This is out of date: Latest version is p. 33

There are a lot of erroneous Reilly history-summaries published by auction houses and on double-gun historical sites. I can't really fault the inaccuracies on lack of historical scholarship because there was just so little information available in the 1990's early 2000's when Brown published his book on English gun-makers with incomplete information and others then copied the published research in magazine articles or on the internet. These became the references that others quoted. It led to bad information being verified by "circular reporting."

So, here is an updated short history of Reilly which can be used from now on and hits the most relevant high-points. Admittedly there may be some inaccuracies; research will continue; more guns will appear. Where there are questions, I've used best guesses but fudged by using conditionals ("about," "circa," "probably," etc.). Trust me though - these are pretty good guesses. This will provide the essence of Reilly's history as gun-makers. The convoluted story of the family has been largely left out - it'll be addressed later. A complete historical justification of the below will be a separate (and last) post - most of it has already been mentioned in previous posts on this line.

====================== A New, Short History of Reilly of London, Gun Maker =======================

Joseph Charles Reilly was born in Ireland in 1786. He hailed from a well-to-do family and aspired to become a lawyer. In the mid-1800's he went to London to study; However, instead of law school, in 1814 he opened a jewelry shop, later described as also dealing in silver-plate, at 12 Middle Row, Holborn hard by the inns of the court where his clientele included country gentlemen and barristers. In 1817 his son Edward Michael was born, the third of four children. He prospered, buying a country estate in Bedfordshire in 1824.

Jewelry shops in London at the time often dealt in guns, engraving them and re-selling them. By 1825 he was a member of the Worshipful Company of Gun Makers (the London Proof House) and around this time numbered his first Reilly built gun which presumably was 001. (The oldest extant Reilly is SN 162). His guns during this period often displayed the address “Holborn Bars.” The serial number guns included pistols, rifles and shotguns.

JC Reilly early on adopted a business model which did not change for 80 years: i.e. provide a quality hand-made product for a moderate price and deliver it rapidly. With this model he undercut more expensive and better known makers and made his profit on volume.

Reilly dealt in used guns taken on trade and sold guns under license. However he did not serial number guns he did not build and he numbered his guns consecutively for 90 years with certain exceptions during the move to New Oxford Street in 1847. Reilly had extensive finishing facilities in his large London buildings and may have stockpiled actions and barrels imported in the white from Birmingham to allow him to meet orders three times as quickly as his competitors.

By 1833 all references to “jeweler” or "silver-plate" vanished from his advertisements and from that time forward he identified himself solely as “Gun-Maker.”

In August 1835 JC Reilly with EM as an apprentice moved to 316 High Holborn Street. The first serial numbered extant gun with the High Holborn address is SN 1024. By circa 1837 pistols were no longer numbered in the Reilly chronological numbering system; His serial numbered guns seemed to be limited to bespoke long-guns made to order.

In August 1840 the firm’s name in advertisements changed from J.C. Reilly to just “Reilly” which may mark the advent of 23 year old EM as a full partner in the company. The names on the gun ribs continued to be “J.C. Reilly" or "Joseph Charles Reilly.” Case/Trade labels were styled like an embossed business card with "Joseph Charles Reilly," "Gun Maker," and the High Holborn address.

JC Reilly during this period also became known for his air cane guns. Young EM was billed as the expert and was so mentioned In advertisements, identified as “Reilly Junr." In 1847 or early 1848 EM wrote a widely disseminated pamphlet on air guns (mostly an advertising brochure highlighting the company's ability to produce all sorts of air-guns and parts) which is cited to this day. The pamphlet title page noted the author was "Reilly junr," used the 502 New Oxford Street address and included "removed from Holborn.".

In March 1847 Reilly moved to 502 New Oxford street, a large building In the "Elizabethean" area. The last extant guns with High Holborn on the ribs are 3392 and 3402. At this point the main serial number chronology for Reilly long-guns was jumped up 5000 numbers to begin anew at 8400 probably with production supervised by EM Reilly. The name on the gun ribs was “Reilly.” (And with this move, Reilly demonstrated another trait of his business acumen, i.e. "Location, Location, Location." He always chose prestigious, high-traffic locations for his stores.)

The first extant SN’d gun with "Reilly," and 502 New Oxford Street on the rib is SN 8463; the label notes the firm had “removed from Holborn." (There is a SN 8578 with J.C. Reilly, 502 New Oxford Street on the rib with an apparently original case label with Joseph Charles Reilly, the Oxford St. address and "removed from holborn," possibly one of the last such guns in the new 8400 series.)

Soon after the move, the trade label changed to the name "Reilly, Gun Maker" and featured a sketch of the estimated 20,000 sq foot building at 502 New Oxford Street. Note: From 1848-1859 long guns and hand guns can be found with “Edward M.” Or “Edward Michael” on their ribs; these, however, were not built by Reilly - they were only engraved and marketed.

