I love the little extras that might be included in a case. Most recently along with some desirable cleaning tools I became the new owner of a Colley Fore-end Elevator. This little accessory is made of steel covered in leather.
What was your favourite case discovery? Sometimes these are not gun-related at all.

Good accessory. Enjoy it!

Pherhaps, the most beautiful gun case with accessories I've ever seen: an E. M. Reilly & Co.



Regards!

I purchased a W & C Scott box lock 16 gauge from a seller on the east coast. When the box arrived I was amazed to find it in a very high condition leather hammer gun case. The original owner’s name was embossed on the leather case and the initials on the Scott were the same. I happened to have looked a long time for a nice case for one of my hammer guns to no avail.....until this showed up at my doorstep...and free!

campero, I don't believe I have ever seen a cased gun with so many cased accessories. It must weigh nearly 40 lbs. when full!

I do appreciate the old early wooden cases made before they began covering them with leather or canvas.

SRH

campero, that is truly a magnificent case with all those accessories. Plus very hard to find them now in that condition.

It takes more accessories with a rifle shotgun combo.

I just hOpe the resident Reilly psycos head doesn't explOde when he sees it.

Not exactly gun cases- but a tip if you like. I've purchased several used shotguns over the years, M12's, Ithaca, Fox, Smith with recoil pads. I got in the habit of removing them, just for kicks I guess, as the M12 3" Mag had a shorter stock lop, and the older solid red factory pad- I wanted it a tad longer, and when I shone a pencil flashlight into the bored bolt access stock hole, Lo and Behold, I fished out a crumpled up $50 bill- Grant and all. I also removed the lead weight, as I shoot somewhat better with muzzle heavy shotguns, at least on waterfowl.

I bought a Swiss Schmidt-Rubin, and when I removed the steel buttplate, a Swiss Military ID card fell out, and a folded letter to, I assume, his family-- dated 1945, and in German.

Best story, no firearms related, but Mae and I were in Nashville, at Gruen's Guitar shop, where I bought a second hand Gibson Sunburst acoustic guitar-with battered case. When we got home, I opened the storage department, set of Black Diamond strings, a few hardpicks, a capo, and a folded up envelope-- 2 clear plastic baggies, partially fill of white sugar-like powder, a union card, and $300 in bills- sure helped to pay for that old Gibby- I flushed the white powder down the toilet. And as I paid for the guitar in cash folding money, no trace to me in case the former owner came back to retrieve in-or st least the case. RWTF

Ese conjunto del rifle E. M. Reilly tiene que ser �nico. Los expertos de esta casa podr�n contarnos m�s cosas.

Zorro, �qu� maravillosas historias has vivido con esas compras! Una suerte.

�Salud!

do hit make coffee too?

I had a case with a paper document certifying the gun had been proofed, or reproofed in the London Proof House. I have never seen the paper document. Guess the paper gets lost over time.
In the same case was a 1930's hunting licence from Ceylon. It was a rather large page with lots of signatures (all in English) and official
looking verbage. Most interesting was the notation that the limit of tigers was one per day. No wonder the tigers are endangered.

I've known of that Royal Reilly for years and have commented previously on it.
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=436538&page=54

The Reilly is SN 25161. And there-in lies a conundrum. That gun was numbered in mid 1883. The case has an inscription indicating it was given as a shooting prize by King Alfonso XII in 1880. So how come the gun is made in 1883?

Something is strange here - perhaps the order was delayed; or put in after a couple of years of forgetfulness, or maybe the original was stolen and 25161 was commissioned as a replacement. Who knows? Qui m'o sabe (per Tanto).

