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1922 - Charles Riggs takes over Reilly

In August 1922 (widely reported on the internet as "1917" which cannot be) a fellow named Charles Riggs bought the Reilly name and marketed guns as "EM Reilly, London." I've identified about 8 guns extant sold as Reillys by Riggs. I bought the Riggs catalog and I'll pass along some observations which may do an injustice to him but these are impressions (and initial impressions only).

Riggs comes across as a small-time sports equipment retali salesman owning a small store; He for years sold BSA products and his store sold guns, motorcycles, bicycles, golf equipment, etc. BSA catalogs are around with his name on the front of them as a distributor/retail sales. Each "department" in the store was a small...almost closet-like.. space.

The photos in the catalog make him out to be something of a con-man. He was an active fellow and it appears something of a self-promotor. He was a sergeant in the Essex Yoemanry and organized reunion dinners from 1915 -1939 and in the process promoted himself to lieutenant. He also claimed to be a "crack shot" and to have shot championship matches at Bisley (but there is no record of him ever winning anything). He's pictured in a military uniform with sergeant stripes, every medal possible on him including a cross of some sort around his neck posing by a table full of trophies. And a picture of a cluttered small desk of the "Managing Director." His firm allegedly was in business for a long time yet the internet turns up almost nothing on him or his store except for a manual on cleaning guns and an offer by him to sell the UK home guard 100 Martini-Henry's with bayonets in 1915. I'll post several photos from the (very poor copy) of the catalog below as examples.

Here is the key point: There are Riggs-Reilly's on the market - I've identified several per the following post. In Europe they sell for a couple of hundred pounds if that. One, however, is currently being offered on a major gun sales site as an "EM Reilly" for a very expensive price. I will just warn our readers to be aware that a Riggs...is NOT an EM Reilly; they were not made by Reilly and a Riggs-Reilly can be identified by a six digit serial number. Haven't a clue who built the guns for Riggs but it might have been BSA given his connections to the firm:

Post 1917? (edit: August 1922) 130000? - 150000+ ("1" added to front of SN's) - Reilly name bought by Charles Riggs who continued to make “E.M. Reilly" guns. It looks like he added a "1" in front of the Reilly series when he took it over, - perhaps starting about (1)37,000? indicating he may have sold up to 15,000 numbered guns. Only a few can be found so far..
134183 - E.M. Reilly & Co., 16ga. SxS shotgun. BLNE
136535 - E.M. Reilly..not mentioned. 12 ga. Shotgun SxS. BLE.
138279 - E.M. Reilly (address not mentioned). 20bore Shotgun SxS. BLE
140415 - E.M. Reilly of London. 16bore shotgun SxS. 30" steel barrels
140451 - E.M. Reilly, London. 16bore Shotgun SxS. (Charles Riggs, post 1917)
144939 - E.M. Reilly, London, 12 bore Shotgun SxS BLNE. 28 barrels.
146242 - E.M. Reilly & Co., London; 12bore. Top lever hammer gun. Pistol grip stock.
150570 - E.M. Reilly & Co., London. 12ga. Shotgun SxS. Boxlock non-ejector.

Note his comment in the introduction: "All our guns in the future will be named "E.M. Reilly & Co., London" thus adding another 25(pounds) to the value should you ever desire to sell it." (also adding to the price he charged for the guns).
















......................Charles Riggs......................................................................Prince Charles


Last edited by Argo44; 10/13/18 12:35 PM.
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