And Skeetz, Thanks for the reference. Re the first link, please check the above postings (second page) on this line: Here is what Toby Barclay had to say about 35079:

"Argo44, I sold 35079 a few years back but checked my listing and the address was 277 Oxford Street. However the proof marks showed the gun was probably PROOFED pre-1896 so maybe made for stock and then finished and numbered accordingly.... Congratulations for having put this information together."

And here was my response:

"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."

And re the second link, If you read through the historical post (1st page, 3rd post on this line) and the other postings including the serial number chronology on this line, I modestly believe you'll find that this line has the most comprehensive information available on Reilly's anywhere and has corrected errors that have been in print for decades.

Last edited by Argo44; 06/10/17 12:13 AM.
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