Then again the family that wound up with it were "cattle dealers," who had relationships with a notorious bandit (j0e's type of people, but much more organized, energetic and effective, not just sitting around west-Tennessee-like, scratching butt while toking on meth and swilling shine):

Here is the original advertisement. Lots to read between the lines.

http://auctions.holtsauctioneers.com/asp...4&saletype=
Estimate �15,000-20,000
E.M. REILLY & CO.
A RESPLENDENT CASED PRESENTATION 12-BORE SIDELEVER BAR-IN-WOOD HAMMER RIFLE AND SHOTGUN GARNITURE, serial no. 25161,

25 1/2in. black powder only bold damascus rifled barrels with raised finely file-cut rib, open sights and two folding leaf sights marked for 50, 100 and 200 yards and with fine acanthus scroll detailing and gold-inlaid sight lines, bead fore-sight, the breech end with feathered bands and a single gold line, the tubes gold-inlaid 'E.M. REILLY & CO. NEW OXFORD ST. LONDON. AND 2. RUE SCRIBE. PARIS.', individual fore-end with Anson push rod release catch, the iron retaining much original colour-hardening;
-- 29 3/4in. black powder only fine damascus barrels, raised rib with scroll detailing and gold-inlaid 'E.M. REILLY & CO. 502. NEW OXFORD STREET. LONDON & RUE SCRIBE. PARIS.', the breech ends with feathered bands and single gold line, individual fore-end with Anson push rod release catch, the iron retaining much original colour-hardening;
-- sidelever action with Purdey 1863 patent double bite, carved percussion fences, rebounding bar locks by Stanton, bar-in-wood, standing breech with fine beaded border engraving, the action, lockplates and furniture profusely engraved with fine acanthus scrolls, the top tang finely inset in gold with the crest of Alfonso XII, the lockplates gold-inlaid 'E.M. REILLY & CO. LONDON.',
-- the triggerguard tang gold-inlaid with the serial number, retaining much original colour-hardening,
-- 14 1/4in. well-figured stock with sling eye, blank gold oval escutcheon and including horn buttplate, weight 9lb. 1oz. (rifle barrels) and 7lb. 3oz. (shot barrels),
-- in its fine brass-cornered oak and leather case with blue velvet lining, fully fitted to house a virtually full complement of reloading tools (some ivory-handled) by Hawkesley and Dixon, with Greenfield crimping tool and fine scroll engraved capper/de-capper and roll turnover tool with E.M. Reilly & Cie. (London & Paris) markings, the lid interior embossed in gold leaf with the makers details, the lid exterior mounted with an ornately carved and engraved frame, with central crowned monogram for Alfonso XII and brass banner pierced with 'CONCURSO DE TIRO DE 1880'

Provenance: The crests on both the gun and the case refer to Alfonso Francisco de Asis Fernando Pio Juan Maria de la Concepcion Gregorio Pelayo, King Alfonso XII of Spain. Born November 1857, died November 25th 1885.

Alfonso reigned as Monarch from 1874 until his untimely death from illness in 1885. His coming to power, upon the abdication of his mother, Queen Isabella II marked the end of the first Spanish Republic, established following the 'Glorious Revolution' in 1868 which saw the monarchy forced into exile.

His rule was popular and peaceful and he, together with his Prime Minister were responsible for ending the civil war and drafting a new constitution designed to restore stability and economic growth to Spain.

His interest in shooting was undoubtedly influenced by time spent in England, and having experienced the sport of driven partridge shooting (introduced in England in around 1854) he was responsible for introducing the first partridge drive in Spain just south of Toledo in 1880.

We are kindly informed by the vendor that the gun has been in the possession of the family since it was purchased by his Great Grandfather, Mr Juan Agudo Valero in the 1880's.

His livestock business brought him into social circles of all levels, from contact with Royalty to a long lasting friendship with Manuel Mejis, a top bullfighter popularly called 'The Black Pope' and even extending to a friendship with Juan Camargo Gomez - a notorious bandit, known as 'TheVivillo' (to whom Juan sent emergency funds when forced to flee to Argentina to escape arrest)

The gun was commissioned by King Alphonso XII and gifted as a prize for a 'Throw' shooting competition (Live Pigeon match) by the King in 1880. Family tradition has it that the gun was won by an auspicious military man who was did not hunt or shoot as a pastime; the prize was bought from him by Juan - perhaps as a future gift for a person of influence. However, the gift was never realised and the gun has been passed down through the family ever since. (WTF??? - how can you win a pigeon shoot without hunting or shooting being a pastime??)

