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Initial attempt at identify Markers and # of guns produced per year


I'm going to go out on a limb and make some more guesses. The lease dates of 12 Middle Row and 316 High Holborn are now known and based on that, I've speculated that any Reilly with "Holborn Bars" is pre-1835. Re Oxford Street, In view of those two guns with labels saying "removed from Holborn" (8463 and 8568) I believe it is entirely possibly that indeed EM Riley began his serial number chronology at around number 8,400 when they moved in 1847 to Oxford Street. So taking this as a given (and it may not be) here is the approximate number of serial numbered guns he made per year, based on 7 serial numbers that I feel comfortable can be firmly dated: From the below...it looks like Reilly was producing consistently over 600 serial numbered guns a year from at the latest 1860 (possibly much earlier given his publicity...perhaps from 1855 on) to 1898. This may have been his maximum capacity since it was pretty constant for 40 years.

SN -------- Date

162 -- 1814 - Year the Reilly opened his Jewelry store on 12 Middle Row, Holborn above the Bars - lease lasted till 1835) (this is known as Holborn Bars - see the woodcut.
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - Approximately 1,000 guns made over say 15 years from about 1820-1835 = about 75 numbered guns per year (speculation since there are so few data points)- this would match Joseph Manton's output of about 110 guns a year at the time) (he probably started small, then as he figured it out increased production and got progressively more into the gun trade and out of jewelry...logically you can expect him to have started with engraving some pieces of gentlemen friends and proceeding from there). There are four pistols amongst the earliest of Reilly's I've found; it's tempting to speculate that he started out making pistols....but perhaps pistols survive better that Rifles - they're not out in the rain shooting ducks and can more easily be stored away, even when antiquated.
...| ....... |
1024 - 1835 - Serial number with the first mention of 316 High Holborn; JC Reilly moved there in August 1835 per property and voting records and per an advertisement placed in a London Newspaper.)
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 2,200 guns made over 12 years - speculation since there are so few data points = about 190 numbered guns per year)
...| ....... |
3329 -- 1847 - Last SN with 316 HighHolborn. Reilly's vacated 316 and moved to 502 New Oxford Street in March 1847 per London property and voting records and an advertisement in a London Newspaper.

There apparently is about a 5000 serial number gap between the end of High Holborn and beginning of numbers from New Oxford Street.

8400 -- 1847 - Year the Reilly's moved to Oxford Street (The gun serial number is hypothetical - first Reilly I have found with the Oxford address is per above 8463))
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 3,600 guns made over 12 years = about 300 numbered guns per year)
...| ....... |
12079 - 1859 - Serial number with the first mention of 315 Oxford Street address opened in 1859 per an advertisement just found.
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 1,300 guns made over 3 years = about 440 numbered guns per year)
...| ....... |
13333 - 1862 - Serial number of a Green Patent gun almost certainly made in 1862
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 2,000 guns made over 5 years = about 440 numbered guns per year)
...| ....... |
15254 - 1868 - 1st serial number I can find with the Paris address which opened in late 1867 or early 1868
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 11,500 guns made over 18 years = about 640 numbered guns made per year.)
,,,| ....... |
26584 - 1886 - Closure of Paris address - Last known SN with the Paris address.
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 8,000 guns made over 12 years = about 650 numbered guns made per year.)
...| ....... |
34723 - 1898 - Closure of 16 Oxford Street. Last known SN with 16 Oxford Street on the Rib.
...| ....... |
..to ------- to - (Approximately 650 guns made over 5 years = about 130 numbered guns per year)
...| ....... |
35413 - 1903 - Closure of 277 Oxford street; first gun with 295 Oxford street on Rib.

So if you have a Reilly with SN., look at the above theoretical matrix...pick the nearest date...subtract or add number of guns per year estimated to be manufactured by Reilly during that period and you'll get a somewhat approximation of the date.

Note: Reilly did a lot more business than just numbered guns. Per above they sold guns and pistols made by others...they engraved...they were prestige...they sold used guns... well..they were businessmen.

J.C. Reilly apparently produced at least 3200 serial numbered guns from 1816 to 1847...about 110 a year on average, possibly including some of his pistols. This is only a guess since there are so few datapoints. It could be that the 1820's were only a beginning..maybe he built 50 a year? But he built his trade and by the time he was installed at High Holborn in 1835...in a very substantial building with a well-to-do clientele as detailed by Wyman, he was making considerably more per year. It's even possible that the last SN I have for a long gun 3329 is 1835 or thereabouts and he actually produced another 5,000 guns and put numbers on them in the next 12 years (300-400 per year)... certainly possible...but with no evidence (surviving guns with SN's and name/address) to support this.

Last edited by Argo44; 09/11/18 05:39 PM.
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