I was contacted by a member of this forum with a Durs Egg .500/.450 double rifle that he had traditionally dated between 1869 and 1880 because of the Egg address on the rib. It has "Henry Patent A&T 555 and 556 on the barrels. I should think tthe barrels on the Egg were stamped with their patent use numbers very close to the two 1874 Reilly's above, their use numbers being within 150 of each other. So something comes out of this - i.e. the Egg BPE was probably delivered 1874-75.
-- 1) Egg would serial number his guns when ordered
-- 2) The barrels would be selected and presumably serial numbered when picked up? Did A&T mate them and file them? or did Egg?
-- 3) the barrels would sit in the Egg shop and the action be built around them?
-- 4) Egg could have completed the gun anywhere from 1874-75?
So the gun would have been ordered in circa 1874...the barrels selected and serial numbered shortly thereafter (had to be 1874 - see below re Reilly)?
(Reilly prided himself on building and delivering a gun in 3 months...a little easier to figure out).
It also makes me think that these three low Patent use numbers in 400-550 range, were not a mistake. I'm wondering if there were two Henry Patent use number chronologies, one starting in 1860 and continuing on to 1878 or so. And a second starting when the Patent was renewed 1873-74 time frame. Donald Dallas might know.
Last edited by Argo44; 03/27/20 11:07 PM.
