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=========*19 Early 1850's: Custom Guns & Munitions TEXT ==========

*19 Reilly in the early 1850's: Custom Guns and Munitions

Reilly was making custom explosive bullets for famous hunter/explorer Sir Samuel Baker as early as 1853 when Baker wrote his book The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. Baker in 1874 edited the book adding, “For many years I have been supplied with first rate No 10 rifles by Messrs. Reilly & Co, of Oxford Street, London, which have never become in the slightest degree deranged during the rough work of wild hunting.” *19a Sir Samuel continued to use Reilly rifles for the next 30 years.*19b

By 1856 Reilly was also marketing Col. Jacob’s SxS rifle, a muzzle loading gun designed by Jacob for use on the hot Sindhi plains. It was a short barreled gun but allegedly could reach out 1,200 yards and had a sword bayonet fitted to it. Jacob’s rifle also used an exploding bullet, made by Reilly among others.*19c

Years later in 1869 E.M. Reilly patented an exploding bullet, an idea possibly originating from his experience in working on the Baker and Jacob’s rifle cartridges (discussed in a later chapter).*19d

=======*19 Early 1850's: Custom Guns & Munitions END TEXT ========

=======*19 Early 1850's: Custom Guns & Munitions FOOTNOTES ========

*19 Reilly in the early 1850's: Custom Guns and Munitions

. . . . .*19a 1854, edited 1874: The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, by Sir Samuel Baker: Reilly was building explosive bullets for Baker in 1854 and made rifles for him for 30 years.

. . . . . . . . . .Excerpt from 1874 edition of The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon:


. . . . . . . . . .Sir Samuel Baker


. . . . .*19b 1880 Bradshaw travel guide advertisement:


. . . . .*19c 1855: Col. John Jacob’s gun: Reilly also made explosive bullets for Col. John Jacob, legendary British leader of Pashtun cavalry "Jacob's Horse" in the 1840's-50's (Jacobabad in Pakistan is named after him) in the mid-1850's for his double barreled rifle which allegedly could reach out 2,000 yards. His cavalry (he was still in Persia) made a historic march to relieve the siege of Delhi in the 1857 mutiny. His grave is maintained in Jacobabad with almost cult-like status.

. . . . . . . . . .Gen Jacob


. . . . . . . . . .1857 Anglo-Indian Almanac

. . . . . . . . . .Illustrated London News


. . . . . . . . . .Jacob’s Gun



. . . . .*19d 1869: Reilly Exploding Bullet Patent:
REILLY, EDWARD MICHAEL 1259 23/04/1869 Improvements in explosive bullets and in the apparatus for making them.

. . . . . . . . . .Reilly 1869 Exploding bullet tools:


=====*19 Early 1850's: Custom Guns & Munitions END FOOTNOTES ======

===========*20 Reilly numberING Bore Sizes TEXT ===========

*20 1855: Reilly Numbering Bore Sizes before the 1855 Proof Law

In 1855 the British government required that bore sizes be stamped on barrels; Reilly, however, along with Greener and Manton, appears to have been amongst the very few gun makers stamping bore sizes for years before the formal requirement. There are several extant Reilly's with bore size stamps dating back to the early 1840’s.*20a

=========*20 Reilly numberING Bore Sizes END TEXT =========

=========*20 Reilly numbering Bore Sizes FOOTNOTES =========

*20 1855: Reilly Numbering Bore Sizes before the 1855 Proof

. . . . .4573 (early 1840’s) (Photo Terry Buffum)


. . . . .5512 (1845-47) (Photo Gene Williams)


. . . . .2008 (early 1847-56) (Photo "Wootang" BBS)


=======*20 Reilly numbering Bore Sizes END FOOTNOTES =======

=============== *21 1855: Paris Exposition Universelle TEXT=================

*21 1855: Paris Exposition Universelle

Reilly exhibited at the 1855 Paris Universelle Exposition,*21a where he received much acclaim, "all guns were sold," and "many orders were booked." The exhibit was again in the name of E.M Reilly**21b; however, advertisements make it very clear that though EM won the medals, the firm was still "Reilly, Gun Maker."*21c

In some ways the 1855 Exposition was nearly as important for the UK gun-making fraternity as the 1851 Crystal Palace exposition. Lang won a gold medal (for excellence of construction) for his center-break pin-fire, an “improved” version of the Lefaucheaux gun.*21d Lang’s gun used a single bite lump while Lefaucheaux’s guns clearly used a double bite design although Lang reinforced other aspects of the gun.

Lang’s success apparently convinced both Reilly and Blanche, close collaborators and pretty prescient (credit E.M,?), to research, construct and market the guns during the next year with dramatic results. This will be discussed further in chapter 23 – Origin of the UK pin-fire and 24 – Reilly begins to make pin fires.

