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1898-1903 - 35186 (1901) - gun and case with labels

I continue to collect Reilly SN's and will shortly repost the SN dating chart with an additional 15 numbers on it. - there are no surprises - the chart looks solid at this point. But this gun 35186, with antique case, just sold in UK for 120. It's interesting for two reasons. The SN is firmly in the date group 1898 -1903 after Reilly closed 16 Oxford Street but before its move to 295. And its label, identical to the above "carnival labels" with 277 and 295 on them, leads one to believe that this was indeed the Reilly label for post 1898 Reilly guns (if they weren't in presentation cases).

Note the warning and "how to reload" labels in the left side of the case lid. Barrels are steel; engraving next to nonexistent and poorly executed; the name on the receiver poorly engraved. $180. The auction house missed by a mile - that case may not be the original case but it is absolutely contemporary with the gun and probably came with the gun. I'm wondering if the indifferent engraving might be symptomatic of a decline in quality at Reilly during this time? (It is only one gun of course)

I've never mastered reading UK proof marks; Looks there are London proof marks for 1896-1904. ... and Birmingham proof marks post 1954 (re-proof)? Can anyone tell me the date the barrels were proofed? (edit: Lagopus and Larry identified the Birmingham re-proof date as 1972.)

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35186
http://www.bigwoodauctioneers.com/s/pictorialSale/5270/500/SHOOTING
E.M. REILLY & CO. of 277 Oxford Street, London A BOXLOCK 12 BORE SIDE BY SIDE NON-EJECTOR SHOTGUN, no.35186, with vacant escutcheon, circa 1920s, in earlier original leather case with makers label and early breach loading instructions and two piece ebonised cleaning rod (Shotgun Cert. required)
120








Last edited by Argo44; 09/11/18 09:21 PM.
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