This 8 bore Reilly shotgun SN 21945 (1879) is for sale at the 8 December Gavin Gardner auction:

http://gavingardiner.com/BidCat/Sea...Submit+now.y=8&Submit+now=Submit+now
E. M. REILLY
AN 8-BORE HAMMER GUN, NO. 21965
36-inch damascus barrels with 3 1/4-inch chambers, about 1/4 and 3/4 choke borings, the rounded frame, rebounding back locks, hammers and rotary underlever with fine scroll engraving, 14-inch figured stock including rubber recoil pad, 10lb. 2oz., nitro re-proof
S58
£3500-4500

The same gun sold in 1972 as "stock, action, forend" with "barrels available":

The forend, stock and action (barrels available) of an E.M.Reilly & Co. London 8 Bore, double barrelled hammer wildfowling gun, Serial No. 21965. Back action locks with rebounding hammers, engraved with panels of scrolling foliage. straight grip stock. Weller & Dufty 03/10/1972

How were the barrels rehabilitated over the past 50 years? Was reproofing the only issue with the 1972 advertisement? I was sort of under the impression that "barrels available" was pretty much a death sentence for them.

Gene,

Back in the day, it was not a problem to give out of proof barrels to a gunsmith to re-bore and re-proof or re-sleeve if the original tubes were too far gone to save.

Unfortunately it was found that some less scrupulous purchasers were re-selling or exporting out of proof guns leading to the proof house insisting that auctioneers cut the sides of the barrels at 9 inches so they are only fit for re-sleeving.

If you own an out of proof gun, there is nothing (apart from the cost!) to stop you getting it rebored and re-proofed a bore size or two up,

Keep Well

Parabola

Thanks you sir.

So this Reilly pair on Holts...with Belgian barrels but with the original Damascus available except #1 is out of proof, can't be saved? Even if the buyer were to commission Holts to go through the reproofing process before delivering the guns? (date of these guns is 1894 not "circa 1900" - Holt's doesn't want to use the chart).

https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...++1362+&refno=++172327&saletype=
E.M. REILLY & CO.
A PAIR OF 12-BORE PERKES 1886 PATENT SIDELOCK EJECTORS, serial no. 33263 / 4,
circa 1900, 28in. replacement nitro barrels (in 1981, Belgian proofed), ribs engraved '1' and '2', 2 1/2in. chambers, bored approx. 1/4 and 1/2 choke, actions incorporating Thomas Perkes patent 10679 of 1886, use numbers 183 and 239, action faces with Scott patent 'gas check' vents, use No. 3645 and 3837, (No.1 ejectors require attention), toplevers engraved '1' and '2', automatic safeties with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' details, protruding tumbler pivots, fine border and acanthus scroll engraving, retaining traces of original colour-hardening and finish, 14 1/2in. stocks including 1 5/8in. wooden extensions, weight 6lb. 13oz., in their makers slightly distressed leather case

Other Notes: The original damascus barrels are available for both guns, but the barrels for Gun No.1 are out of proof and will only be released cut as per Proof House guidelines

Sadly, no.

It would have been open to the vendor to have the work done before entering the guns for sale IF the state of the bores and wall thicknesses permitted, but even so he could have decided that any increase in value would be outweighed by the likely cost and the risk that the No. 1 action could be damaged in the Proof test.

At the estimates shown there is little headroom for the costs of gunsmithing and re-proof.

Parabola

It would have been better for a buyer to have seen the pair on Guntrader.uk and made a deal with the seller to have the Damascus barrels looked at, repaired and reproofed (if possible) before selling privately. It seems a shame to deface such a nice side-lock pair of guns just because they are sold at auction.

Argo44,
I'd be surprised if Holt's (or any other auction house)would be interested in
taking-on such a project.

Holt’s will (or did) submit seller’s guns for proof, as I remember when they were holding their auctions in Hammersmith and looking for a gun in my list of things to see being told “it’s still at the Proof House” but that was generally rifles and relatively straightforward for clean barrels that being ex-service or personal imports lacked a recognised civilian proof.

If they felt that a vendor had a set of barrels that were sufficiently sound to justify the expense, delay and risk to the rest of the gun I am sure they could arrange for a gunsmith to do the work IF the customer wanted.

Often the economics and the end result in added value will still rule against that course. What might make sense for a Boss or Purdey might not for a less valuable make, even if of equal quality.