Can anyone tell me in which year an E.M Reilly & Co. side lock SxS ejector Serial# 33950 gun would have been made.

Also what should be the address on the rib.

Thanks

I don't think any records of the company have survived. From a catalog I have which announces the buying of the company by "Riggs for Sports", that must have occurred shortly after 1900 as the bicycles shown are very early.

Oberndorf, my E.M. Reilly & Co. boxlock is numbered 35472. Terry Buffum told me in 2003 that it was the highest number he'd noted in his research, and that it likely dated to the early 1900s...Geo

PS: My gun's a 'sleever' so it has no address on the rib.

Oberndorf

I cannot be of help with the serial #

Address 1 - 12 Middle Row, Holborn
Address 2 - 316 High Holborn
Address 3 - 502 New Oxford Street, London
Address 4 - 315 Oxford Street (277 Oxford Street) & 502 New Oxford Street (16 New Oxford Street)
Address 5 - 295 Oxford Street
Address 6 - 13 High Street, Marylebone
Address 7 - 2 Rue Scribe, Paris; 29 Rue du Faubourg, Paris.


In 1847 father and son moved to 502 New Oxford Street London

In 1859 J C Reilly became Reilly & Co and moved to 315 Oxford Street (later named "Armoury House"), Joseph Manton's old premises and next door to James Purdey. E M Reilly stayed at 502 New Oxford Street. In 1860 Edward M Reilly became Edward M Reilly & Co.

From 1870 to 1874 E M Reilly & Co traded from both 502 New Oxford Street and 315 Oxford Street, and in 1869 Edward started trading as E M Reilly et Cie at 2 Rue Scribe, Paris; reportedly, this shop closed in 1872.

From 1875 to 1882 E M Reilly traded only from 502 Oxford Street leaving J C Reilly on his own at 315 Oxford Street. In 1881 315 Oxford Street was re-numbered 277 Oxford Street (Purdey was at 314-315 which, possibly because of sub-division and re-arrangement of the shopfronts/building, he called 314 1/2, it became 287-289).
The re-numbering of Oxford Street included No. 502 New Oxford Street which was re-numbered to 16 New Oxford Street.

At some time between 1884 and 1898 E M Reilly opened another shop in Paris, this time at 29 Rue du Faubourg, St Honore. When it closed is not known.
In 1898, on the death of his father, Edward inherited his father's business and closed at 16 New Oxford Street.

In 1903 a new shop was opened at 295 Oxford Street as 277 was to be rebuilt.

In 1911, probably on the retirement or death of Edward Reilly, the firm became a limited liability company, the directors of which were H Reilly and C W Roberts. In 1912 they moved to 13 High Street, Marylebone.
315 Oxford Street (277 Oxford Street) & 502 New Oxford Street (16 New Oxford Street)

If it has Nitro-proof Maximum in the proof marks it dates between 1896-1904.

Thanks everyone for the info.

The address is "E.M. REILLY & CO. 16. NEW OXFORD ST. LONDON"

It has nitro proofed fluid steel barrels & 2 1/2" chambers.

I am assuming it was made around 1900. Someone told me that there was a time when Reilly's were considered good guns.

I have and do own several Reilly guns. All those I have owned have been high quality hammer guns.

However, the name is no indicator of the quality of a particular gun. The gun will tell you if it is good by assessing it carefully.

This is especially true once you get past 1880 and into the 20th century hammerless era, as more and more makers were choosing ready-made guns from the big Birmingham factories at whatever grade a customer may want, or stocking their sop with a number of guns in a range from (for example) second to fifth quality.