doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reilly 28 ga. SxS at Southam's - Original Pinfire?

The reality is that this very nice 28 bore hammer gun is not valuable enough to justify the disproportionate and very considerable costs of export from the U.K. and import to the States.

Other than insurance the cost is likely to be the same for a Baikal or Boss.

If anyone is interested I suggest they contact Paul Roberts at J. Roberts and Son +44 (0) 1403 741786 - Gunroom@jroberts-gunmakers.co.uk who could give a ball-park estimate of the likely costs of the exercise over and above the purchase price,

Southam's has gotten back to me. The address is indeed 277, Oxford Street London as expected; no Paris address but this is not unusual. They said once they have gun in hand they will forward photos of the SN. I expect this was a "sampler" gun - a small bore UK shotgun used to take birds for taxidermy collections without blowing them apart. Whatever, thanks to Southam's for replying.

Kirby Hoyt at the Vintagers on Friday said in fact any FFL can import up to 10 guns a year; the expenses charged by most though are exorbitant and unwarranted. He said check with "Simpsons Ltd" in Iowa. . .who he said has reasonable rates. SKB also gave me a good price last time.

Wayne Hurt has another stunning 28ga hammer gun for sale!

Southam's has added additional pictures of the 28 bore. Normally a Reilly SN is found on the tang, water-table, barrels and on the fore-arm. This SN 24716 is found on the tang, nothing on the action-flats, but there is what appears to be the sn on a flange of the lump ("716"can be discerned)., There is 'BNP" under a crown on the water-table. Not sure who this is.

BNP stands for Birmingham Nitro Proof

The Laminated Steel barrels carry the original 1868-1875 London proof; 29 bore = .543" - .549"
It was reproved in Birmingham in 1980 (FB in the circle) and now 28 bore = .550" - .555"
At 3 TONS = service pressure of 8,960 psi = 618 BAR by Burrard's conversion

Thanks Dr. Drew. Since the SN is from 1882-83, I'm going to assume the barrel proof marks are those from 1875-87 and therefore there were no chokes on the original barrels thus no "not for ball."

Perhaps it is valuable enough to export. The 28 bore Reilly hammer gun just made a hammer price of £2,500 (so the purchaser will being paying about £3,025).

From the auctioneers comments there seemed to be quite a number of doubles being bought be American bidders.

For a gun estimated In the original advertisement to go for £350 - 500, that is a hefty increase. Impressive.

I was going to snap it up if it stayed below 1200. But it quickly exceeded my max bid.

I was a bit surprised the Purdey 14 bore went for as little as it did.