For the record, In the mid-1850’s Reilly’s foreman was named fnu “Le Gerant” per an advertisemtnent for a rifle for sale on consignment.*21e ("Le Gérant" of course means "the manager" in French....thus this may not be a name at all..just another expression of Reilly's Catholic francophilia).

============= *21 1855: Paris Exposition Universelle END TEXT===============

========== *21 1855: Paris Exposition Universelle FOOTNOTES ============

*21 1855 Paris Exposition Universelle

. . . . .*21a Paris Unverselle Exposition


. . . . .*21b Reilly entry


. . . . .*21c 1855 Reilly ads in 1855
12 Feb 1855 London Daily News


25 May 1855 Home News


14 Dec1855, London Daily News (rare J.C. stand alone ad but with 502 New Oxford Street):


. . . . .*21d Lang gold medal for worksmanship from the 1855 Paris Universelle – taken from his 1865 trade label:


. . . . .*21e Le Gerant, Reilly manager?
16 Aug 1856 – A gentleman hawking his breech-loader through Reilly.


======== *21 1855: Paris Exposition Universelle END FOOTNOTES ==========

Jumping forward three or four years because the next several posts deal with the fallout from the 1851 Crystal Palace fair - break-action breech-loaders.

============= *22 1857: J.C. Reilly retires TEXT ===============

*22 September 1857: J.C. Reilly Retires; January 1864 he passed away:

In September 1857 J.C. Reilly retired*22a to his country estates at Bourn End, Cranfield, Bedfordshire,*22b where he died a wealthy man in January 1864.*22c E.M. was one of the executors of his will.*22d His last guns in the "7000" series were engraved with Julius Caesar's words "Vini, Vidi, Vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered")*22e possibly as his swan song story of his life. "Formerly Gun-Maker, London" was placed on his tombstone at his request.*22f

Speculation: J.C.'s retirement appeared to have been quite abrupt. At the time the debate over center-break breech-loaders, a French invention, divided families and flame wars raged in the British press. One wondered if J.C., the traditionalist, broke with his son E.M, a very early proponent of the Lefaucheux break-action gun, over this issue - much like what happened between the Greener's father/son a few years later. However, based on 1855 advertisements in "The Field "broke" is not the correct word - rather a more accurate description of JC's retirement should be something like, "JC surrendered the field to his son."*22g

=========== *22 1857: J.C. Reilly retires END TEXT =============

=========== *22 1857: J.C. Reilly retires FOOTNOTES =============

*22 September 1857: J.C. Reilly Retires; January 1864 he passed away:

. . . . .*22a Sep 1857 J.C. announces his retirement: 02 Sep 1857 edition of "London Daily News


. . . . .*22b Bourn End: Voting records, picture:
1858 Bedfordshire voting records:


1861 Census:


. . . . .*22c Death certificate: (Sally’s ancestry.com page). £7,000 in 1860 would be worth about $1,400,000 today.


Probate:


. . . . .*22d J.C. Reilly’s Will: (Sally’s ancestry.com page)



. . . . .*22e Veni Vidi Vici found on J.C.’s “7000” series guns over the period 1854-1857.


. . . . .*22f J.C.’s Tombstone (Photo from Sally’s Ancestry.com page)


. . . . .*22g 15 Sep 1855, “The Field”: JC discusses passing sectors of gunmaking on to EM.


=========== *22 1857: J.C. Reilly retires END FOOTNOTES =============

================= Pause 2 and Questions ==================

PAUSE-2: We're about 3/10th of the way through the Reilly documentation. I just want to check to see if there are any objections so far. To reiterate the evidence above appears to show that:

1st phase 1812-1847: - above
-- Reilly began making guns around 1828 in addition to dealing in quality used guns.
-- By 1831 he was selling guns in the white to country dealers
-- By 1835 he was possibly selling guns in the white to London gunmakers.
-- He was a pistol maker as well as a long-gun maker
-- In 1835 he moved to 316 High Holborn.
-- About 1837 he quit numbering pistols but continued to assemble and engrave them
-- He did the same with air guns in the 1840's. E.M. was billed as the expert,
-- His son E.M. may have become a full partner in the firm in 1840 at the age of 23.
-- He was boring his own barrels as early as 1837. *(Not sure in spite of claims: this to be discussed further on Chap 35 Reilly Barrels)

2nd phase 1847-1857 (minus break-action information):
-- 1847 Reilly moved to 502 New Oxford Street.
-- A New label was used for a few months
-- A label was created Dec 1847 which continued to 1856.
-- Mainline serial numbers jumped up 5000 numbers from about 3350 to 8350 with the move in 1847.
-- J.C. kept SN's for himself as early as January 1846..called the "7000" series ending in 1857 with his retirement
-- EM represented the company at the 1851 and 1855 World's Fairs.
-- Though they had different entries in Post Office and Manufacturing anthology books at the time, J.C. and E.M. mostly used the same advertisements, worked from the same building and used the same trade/case labels.
-- The company made custom guns and munitions for famous hunters and military heroes in the 1850's.
-- J.C. retired in 1857 - he died in 1864.

