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

===================================================================================================
Reilly 50 yard Shooting Gallery at 315 (later 277) Oxford Street

Reilly had a 50 yard shooting gallery at 315 Oxford Street. It was pointed out that 50 yard range in downtown London is a lot of room. Either it was underground, punching through basements of adjoining houses or running underneath or beside the Salvation Army Hall behind Reilly's building.

Reilly advertised this shooting gallery from the time he first opened 315 Oxford Street in August 1858:

First Reilly label for 315 Oxford Street.


Advertisement for 315 from 04 September 1858:


Mention of the shooting gallery in a 23 Jul 1858 article in "The Field":


Yet I calculate that 315 Oxford Street was around 60' wide, 20 yards. The shooting gallery either coopted the basements of neighboring houses along the front of Oxford Street, or more likely was underneath the Salvation Army Hall. There is a possibility that it occupied a narrow sliver of property to the west of and adjoining the Salvation Army Hall. Wonder if it is still there in some form or another?





Edit: I tried to contact Ernest Jones, the Jewelry story which occupies 277 Oxford Street - they insist on my entering a UK phone number. So I sent this message to the Salvation Army Hall behind 277. Perhaps someone will explore the bomb-shelters/catacombs of the area:

Sirs. I have written a New History of Reilly of London, gun manufacturer. Reilly occupied 277 Oxford Street (then numbered 315 Oxford Street in August 1858 and was there until March 1903. He brought a nasty lawsuit in 1889 which was settled in favor of General Booth. Hundreds of advertisements state Reilly had a 50 yard shooting gallery in or under the building. Is there any evidence in your building, of there having been tunnels under the Salvation Army Hall which could have accommodated a "shooting gallery? Or perhaps on the west side of the building in the narrow slot of property there? Sorry to disturb you. This is important for a very small bit of the London past. The Reilly history can be read on this doublegunshop.com line:
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=436538&page=53


Edit: A well known European gunsmith commented privately that a Shooting Gallery in the 1850's-60's was unlikely to have been underground due to lighting and ventilation issues. He sent me a picture of Lang's shooting gallery at the time an 20 yard room, now a posh hotel on Haymarket street - the room is appropriately named "The Shooting Gallery":


14 Sep 1859 Bell's Life reference to Lang's shooting gallery - first reference was in 1851.


This would seem to indicate that the Reilly shooting gallery had to be in that 12-15' sliver of property running down the side of the Salvation Army Hall.

Edit, Here's a more likely solution. Reilly at 277 Oxford St. actually occupied 277 and 281 and the three story overhang over the entrance to 275, Salvation Army Hall. 283 next door is a long narrow property that runs 50 yards all the way back to Hanover Square. I would bet Reilly owned this property and that was the shooting gallery.