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

Here are the new edited versions of three chapters most effected by the discovery of the French Press Archives Chapters 80, 81,82. The label dating chart had to be changed as well.

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*80 May 1885: Closure of 2 rue Scribe, Paris

In early-may 1885 rue Scribe was closed and the shop was moved to a new location at 29, rue du Faubourg, Saint-Honore. The move is confirmed by Reilly advertisements in the French press (13 may 1985).*80a In the main-stream London press “Rue Scribe, Paris” was present in advertisements in “The Field” in late July 1885 but noticeably absent in the same ad in early August 1885.*80b

. . . . .SN 27340 (July 1885): The last extant SN'd gun with rue Scribe on the rib is 27340, a 12 bore SxS top-lever, hammer-gun, shotgun. The address on the rib is “New Oxford Street, London & rue Scribe, Paris.”*80c


*81 May 1885-July 1887: Paris Branch moved to 29 rue du Faubourg, Saint-Honoré

In mid-May 1885 Reilly opened the new shop at 29 rue du Faubourg, Saint-Honoré, Paris; the date is confirmed by an advertisement in “Le Sportsman” of 13 May 1885.*81a

Rue du Faubourg was a prestigious location - Coco Chanel's apartments were above it in another century.*81b In addition to very fashionable Paris shops, Some Parisian gun makers had factories/workshops/show rooms on rue du Faubourg. The road was also the heart of the English speaking community living in Paris a la “Belle Époque” including the home of the British ambassador to France. A sales-shop in that area was a logical Reilly commercial decision and an upgrade from 2 rue Scribe.



Paradoxically, this new Paris shop address was not publicized in the UK in the way 2 rue Scribe had been. It was not included the almost daily UK Reilly advertisements. in fact most post July 1885 Reilly advertisements in the London papers carry no mention of “Paris” at all (although “Paris” continued to be mentioned in some long term advertising contracts with guide books up to 1887).

A series of small ads did appear in the January-February 1886 London press touting a win at the Monte Carlo pigeon shoot by Italian champion pigeon shooter Giuseppe Guidicini using a Reilly with the rue du Faubourg address (chapter *75). The paid for articles were no doubt placed by Reilly.*81c



The closure of the shop at rue du Faubourg was announced by advertisemens in the French Press in late May 1887 after losing its lease and the shop was definitely closed in July*81d Its wares were auctioned off including 51 firearms.*81e The reason for closure, beside termination of the lease, was listed simply as “cessation de commerce à Paris.” Reilly clients were asked to direct their inquiries and orders to the Reilly shop at 16, New Oxford Street, London.*81f



No extant guns with the rue du Faubourg address on the ribs or barrels have been found. Although three Reilly’s numbered after the closure of 2 rue Scribe do have “Paris” on their ribs, most extant guns numbered by Reilly over the following two years made no mention of Paris at all.

Five different gun case labels have been found with this address. The rue du Faubourg labels are generally in the classic post 1861 Reilly format but are not usually scalloped (one out the five is scalloped). They feature the usual main 16, New Oxford Steet address with the 277 Oxford street branch; the rue du Faubourg address is located where 2 rue Scribe had been for 17 years. The labels illustrate the 1867 Paris medals in the upper left hand corner and the 1884 London International Exposition medals in the right.*81g



The scroll work on the rue du Faubourg label is different from that on the classic pre-1885 Reilly label and seems to precede the scroll later used on the stand-alone 16, New Oxford Street label with no Paris address issued after July 1887. (see chapter 82 below).


*82 July 1887: Change in Reilly labels

The labels for both London branches changed slightly with the closure of the Paris branch in July 1887. The labels were used up to May 1897 and the closure of 16, New Oxford, Street.

. . . . .-- 16, New Oxford Street, continued with the scalloped corners, double outlining following the model of the 1861 and 1868 labels. It has the 1867 medals in the upper left corner but with the 1884 London International Exposition gold medal in the upper right.*82a
. . . . . . . . . .The new label also advertised different guns in the scroll work at the bottom of the label.*82b
. . .Top: 1861-1885;
. . .Middle: rue du Faubourg 85-87;
. . .Bottom: Main label after July 1887 closure of the Paris branch.



. . . . .-- 277, Oxford Street also continued its label tradition without the scallops or border lining.*82c
. . . . . . . . . .Likewise some of the descriptions in scroll work in the center of the new label were changed.*82d
. . .Top: Pre July 1887
. . .Bottom: Post closure of 29 rue du Faubourg.