Welcome other observations. (I have a lot more material but I can think of several questions I'd like to have answered myself). Thanks

(And by the way, why post obvious historical documentation? Simply because the gun world is filled up with urban-legend and "It was said so it has to be true" "oral or internet history." When this line began to be researched in November 2015 contradictions immediately surfaced and the author decided to "go back to primary source material and take nothing for granted.")

================= Pause 2 and Questions ==================

======= 1852-56: Pin-fire Guns in UK; Part 1 - Hodges & Lang TEXT ========

*23 1852-56: Break Action, Pin-Fire Guns in UK., PART 1, Hodges & Lang

This is not meant to be a detailed recounting of how Lefauceaux’s break-action pin-fire breech-loader conquered the UK and changed gun history. However, the facts must be reviewed in brief so that Reilly’s part in it can be understood.

Castor Lefaucheaux took out a patent for a break action gun in France in 1836. Several of these guns made their way to the UK over the years but were generally ignored or regarded as curiosities. However, at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exposition, Lefaucheaux showed a single barrel pin-fire center-break gun per above.*23a It created a lot of interest. Lefaucheaux did not take out a patent on the design in UK so it was free for the taking. The gun was rediculed by many of the UK gun establishment, in particlur William Greener (senior), who called it a “French crutch gun.”

However, a young 18 year old apprentice gunsmith named Edward Charles Hodges*23b especially took notice. Following the closing of the fair, he embarked on a project to build a copy of the gun, which after some time was completed, probably one speculates in late 1852. It Is not known how he did this; did he buy a Lefaucheux (unlikely) or did he handle the gun and carefully take measurements and sketches? Over the following few months he worked to convince Joseph Lang to make and sell the gun. There is no information on when Hodges completed his trial gun; neither he nor his sons ever commented.

Joseph Lang had started out in the 1820’s essentially selling guns Joseph Manton sent to him on consignment. When Manton went bankrupt in 1826, Lang bought his left-over stock, barrel borers etc. For the next 25 years he made guns at 7 Haymarket Street, London.*23c By 1830 he had created a 28 yard shooting gallery in a neighboring building which became well known and even advertised access to two billard tables for his customers.*23d

In 1852 he moved his shop to 22 Cockspur Street where the company remained until 1874.*23e Joseph Lang died in 1869 and his firm was subsequently run by his son. Probably in 1853 after his move Lang finally succumbed to Hodges’ entreaties, bought Hodges' gun, and began working on the center-break concept. By early 1854 he had a working gun ready for sale which followed pretty much the design of Lefaucheaux’s original gun although beefing up parts of it. He also tried to make it look as much like a percussion gun as possible, with wooden fore-end, etc., no doubt thinking that familiarity in looks would help its acceptance (credit Steve Nash). His gun, however, used one bite on the lump, where Lefaucheaux’s original concept used two. (Steve Nash)

Note: The original guns apparently did not have forcing cones in front of the breech following Lefaucheaux examples; British gunmakers soon changed this.*23f In addition per the comments there was the distinct possibility that Lang early on was using Liège made barrels, perhaps with lumps, and that this continued into 1856-57.

In a pamphlet he published in January 1857 to hawk the pin-fire Lang wrote that he had been shooting break action pin-fires for three years.*23g This would seems to indicate that he began shooting his own guns in early 1854, which is as good a guess for the date of his first pin-fire gun as any and also accepted by pin-fire scholar Stephen Nash. The earliest extant datable Lang pin-fire is from 1858. One well-known British gunsmith has stated that he believes he may be able to locate two Lang pin-fire center-break guns with bills of sale dated to 1854. However, no documentation has been forthcoming.

Lang continued to refine his gun and in 1855 he showed it at the Paris Exposition Universelle and won a gold medal for “excellence of construction.”*23h Interestingly, from 1854-1856 very few Lang advertisements for the pin-fire, indeed none all, can be found by this author, although the gun was discussed regularly in "The Field."*23i Nevertheless, a storm of controversy, a print “flame war,” erupted in the British press over the concept with a very conservative group of gun owners adamantly maintaining that the “crutch gun” could not stand up to strong charges of British powder with a few equally strong willed upper-class users touting its convenience, safety and general viability.*23j

Note: Lang later comes across as insufferably arrogant, witness his 1858 advertisements for his guns compared to the "rubbish" being produced by others*23k, and a written exchange he had in June 1859 with the editor of "The Field" over whether he was going to submit guns for the July 1859 "The Field" trial breech-loaders vs muzzle loaders.*23l


===== 1852-56: Pin-fire Guns in UK; Part 1 - Hodges & Lang END TEXT======