doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1995 Reilly double-rifle. Patent? Proof Marks?

Southams has graciously added pictures of the Reilly stock/action/forend SN 26885. Several are posted below. I do not know what a Greener Facile Princeps action looks like. However, this does not look like a box lock. And, If this were an A&D box lock it would have the A&D Patent use mark,

This has a patent use mark G(?)&N patent 2003(?) use# 635. This use number is quite low. Would appreciate some advice on the action and on what the patent stamp is referring to. It may merit an addition to the history. This is a very handsome action, fully engraved and was obviously a Reilly high-end gun. Thanks.
https://www.southamsauction.co.uk/a...alse&sd=0&pp=48&pn=1&g=1

Looks like an FP action to me, you can see the tips of the hammers through the front lug recess in the watertable, the gun cocks via an extension on the lump of the barrels like an FP does. The top-lever sure is odd though.

Buckstix's gun. Greener Royal G grade with patent 2003. Is this patent a follow-on to the Greener 1880 patent 930 for the facile princeps? Is it a separate patent? For what? Is the small elephant a Greener trademark? (Birmingham proofs on the Greener - London proofs on the Reilly).



Edit; Mystery solved: Greener's ejector patent No. 2003 of 1881. However, is the Reilly using Greener patent 930 as well? No stamps. Wonder if Greener might have any records of actions licensed to be produced by others or actions sold to other gun-makers?
https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=238361

G.& N. stands for Greener and Needham’s patent (see my Cameleopard thread) and if I remember correctly relates to the ejectors which were a Needham design.

The gun at Southams is certainly a Facile Princeps, note the tips of the cocking bars at the back of the forward lump slot, and the stud for the “jumping Jack” top lever hold open.

Note also the Westley Richards style dolls head top extension and sliding bolt (as on the gun I owned Reilly no. 30227).

The elephant on Buckstick’s gun is indeed a Greener trade mark.

Thanks Para and SKB. Those were very educational posts. I've sent the conclusions to Southam's and have included the Reilly date chart. This text has been added to the History chapter 71:

XI: Reilly – 1880’s:
. . .71. 1882: Selling Off The Rack

In addition to the A&D boxlocks mentioned above Reilly may well have sourced two other actions from Birmingham:

, , ,-- Scott 1878 patent 761 “Triplex” action often used with Perkes crystal cocking indicators; This action was pictured on the January 1882 Reilly advertisement introducing guns sold off the rack. Extant serial numbered Reilly’s using the Triplex Action, all of which have Scott patent use numbers, include SN’s 24736, 25038, 25039, 26733, 27385, 27446, 27644, 27853, 27854, 27853.



. . .-- Greener 1880 patent 930 Facile Princeps action often coupled with the G&N 1881 patent 2003 - ejectors. There are three extant examples, all highly engraved and finished; They are all proofed in London vice Birmingham for the Greener FP's and none of the Reilly's have the Greener elephant trademark stamp: SN 25883, 30227, and one whose SN has not been published.

Not realising that Gene would succeed in inveigling Southams into posting photos of the markings on the action, I splashed out a £2 minimum bid on this stock and action,to see what it might reveal.

I have just increased my collection of early boxlocks by 1/2 a gun.

For those worried about my sanity I am NOT planning to commission a new set of FP barrels.

Wow!! Just amazing. That seems a very attractive action and engraving. A new set of barrels should be easy to get. . .he he.:). (Turkey maybe).