Presumably gunsmiths could make a patent themselves under license, pay the royalties and stamp the royalty number. Or the patent device could be bought from the patent holder in complete order. I was looking at early Westley-Richards made boxlocks and they did not stamp a patent use number on their own guns, just the A&D patent. Some makers insisted on requiring a look at their patents made under license by other gunmakers; others seem to have sold blocs of numbers. This is a rabbit hole I've gone down before and there is no easy answer.

However, it is documented that the Henry rifling patent was extended by Parliament in 1874 for four years. Likewise the Whitworth compressed fluid steel patent was extended for 5 years in 1879.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

I can't explain 1888 Reilly's with A&D patent use numbers in the 6-7000 range, and the two 1991 guns with patent use numbers in the 11-12,000 range unless Parliament extended the patent. If this were done, there will be a record.
left - 32769 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .right 32974
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

I asked Diggory and he really didn't address the issue completely, stating that actions could have been stamped with a patent use number, then stockpiled/not used for several years. However, if this were the case for the two Reilly 1891 gun, the numbers would have been in the 7000 range.

Last edited by Argo44; 03/26/23 12:12 PM.
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