It has only been out of their direct possession once until now, being buried in the courtyard of the family home during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 (where the light damage to the case externals was accrued).

Reilly began advertising a connection to first the Portuguese Royal family (around 1876) and then about 1881 to the Spanish Royal family and the King of the Netherlands.

1881 Bradshaw advertisement:


Interesting that Reilly chose to emphasize on the accoutrements his Paris branch (which only sold retail and took orders). Again, Reilly was an Irish Catholic and was snubbed by the UK Royal Family in 1862...It could be this was an effort to reinforce the Catholic connections to France, Spain and Portugal:

I told you his heAd would spin around.

Argo44, an incredible and outstanding shotgun and rifle combo. Thanks for the info!

Sadly Ergo44 will try and turn this thread into an O'Reilley education thread....

Did you know that Argo44 (the resident Alabmam'ba Skallywag) is possessed by the ghost of E.M. Reilly ?

A "Tanto" is a Japanese sword-- Tonto was a Indian buddy of the Lone Ranger-- Sabe, or the verb, Sabes- first person declarative is Spanish for "To know"- as in knowledge of a person- El Zorro

Kemosabe - still a mystery.
https://slate.com/culture/2013/06/kemosa...one-ranger.html

I picked up a Baker Gun and Forging Co. shipping box , made of wood. Along with this was a "possibly" Baker trunk style case with a fine Baker A Grade with period accessories. In this case was a note in pencil saying not to shoot modern shells as the writer had heard they were dangerous for the gun. The note was signed "Dad". The A Grade of this era was actually made for smokeless powder and I used one to hunt with last fall. Also in the case was this "tool", an aluminum .060" thick piece. Marked Victor Bicycles Lead. I don't know what it may have to do with the gun, but maybe someone can answer.

Gun-related? No. Interesting? Depends. Peculiar? Definitely.

Here is a (nearly full) tin of mercury ointment for treating syphillis. It was found in a case for a Casimir Lefaucheux pinfire gun of very small gauge, possibly a 24. How and why that was in there is anyone’s guess. The case was complete with key, cleaning rods, brush heads, two different pull-throughs, and spare (used) cartridge pins for reloading, but sadly minus the gun. Though faded and with letters missing, the lid inscription reads “Lefaucheux Inventeur 37 Rue Vivienne Paris”. Casimir Lefaucheux moved to this address in 1850, before he died in 1852.

Lots of "blue ointment" references in the Patrick O'Brian "Aubry and Maturin" seafaring novels...Geo

I would love to see picture of the rest of the case and stuff in it.

Also, here is info on those particular pins:

Apart from the obvious, could it have been used to remove lead from barrels? I have heard of liquid mercury being used to remove leading from bores.

Yep, blue Ointment was commonly used for lead removal due to the mercury content, so one would wipe the bore with it and let stand overnight, .... a patch the next day cleaned out the lead. Was very common with bullseye handgunners.

Maybe the blue ointment connection was that both syphlis and breech-loading were a "French Disease" :"...let me caution the whole world against using fire-arms that are opened and loaded at the breech-end — a horrid ancient invention, revived by foreign makers, that is dangerous in the extreme, and by which I have just heard (April 29th, 1844) of a man being killed by the very gun that I condemned when in Paris in 1841." (Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hawker "Instructions to Young Sportsmen in All That Relates to Guns and Shooting ", Ninth edition, 1844.)

Markus

How interesting. Thanks for that tidbit.

This is the case, AAronN. I'll take better pictures of the contents.