doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E.M. Reilly; History; Chronology; Serial Numbers

========== *35 1859-1900: Reilly Sells Wholesale FOOTNOTES ===========

*35 Reilly Selling to Militia & Gun Clubs at Wholesale Prices

. . . . .*35a - Early advertisements for Wholesale militia:
. . . . . . . . . .1859: Volunteer Services Gazette:

. . . . . . . . . .1860; Rifles and Volunteer Militia


. . . . .*35b 03 Jun 1993 - "Volunteer Services Gazette"


. . . . .*35c 1860 advertisement rifle clubs: - "A genealogy and Heraldry Dictionary of the British Empire" - Burke.


. . . . .*35d Wholesale on Reilly labels:
. . . . . . . . . .1876 Outlier label for 502 New Oxford Street

. . . . . . . . . .1885 Outlier label for 502 New Oxford street


======== *35 1859-1900: Reilly Sells Wholesale END FOOTNOTES =========

======== 1860-61: Reilly Making Complete Guns; Using Others' Patents TEXT ========

*36 1860-61: Reilly Making Guns, All Parts, Using Others’ Patents, and Making Guns Under License:

During this time frame Reilly in advertisements claimed to be making every piece of every gun he serial numbered in his two workshops on Oxford Street and invited customers to "view the progress of their order."*36a This would make Reilly one of the very few "vertical" gun companies in London. (Adams and Colt are the only other two that this writer knows of and Adams had major connections to Liège). The London (and Birmingham) gun trade at the time relied for the most part on out-sourced parts and materials, which were assembled and finished in-house.

Note. Haris Holland posted a similar advertisement in "The Field" in 1858.*36b It's entirely possible that Reilly was allowing customers to view only the "assembled/finished" parts of small arms manufacturing; this said, Reilly's manufacturing spaces with his two buildings dwarfed that of Haris Holland at the time.

In an article about Reilly leading up to the 1862 London World’s Fair, Reilly clearly explained his manufacturing and business philosophy: He was not wedded to any particular design; And he made others’ patents that he deemed commercially viable. This was the company business model for 30 years but it was spelled out quite definitively.*36c

How the patent license fees were paid, how much a patent license fee cost for individual patents, and how they were numbered remains a mystery of the London gun trade. One of the possible reasons for building another maker’s patented gun under license might have been a question of time. Reilly worked faster than other London gunmakers. If a client wanted a Dougall lockfast or a Brazier action on his gun, Reilly would make it or buy it and install it from the maker (but it would cost extra).*36d

====== 1860-61: Reilly Making Complete Guns; Using Others' Patents END TEXT ======

= 1860-61: Reilly Making Complete Guns; Using Others' Patents FOOTNOTES ==

Note: This is a key period for Reilly. His involvement early-on in making pin-fire's and his technological risk-taking on other breech loading rifle systems and his opening of a new Manufactory made the company especially dynamic. There are some 20 collected references to Reilly building guns in the 1850's-early 1860's, testimonials, assertations, attestations, comments by authoritative writers, etc. These can be posted as needed.

*36 1860-61: Reilly Making Guns; Using Others’ Patents; Making Guns Under License:

. . . . .*36a – Reilly building complete guns:
. . . . . . . . . .14 April 1861, “Bell’s Life”

. . . . . . . . . . 28 Sept 1861, "Bell's Life"


. . . . .*36b – Haris Holland claims the same thing...unlikely.
. . . . . . . . . .24 April 1858, “The Field”


. . . . .*36c - 17 Aug 1862 "Bell's Life" - review of guns at the 1862 London World's Fair – Reilly makes whatever



. . . . .*36c - 06 Jul 1867: "The Field" - discusses the low prices, and excellence of Reilly made guns and the fact that the"Field" author personally used one in India:


. . . . .*36d - 1862 London Exhibition advertisement: Advertisements for selling Reilly with multiple patents from others including Lockfast and Brazier locks and costs.



= 1860-61: Reilly Making Complete Guns; Using Others' Patents END FOOTNOTES =

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Again, this is being replayed so people who have not read the fragmented meanderings of the research during the first 60 pages of this line, or didn't want to go through the now 20 pages of the history, can read it paragraph by paragraph, and see why it was written as it was with the footnotes. It makes challenges to the research easier and more focused.

We are now up to 1861. Pin-Fire sporting guns are the rage, 1853 Enfield rifle-muskets are money-makers with the WBTS, breech-loading rifles are being experimented with, and a host of UK gun makers are working on all sorts of revolutionary patents. The Jones under-lever will soon be free, Daw is working on center-fire concept and Henry rifling is making inroads in the rifle area. Reilly is riding high with his new factory at 315 Oxford Street and pretty much feeling his oats. Before moving on to 1862 London Exposition and the rest of the 1860's, here is what will be reviewed over the next several posts:

-- Reilly stocks
-- Reilly barrels
-- Reilly engraving

-- Reilly Pistols and handguns
-- Reilly cartridges
-- Reilly swords, bayonets, and cutlery
-- Reilly accessories

-- Reilly clientele
-- Reilly employees

Reilly financial connections to Liège and Birmingham might be looked at further, but that might be a bridge too far.

The objective is to identify what made-up a Reilly gun at this time and to better define the company's revenue streams. Again, sorry if this is pedantic, the book is being written or rather re-written here. If you all object to any of this, let me know. This is peer review and I pay attention to what is said, even to slights because there may be truth there. I'll research it further (and I have a lot of information stockpiled).

Gene Williams

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What was the extent of em reilly estate when he died it must have been massive.

This was to have been posted later. When E.M. died in July 1890 he had about £9,000 in "personal assets" = today to about £12,300,000 ($16,250,000). He had two freehold buildings in London, 16, New Oxford Street and 277, Oxford Street (possibly held by the company) and a farm in Cranford, Bedford County, in addition to the machinery, guns in stock, (again probably company held) etc. His will was quite sparse though compared to J.C.'s (posted above). And the business of his "reputed son" has to have effected his oldest Edward Montague.

From Sally's Ancestry.com page:

9000 in 1890 is about 1,100,000. I think it's a multiple of 125.
45 that is still a lot of money clabrough by comparison had an estate of 200.000 pounds fred beesley around 13000 quite successful in there time

One man's calculations, 1890-2022

by Eric Nye, Department of English, University of Wyoming
Click here to read an explanation of the calculations.

Enter source year:
1890
(1264-1983)
Enter target year:
2022
(1913-2022)
Enter old value in pounds: £
9000

Convert Clear

Value at beginning of target year in dollars: $ 1,437,944.16

I used "purchasing power" estimate which is different from straight-forward exchange rates:

£100 in 1890 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £13,691.76 today, an increase of £13,591.76 over 132 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 3.80% per year between 1890 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 13,591.76%

But still comes out to a digit less than I computed. 90 (not 900) x 13,591 = £1,223,190 not 12 million.

Using this number to compute how much a Purdey shotgun purchased for £60 in 1890 should theoretically cost today = £8,154.6. If Purdey will sell me a new gun for that price, they've got a buyer!

I think 277 Oxford st. Address was changed to 315 Oxford st. in 1882