,000 exc VAT |
| Beretta DT11 EELL | Over-and-under | £19,181 inc VAT |
| Perazzi High Tech Game | Over-and-under | From £13,273 inc VAT |
| Rizzini BR552 ‘de Luxe’ Special | Side-by-side | £7,866 inc VAT |
| Caesar Guerini Invictus ArtCo SG Specialist | Over-and-under | £6,895 inc VAT |
| Fabarm Grade IV Sporting | Over-and-under | £5,950 inc VAT |
| Mossberg 590 Mariner | Pump-action | From £890 inc VAT |
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive shotgun in this guide?
The Purdey Damascus model sidelock side-by-side, from £249,600 including VAT, followed by the Holland & Holland Royal Over & Under from £175,000 excluding VAT. The Westley Richards hand-detachable lock shotgun is price on application. All three are sold direct by the maker.
What is the least expensive shotgun in this guide?
The Mossberg 590 Mariner pump-action, from £890 including VAT, listed through Viking Arms at vikingshoot.com. The least expensive over-and-under is the Fabarm Grade IV Sporting at £5,950 including VAT.
Which side-by-side shotguns are in the guide?
The Purdey Damascus model sidelock, the Westley Richards hand-detachable lock shotgun, the John Rigby & Co. Rising Bite and the Rizzini BR552 ‘de Luxe’ Special, plus the Karl Hauptmann triple shotgun, whose three .410 barrels sit side by side.
Do the prices include VAT?
Not all of them. Most prices are quoted inclusive of VAT, but the Holland & Holland (from £175,000) and the Karl Hauptmann (€120,000) are quoted exclusive of VAT, and the Westley Richards is price on application. Compare like with like before quoting a customer.
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