doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Eley’s Entry into Breechloading Cartridges

Just posted a new article on Eley's earliest breech-loading cartridges and the thoughts about them by British sportsmen:

https://aaronnewcomer.com/the-birth-of-british-pinfire-eleys-entry-into-breechloading-cartridges/

Thank you for the article. It greatly expanded what I know about pinfires and their adoption in the UK.

It sure seems like “The Field” served the role that shooting forums on the internet do today.

Chris

In my own small world, I think of myself as a pinfire expert, but Aaron is constantly coming up with pinfire related things that I don't know or have never heard of. That is really a finely researched and written article. Thanks, Aaron

Thanks Aaron. To help expand on the topic a bit here is the chapter from the Reilly history on cartridges which covers some of the same subjects. (Aaron provided the photo of the Reilly pin-fire rifle cartridge dated 1855). There are three additional points which might be interesting.

-- By 1859, French cartridges and hulls were available throughout the UK.
. . . . . . . . . *42g .1859, Shotgun and Sporting Rifle, by Stonehenge, p.287

. . . . .. . . . . *42m 02 March 1859, “the Field”


-- As of late December 1857 UK manfactures were not serious about producing pin-fire shells.:
. . . . . . . .. . *42g EM Reilly letter to “The Field,” 20 December 1857.


-- And 3, at least by 1865 Eley appeared to have solved it’s problems by technology with its Green cased cartridges (this was right on the cusp of the introduction of practical "central fire" shells with Eley managing to break Pottet's French patent for center-fire shells and in 1866 the patents for center-fire primer caps by American Beerdan in March and and Brit Boxer in October).
. . . . .. . . . . *42p 1865 Reilly advertises selling Eley hulls specifically for the first time: 21 Dec 1865 :”Pall Mall Gazette”:


*42 Reilly Cartridges and Ammunition Following is a cursory look at Reilly’s involvement in the cartridge business, which came to be a major revenue producer for him. Specialists in cartridges may have more information on the subject.

For the first five years of Lefaucheaux pin-fire history in the UK, 1854-1860 the majority of the shells and shell hulls used were imported from France. There is a Reilly 12 gauge rifle pin-fire cartridge dated 1855 probably imported from France.*42a The French hulls of course were meant to be reloaded. During the 1858 trials a young Reilly employee was designated to do this task to assure all guns had equal charges, demonstrating Reilly’s involvement in the reloading business.*42b

The principle UK maker of shells and ammunition Eley seems to have begun offering pin-fire shells in early 1858; the first Eley ad for a breech loading cartridge is 02 January 1858 (possibly for a rifle such as a Prince) and the first specifically for a pin-fire shotgun in May 1858.*42c These Eley cartridges initially received bad reviews per letters to the Field.*42d.

In a letter he wrote to “The Field” in December 1857, EM Reilly complained about hide-bound practices of the UK cartridge establishment and the inability of UK ammunition makers to manufacture pin-fire shells even when given complete examples, plans and drawings.*42e By that time Reilly was guaranteeing access to ammunition for gentlemen who bought his pin-fires.*42f

In an 1859 book by the editor of “The Field” the author “Stonehenge” pointed out that even at that late date at the very end of decade, French shells could be found in every town in UK and were clearly predominant.*42g

By 1858 it appears that Reilly, frustrated with Eley and possibly influenced by France, saw a marketing opportunity and had made the decision to go into the shotgun shell manufacturing and sales business. Reilly from the beginning of his involvement with pinfires, mentioned “cartridges” in his advertisements for breech-loaders. However, the first stand-alone mention in a Reilly advertisement of cartridge’s being sold appeared in June 1859.*42h Who made the cartridge casings for Reilly is unknown. It is possible that he imported them from France under contract with his name stamped on the base, or he may have found a local manufacturer.

Note: A drawing of a Reilly cartridge which appeared in a book published in early 1860 shows a pinfire 12 bore cartridge with only "Reilly" stamped on the case much like the 1855 12 bore cartridge pictured above.*42i The name of the company changed to E.M. Reilly & Co. circa Feb 1859.*42j. This may indicate that Reilly was filling and selling his own cartridges in 1858-early 1859.

Centripetal Machine: In 1861 he patented a new machine for crimping shells called a “centripetal device.”*42k This patent was renewed twice in 1891 and 1892.*42l



Cost of pinfire cartridges: In 1859 “Stonehenge” recorded the cost of French pin-fire cartridges, 2£ 10s per 1000 cartridges. In modern dollars that would be around $450 for 1000 cartridges, an average of about $11.25 per box of 25, $.45 per cartridge.*42m. (Cheaper than RST today).

Reilly continued to manufacture and sell his own shells for the next 40 years making the jump to marketing centerfire hulls and cartridges around 1865. This was apparently a significant stream of income for the company. Reilly shells (in centerfire format) have been found in archeological digs including an investigation of an old whaling station in New Zealand*42n and in Saskatchewan, Canada.*42o By the 1890's he was providing buyers with options on smokeless powders.*42p.

There is some question about if and when he began to use Eley as a source for his cartridge hulls; the Reilly cartridges unearthed in the archeological dig in Canada allegedly were made by Eley (no pictures to confirm this).*42q. However, in 1868 Reilly definitively for the first time advertised the sale of "Eley's best quality green case" cartridges (50 shillings per thousand empty; 150 shillings per thousand loaded with proper charge). Years later In 1899 Reilly again began advertising the sale of Eley cartridges in his store. This was perhaps an acknowledgement that his cartridge business had succumbed to the weight of specialized mass production.*42r.

Thanks Aaron. Got it in email and sent to friends that never have seen a pinfire cartridge.