doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - "Advent Of The Small Bore Gun"

There were notices in spring issues of Breeder & Sportsman regarding a Parker Bros. publication
https://archive.org/details/breedersportsma651914sanf/page/n180/mode/1up?view=theater

which then appeared in the October 3, 1914 issue
https://archive.org/details/breedersportsma651914sanf/page/n225/mode/1up?view=theater

It appears to be an abbreviated version of Parker Brothers' “The Small Bore Shotgun” which was published c. 1915
http://parkerguns.org/pages/PDF%20Documents/Small%20Bore%20Shotgun.pdf

Edwin Hedderly had published his first of many articles promoting small bores (and Parkers) in Forest Stream, December 26, 1908 “Twenty Bores for Duck Shooting”
https://books.google.com/books?id=ejQevDPMUIYC&pg=PA1018&vq

Nov. 13, 1909, “Small-bore Guns”
https://books.google.com/books?id=l0kcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA790&lpg

A few more
Arms & The Man 1915, “Loading Small-Bores”
https://books.google.com/books?id=BX07AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA158&lpg

Recreation 1917, “Handloading for Small-Bore Guns”
https://books.google.com/books?id=4uVQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA97&lpg

Outdoor Recreation 1919, “Loading Small-Bores”
https://books.google.com/books?id=BX07AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA158&lpg

Field & Stream, Nov. 1921, “Sixteen” – Or “Twenty” Which
https://books.google.com/books?id=UPtAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA704&lpg

and

T.H. Grant, Forest & Stream, December 1915
https://books.google.com/books?id=lRMcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA711&lpg

Forest & Stream, Nov. 1918 “Keener sport with the 20 gauge gun”
https://books.google.com/books?id=b91JAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA663&lpg

Outers’ Recreation, July 1921 “Seventy Years Experience With 20 Gauge Guns”
https://books.google.com/books?id=hns7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA76&lpg

Parabola is right and the origin of the small bore certainly goes back to Joseph Manton. This article in the 15 Feb 1879 edition of "Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News" mentions a Reilly 20 bore that that was one of "Wildfowler"'s favorites (referenced in the Reilly history)... but it makes clear that Manton was at the origin of the idea.

Interesting sounding gun Parabola. Do you happen to recall the serial number?

Not to divert another line to my history but this .410 SxS side lever hammer gun is the one Reilly I should have gone after. SN was 25851, early 1884. I seem to recall 28" barrels.

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/shotguns/reilly-em/hammer/410-gauge/side-lever-180723174108286
Beautifully scaled little 410 hammer-gun ( collectors piece ), reproofed 2007 and very rarely fired since ! bores in particularly good condition , unusual to find a 410 with Damascus barrels -- top rib reads E M Reilly & Co 16 New Oxford Street, London & RUE SCRIBE PARIS . metric bore measurement 10.50mm in both tubes and estimated chokes LH 1/4 RH 1/8 with the chambers being 2 1/2"