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35079 (1900)


Thanks Toby - I've fixed 35079 on the list. It's interesting that the barrels were proofed pre-1896; Per the serial number you'd think it should have been numbered/finished about 1901-02 or so, depending on how many guns Reilly was selling (per a later post below, it looks as if he were selling about 130 per year from 1898-1903). If Reilly stockpiled barrels and actions, maybe that was how they were able to respond to orders with alacrity.

I also wonder if Reilly started falling on hard times about this time. EM had died and he was highly respected apparently and quite a marketing genius. There are a number of SN's in the 35000's per above which were matched pair double-guns, which would seem to indicate not everything was going right (did Reilly's sons start pillaging its stocks to create "matched pairs?).

Sales of numbered guns had declined from an average of 650/year to 130/yr. And I can't find any number above 35631 (listed as a matched pair above)(was this a sale? two for the price of one?).

Well, the industry was changing; it must have been hard to compete with the factories. Damascus barrels were oh so 19th century. (and there was a smear campaign being waged against them which continues to this day). A way of life was ending.

I also added 18536 to the list.

Last edited by Argo44; 09/11/18 09:00 PM.
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