doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Holt's - 14 bore/20 bore percussion Cape Gun

I don't know why but I find this gun fascinating, Cracked and repaired stock and all. 13155 would be late 1863 per my chart. On big bore rifles Reilly usually used a pistol grip stock or a trigger guard extension aping a pistol grip...nothing here though which is maybe why the stock cracked (and maybe why Reilly ditched the trigger guard extension). There's something almost primordial (young peoples' term would be "organic") about shooting one of these. I assume the 14 bore is the shotgun and the 20 bore the rifle? Holt's does not do a great job of providing information on their guns:
https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...++2049+&refno=++160145&saletype=

A 14-BORE & 20-BORE PERCUSSION DOUBLE-BARRELLED CAPE-RIFLE SIGNED E.M. REILLY, LONDON, serial no. 13155, circa 1860, with browned 29 1/2in. barrels (rear-sight and one nipple absent), scroll engraved bar-action locks, walnut half-stock with professional plated repair at wrist and mahogany ramrod
Estimate £500-700

That is an interesting gun. I'll bet the Damascus pattern really pops when you have it in hand. The barrels appear to be the same external diameter, so I'm sure you are correct about the rifle being the 20 bore.

E. M REILLY
A 14-BORE PINFIRE SELF-EXTRACTING HAMMER GUN, NO. 12316
28 3/4-inch damascus barrels with 2 1/2-inch chambers, about true cylinder borings, the rounded frame, non-rebounding backlocks, hammers and rotary underlever with scroll engraving around scenes of game birds, grip safety, 14 1/2-inch figured stock with heel and toe plates, 6lb. 11oz., black powder proof, bores pitted, worn overall
S58
The gun incorporates an unusual extractor to draw back on the pins of the fired cases.

Sold for £300 This was Gavin Gardner catalogue 21st April 2021. Colour pic.

Posted on wrong thread.