Evening (Morning) Dave. Here are a few comments that I hope will be helpful:

-- If a gun has no Serial Number, Reilly didn't build it. This is especially true of rook-rifles but also of some big-bore fowlers. So don't pay attention to these. (The SN will normally be found behind the trigger guard tang - but also on the barrels, on the action flats/water table, and on the forearm. The problem with auction houses is they don't know, don't care, or don't look).

-- Reilly made guns have a maximum serial number of about 36,000 (last extant Reilly is SN 35678.

-- If a "Reilly" has a six digit serial number, it was made in Birmingham after 1922 on behalf of Sports retailer Charles Riggs. He bought the Reilly name and began to market Birmingham guns with "E.M. Reilly & Co., London" in August 1922. These are journeyman guns and are probably why late 20th century commentators called Reilly a "retailer." No need to spend time on these. However, if 128466 is accurate, this is the earliest Riggs gun I have on my records - I will have to change the history a bit. Thanks.

-- 33544 is new and is being added to the above list.

-- Re the Prince patent, SN 10811, I have that gun. It is the earliest extant gun with only Reilly "Oxford Street" on its barrel - i.e. the first identifiable gun made at 315 Oxford Street (August 1858). (Note: Reilly SN 10783 is a Prince Patent, but has "New Oxford Street" on its barrel i.e. made at 502 New Oxford Street. Since Reilly opened 315 Oxford Street in early August 1858, these two Prince Patent guns can pretty well be dated to July (10783) and August (10811) 1858. They, thus, are "sanity checks" for the accuracy of the date chart..

-- The Reilly shell crimper was patented in 1861....there are a number of examples on the market. Reilly marketed about every conceivable accroutements for guns from bandoleers to shell boxes, to pouches, to....you name it.

Thanks as usual for all the help! Gene

Here is the edited paragraph on Riggs dealing with his SN'd guns" thanks to your readings: - hard work, dedication, team contributions and research - this is how history is made and changed word by word.

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"Riggs-Reilly guns usually have "E.M. Reilly & Co., London" on the ribs; Sometimes "E.M. Reilly & Co., Ltd." As a further identifier, a lot of the Rigg's-Reilly's have "Prince of Wales" half pistol grip stocks (something the original Reilly firm almost never made.) Riggs'-Reilly named guns have six-digit serial numbers and appear to begin at around 128000. (The earliest Riggs serial number so far identified is 128466). A Riggs "Reilly" with a serial number in the 150000's is known to exist."

Last edited by Argo44; 06/09/21 12:24 AM.
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