I've been watching this advertisement for awhile: http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-fo...un_id=100992059

It is a nice EM Reilly 12 ga. underlever hammer gun, SN 30166 (circa 1888 per my chart on the Reilly Serial Number line). 30" Damascus barrels. With what looks to be a fair price. Two things give me pause: The weight at 7 lbs 7 Oz...and cylinder bore for both barrels. With that weight and no chokes, I would assume that original 32" barrels have been cut down to 30" and that it was originally a classic pigeon gun. Would that be a fair assumption?

I would not assume that gun was made for pigeon trap shooting. However it is the clone of my 1907 Army/Navy, that was probably made by Webley. High stock, same weight, 30” barrels (fluid steel) and no choke. My gun though has 11/4 oz proofs and 23/4” chambers. Have you confirmed the barrels are cut? I have wondered the same thing about my gun: why configure it the way it is without choke? Makes no sense to me. It is a great dove gun and will break clay targets at impressive distances but I credit modern ammo for that. I am far from an authority but if it was made to shoot at the traps i would think it would have had choke. Furthermore taking two inches off the barrels would probably not have reduced it to cylinder bore. I’m interested in what others have to say.

You could ask for a picture of the proof marks.

Ken

You're right of course Ken. I just did; we'll see.

A couple things that seem against it being a pigeon gun. First, the 2.5" chambers. Then also, it has the standard game rub or file/machine cut, and it doesn't have much engraving. None would rule it out as being one, but it looks more like a slightly heave game gun to me.

You could be right. I've kept records on over 150 Reilly shotguns though, and most are in the 6 lb range. My own 12 ga hammer gun with 30" Damascus barrels is 6 lbs 2 oz. This gun is a pound and a half heavier. Reilly was known for pigeon competitions in the 1880's. Anyway, we'll see what the dealer says.

Here's a real deal Reilly Pigeon gun - 8 lb+ weight - 3" chambers; choked - with game rib (makes me wonder if the above stock is a replacement):
A 12-bore hammer pigeon gun by E.M. Reilly & Co., no. 23355
Toplever, rebounding backlocks, percussion-fences, best foliate scroll-engraving, traces of hardening-colour, the well-figured stock with chequered ebonite butt-plate, the damascus barrels with game-rib engraved E.M. Reilly & Co., Oxford Street, London & Rue Scribe, Paris
Weight 8½lb., 14&3/8 in. pull (14&1/8 in. stock), 32in. barrels, approx. 5/8; & ¾ choke, 3in. chambers, London nitro reproof
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24227/lot/462/?category=list



On the gun for sale, the very haphazard engraving of the Reilly name and address on the rib is oddly out of character for the company.

That rib is also out of character for a pigeon gun IMHO.
O.M

No reply from the seller...We'll never know unless a Michigan member happens to wander by the seller's shop.

The indifferent engraving of the rib not 1 year after EM Reilly's death will make me look at the quality in all the Reilly guns after SN 28,000 or so. It could just reflect the "entry level" model however. Reilly sold all levels of guns..

Argo,
If you are interested in it, I could look at it for you. Eis and I will be passing by Hampels in Traverse City in a few weeks.
Karl

Thanks Karl, I don't think I'm interested except academically. I don't collect. I have my Reilly that I love to shoot...and I wouldn't mind perhaps having a 16ga Reilly hammer gun...(I was a danged a bi-stander when Terry Buffum was selling his collection) - but that's about it.

As you can see, I've been compiling a book-load of information on Reilly...maybe something will come out of the research - at least some of the shadows have been lifted from a prominent UK gunmaker who never had a book written about him and was subject to a lot of mis-information. So if you wander by that gun, I'd like to know more. Thanks again. Gene Williams.