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

Reilly made rifles from the very beginning of the company; In fact the first extant long gun made by Reilly is SN 162, a percussion rifle dated to 1829. Rook rifles or Park rifles were always popular in the UK in the 19th century and Reilly marketed a lot of them. Most were not made by him. A few were (probably special order) and late in the company's history he did serial number a few rook rifles clearly made elsewhere:

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These early small caliber rifles were definitely made and serial numbered by Reilly:

10619
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/print_sale.aspx?saleid=10537
A FINE CASED 60-BORE PERCUSSION SINGLE-SHOT ROOK or PARK RIFLE, serial no. 10619,
circa 1865, with expertly re-browned 28in. octagonal barrel, the top-flat signed ‘REILLY, NEW OXFORD STREET LONDON’, applied blade fore-sight, standing notch rear-sight with two additional folding leaves, scroll engraved squared patent breech, colour hardened top tang with scroll engraving, border and scroll engraved bar- action lock signed ‘REILLY, LONDON’ (traces of colour), french polished walnut half-stock chequered at the wrist, reblued iron furniture and ebony ramrod, complete with its manufacturer’s oak storage case with pink parchment trade label, the interior lined and compartmented in green velvet and containing a number of period accessories probablyoriginal to this rifle. This actual rifle is featured in Winfer & Rowe’s book, ‘British Single Shot Rifles Volume 7’ on page 87


25449
EM Reilly & Co. .28 bore SxS, Side Lever owned by “Builder” (Milt). Probably originally a .538 pistol caliber rook rifle (30 bore); 26" barrels; 6lbs. 1/2 oz. Modern dimensions in the ball park of 1 1/2 x 2 1/2". Laying it on a bench is difficult since the hammers stick up even when cocked. 9" of evenly tapered choke with .005" restriction. “30” on the barrels. The bores are .560 up to the beginning of the choke. The chambers are 2 3/4". I assume somebody cut them. Minimum wall thickness is over .035" and near the end of the chambers it is over .130". So lots of thickness all over hence the heavy barrels.


27764
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20806/lot/92/
A .410 SINGLE-BARRELLED HAMMER GUN BY E. M. REILLY & CO., NO. 27764; Converted from a .350 rook-rifle. Sidelever, rebounding-backlock, foliate-scroll engraving, well-figured stock with pistolgrip and pistolgrip-cap, the barrel with octagonal breech-end engraved E. M. Reilly & Co., 277 Oxford St. Weight 4lb. 11oz., 13in. stock, 27in. barrel, approx. full choke, 2½in. chamber, Birmingham nitro reproof


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These four rook rifles likely have a legitimate Reilly SN on them but also another maker’s number who no doubt built the guns. By the time Reilly opened 295 Oxford Street in May 1904 his business have suffered a catastrophic decline and he was no doubt buying guns in the white to finish. In addition the sequence of numbers 2864, 2943, 2959 might not be an accident. Below is another Trantor rook rifle with numbers "2361” and “18865". Could Reilly have been counting and separately numbering the rook rifles he sold?

7330 (31111) Per above:
https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/as...++6577C&refno=++225351&saletype=


2864
http://www.stevebarnettfineguns.com/asp-bin/Detail.asp?ID=9415#
BEGAN LIFE AS A SINGLE SHOT RIFLE AND WAS SLEEVED TO A 410 WITH PERMANENT LOW TEMPERATURE TIMKIN 4130 CV .KEN EISTER TESTED 28" 1/2 OCTAGON 1/2 ROUND SINGLE TRIGGER EJECTOR SPLINTER FOREARM ENGLISH GRIP EXCELLENT CONDITION IN A FITTED BEST BRITISH CASE 4LBS 10 OZ X 2 1/4 X 1 1/2 X 15 1/4


35394 (2943)
https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/as...+++713+&refno=++204441&saletype=
A .297/.250 CENTRAL-HAMMER SIDELEVER EJECTOR ROOK & RABBIT RIFLE SIGNED E.M. REILLY, serial no. 2943 (35394), 
circa 1904, with blued octagonal 26in. barrel, dove-tailed beaded blade fore-sight, standing notch rear-sight with two additional folding leaves, the top-flat roll engraved for its full length with rectangular panel forwards of the rear-sight signed 'E.M. REILLY & CO, 295 OXFORD ST. LONDON', sprung automatic ejector, border engraved action with scroll engraved detail (traces of colour), Reilly number '35394' to trigger guard bow, chequered walnut semi pistol-grip butt-stock, ribbed end to heel and chequered walnut snap-on splinter fore-end with horn tip, strong traces of original colour and finish remaining


35551 (2959)
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17946/lot/42/
Name: E.M. Reilly & Co,m 295 Oxford Street, London
Descriptions: A .300 hammer rook-rifle by E.M. Reilly & Co., no. 35551/2959
Sidelever, rebounding hammer, the sides of the action-body with the makers name engraved in a scrolling banner surrounded by bold foliate-scrollwork, much blued finish, figured stock with semi-pistolgrip, horn-capped forend, the octagonal barrel, engraved E.M. Reilly & Co., 295 Oxford St., London, with open-sights, sighted for 50, 100 and 150 yards, and bead-foresight