doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com UK patent - "JP" use # 1432 - 1878 gun

According to Nigel Brown's book they were going from 1862 to circa 1920 and he just lists them as Barrel Makers. I have a couple of Rook Rifles with the A&T stamp on them. Lagopus�..

Here's another Reilly SN 17364 from 1872, five years before this gun, with "J.P. Patent 1037"....advertised by Holt's:

https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=A0919+++1808+&refno=++143166
E.M. REILLY & CO.
A 12-BORE PUSH-FORWARD UNDERLEVER HAMMERGUN, serial no. 17534,
29 3/4in. nitro reproved fine damascus barrels, wide rib engraved 'E.M. REILLY & CO. NEW OXFORD STREET. LONDON.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. true cyl. and 1/2 choke, push-forward underlever, carved percussion fences, action flats marked 'PATENT ACTION' and 'J.P. PATENT 1037' (likely referring to J. Purdey patent double bite, patent no. 1104 of 2nd May 1863), rounded bar, rebounding sidelocks with engraved faceted hammers, fine acanthus scroll engraving with feathered bordering, 14 1/2in. highly-figured stock (crack to left underhorn and at head to rear of right lockplate) including horn buttplate, weight 7lb. 4oz.



Holt's seemed to think the Patent use number number was for Purdey Patent 1104. However, I'm wondering if it in fact were for that snap-action under-lever. (Unfortunately no picture of the stamp.) That might make sense since Patent 1104 should have expired before SN 21369 (the gun in question) were made. (I tried to compile a chart of all Reilly guns which had a Purdey patent 1104 use number to check to see if it was consistent. It rapidly fell apart, but perhaps this was because I was mixing 1104 use numbers with that snap action patent.)

The Purdey second-pattern thumb-hole action is pictured here - not the snap lever pictured above which looks to be basically a Daw spin-off design. So back to square one? Or did Purdey make the snap-action under-lever without the thumb hole?

I'm sure the "J.P Patent" on the original subject gun is not/not for Purdey's Pat 1104. That Patent expired 01 May 1877. Here is the last Reilly with that 1104 patent which includes use number 4928. It is SN 20623, which the Reilly chart would date to April 1877 (now used as a "sanity check" date marker) - (not from the use number itself...but the fact that it has a use number).