A&D boxlock patent should have expired on 11 May 1889. However, I've found two later Reilly's in my database with A&D Patent use numbers. 32974 dated to 1893 and 33242 also 1893:

32974 - E.M. Reilly & Co., 16, New Oxford Street, London. 12 ga. Shotgun SxS. Boxlock. Ball and Shot. A&D #122x.
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
33242 - E.M. Reilly & Co., London. (address unknown). 12 ga. Shotgun SxS. BLE, Steel brls. Built on W-R action. #2 of pair. A&D #1399
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Parliament extended the Whitworth fluid steel patent for 5 years. Did they do the same for the boxlock patent?
Or were those actions just hanging around for 5 years; Did EM roll the dice once again on a technological innovation that was indeed revolutionary but which this time was rejected by the shooting classes in London?

Also per above, I have gone through all my stock of Reilly photos looking for workmens' initials which would presumably identify them having been made in Birmingham. There's just precious few auction house photos with this type of detail, though, and I haven't found any. Now I'm not going to go out on a limb and claim Reilly was making all those box lock actions beginning in 1880. Indeed, he suddenly expanded production from about 650 serial numbered guns a year - a level pretty constant for 12 years - to over 1000 in 1881 - so it's entirely possible, even probable that at that time he began to import actions from Birmingham. It's just that without more photos, I can't prove or disprove this.

Last edited by Argo44; 10/05/21 12:08 AM.
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