doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - 20 ga Reilly with .410 insert?

How does this work? If you can do this with a 20 ga, would it work for barrels that theoretically need to be sleeved? (Interesting that the ad dates the gun accurately to 1876, obviously using the Reilly dating chart developed on p.57 of the Reilly line).

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/974529122

Never mind. A trip to the internet shows how common this is and how practical. Interesting - I'd never run across it before.

Beautiful 20 ga single barrel!

There was a similar Reilly .410 gun in Chesire Gun Room, but I think it was saled.

Thanks. I believe this gun was rebarreled by Arthur Turner, Ltd, 33-35 West Bar, Sheffield. The SN 17099 on the barrel is probably Turner's. (17099 seems a fairly late number for Turner; and this barrel is still Damascus; odd in a way). This explains the 1904-25 Brum proof marks on the barrel and the Reilly name on the action, Reilly SN from 1876 on the tang, and London proof marks on the action flats.

I don't plan to purchase it; There was a Reilly .410 double a few years ago I should have bought. But barrel inserts for all sorts of center-break guns are available for 12 gauge on up. I was just curious about the whole concept. Especially why, if this can be done so easily, it's not used on barrels which are too thin to shoot in the normal gauge. Why not a 16 gauge insert for a 12 gauge thin barrel? There obviously is more to this than I understand but it'll be fun to research.

Here are some snippets on Turner: I will say after my experience with researching Reilly, I won't believe any of this is gospel until some sort of definitive book turns up. There are SN'd Turner guns on the internet.

From IGC: Arthur Turner's guns were actually made for him in Birmingham. Some may have come from Webley & Scott but think most were made by other smaller Birmingham makers. You need be in no doubt that Turner's double barrelled guns were excellent quality, better than most guns available today, but the higher the original cost the better.

From a Guns America ad: Arthur Turner guns were made in England and the firm had a long and respected presence in the fine gun market. Arthur Turner apprenticed under a well-known gunmaker C.H. Malehem and eventually took over the business in 1910 and passed away in 1941. The business remained in family hands until 1985 when they ceased operations.

And from a Alexi Morozov's Russian site: In c. 1908 Arthur Turner took over the gunsmith’s shop of Charles Maleham at 5a West Bar Sheffield. He remained there until the business outgrew the space available and then moved a few yards to the corner of New Street. The business was there until the 1990s when the building was demolished, then moved to Infirmary Road where it remained until fairly recently. The name was sold on and Arthur Turner Gunmakers lives on but in reduced circumstances