On GI there is a Reilly-Comblain that is unusual.
. . 1) it has London proofmarks on the barrel;
. . 2) It is bored for "23" (.587) not "25" (.577).
. . 3) It allegedly has a Reilly SN behind the tang, 15492 (which would date it to October 1868, after the Reilly-Comblain had been eliminated from the breech loading trials in July 1868.
. . 4) It is patent use #37. . .the earliest PUN is #14 and it had Belgian proofs on the barrel.

Other than that it has all the usual stamps found on a Reilly-Comblain. The PUN is not mentioned.

There is a chapter on the Reilly-Comblain in the history - Chapter IX/52. There are 11 existing Reilly-Comblains that I know of - this being the 12th. However I have never seen a Reilly-Comblain with an actual Reilly serial number and so stated in the history. They are usually dated per "patent use numbers," the earliest being #14, the last being #6109.

I speculated that early Reilly-Comblains were proofed in London but this information is not included on any of the low-numbered PUN's so I can't confirm it. Maybe as few as 50 were built on Oxford or New Oxford street (if any because no SN - Reilly didn't build it). Late PUN's have Birmingham proof marks. I speculated that Reilly jumped the PUN's up from maybe 50 to 5000 when he moved all production to Birmingham.

All the 11 are chambered for "25".

Interesting gun. I'll have to change the history . . .because if it has a SN, Reilly clearly built it. I went back and looked at all the other Reilly-Comblains and cannot identify another SN.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...lain-military-rifle.cfm?gun_id=102689167

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
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Patent use # 37
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Curious what is in the circle stamp on the barrel.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by Argo44; 05/30/24 06:44 PM.
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