Around the time of this move and the change in the main serial number chronology, J.C. Reilly appears to have kept a series of numbers for himself beginning at SN 7000 and ending around 8100 when he retired in 1857. JC Reilly often (but not always) put his full name on the ribs of these serial numbers per his 27+ year tradition but with the 502 New Oxford Street address; yet the trade/case labels with "Reilly" as the firm's name and the advertisements/publicity remained the same for both number series.

The first extant SN’d gun in the JC “7000” series is 7201 (a SN 7021 exists but with the High Holborn address possibly indicating the Reillys split their numbering system a bit before the move to 502 New Oxford Street); the last (no doubt made in 1857) is 8052. There is one outlier 3514, with "Reilly" and the New Oxford Street address on the rib, apparently made (per the trade label in the case) after 1855, a number which harkens back to High Holborn, illustrating the sometime quirkiness of JC Reilly.

Reilly exhibited at the 1851 Crystal Palace International Exposition (as Edward M. Reilly) were he was much taken by the Casimir Lefaucheaux center-break guns. Reilly, Lang and Blanch became the major advocates for these new types of guns in England. Advertisements show that Reilly had a 300 yard shooting range somewhere near his London establishment (possibly at JC's estate in Bedfordshire).

Reilly also exhibited at the 1855 Paris Universelle Exposition, where he received much acclaim and "many orders were booked." The exhibit was in the name of E.M Reilly; however, advertisements make clear that though EM won the medals, the firm was still "Reilly, Gun Maker." Reilly case labels changed after 1855 to illustrate the 1851 and 1855 medals and to highlight “Fusils a Bascule” (French for center-break guns) and other breech loaders (such as Prince Patent guns which he marketed and promoted).

In September 1857 JC Reilly retired to his country estates at Bourn End, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, where he died a wealthy man in January 1864; his last guns in the "7000" series were engraved with Caesar's words "Veni, Vidi, Vici" possibly as his swan song story of his life. "Formerly Gun-Marker, London" is chiseled on his tombstone.

In January 1859 with new partners (unknown) he opened a branch store in a large building at 315 Oxford Street (early on also referred to as "the Armoury House" - (Salvation Army hall was located behind the building) which had a 50 yard shooting gallery.

Later that year around September 1859 the company’s name was changed to E.M. Reilly & Co, a name which continued in use until bankruptcy in 1912. His labels changed to reflect the new name, "E.M. Reilly, Gun Maker." The first extant serial numbered gun with E.M. Reilly on the rib is SN 11115.

A year later In circa August 1860 the company description on labels and in advertisements was changed from “Gun Makers” to “Gun Manufacturers” and probably at that time hthe sketch of 502 New Oxford Street was dropped from his case labels.

In 1862 Reilly showed at the London International exposition and won a medal for an exhibit which included a gold washed 12 bore shotgun which may still exist (SN 12532).

From at least the 1840’s the Reilly’s tried mightily to win a lucrative military contract from the British government. JC Reilly exhibited brass mortars in 1845. EM Reilly promoted the Prince patent breech loader in the late 1850’s. He worked with the Green brothers to win a contract for their patent breech loader, to which he had manufacturing rights, in the early 1860’s (competing against the Snider which won out). He put forward the Comblain breech loader from Belgium, to which he gained patent rights in England, in 1868-70 (competing against trial guns such as the Martini and the Henry, a combination of which was adopted). And, he patented an explosive bullet in 1869, a sort of early M-79 idea. However, he failed to obtain a government contract.

Reilly did sell and engrave British military guns - Enfields, Snider's, Martini's and later Lee-Speeds; He hawked these guns to the Volunteer Militia at wholesale prices, versions of them to Military personnel going abroad and to big-game hunters for 50 years. But, unless he built them himself he did not serial number these guns.

EM Reilly always seemed to be enamored with Paris and as the 1867 Paris Universelle exposition approached, he meticulously prepared an exhibit that was extensively lauded. It won him gold and silver medals, led him to became a “gun maker” for Napoleon III, and in February 1868 to open a branch office (EM Reilly & Cie.) at 2 rue Scribe, Paris where orders for his guns could be taken. This branch office remained open for the next 17 years. The first extant gun with 2 rue Scribe on the rib is 14983.

His case labels changed at this time to feature the two medals won at the 1867 World’s Fair and often (but not always) mentioned both branch addresses. Two and a half years later after the battle of Sedan Napoleon III fell from power; the medals disappeared from Reilly’s case labels yet continued occasionally to resurface on both labels and in advertisements for the next 15 years. (Reilly attempted to sell 6,000 Chassepot rifles to the new French Republic and was also prosecuted for attempting to smuggle 2,000 shells to his rue Scribe Address in Fall 1870, a violation of UK neutrality in the conflict).

In 1876 Reilly labels and publicity began advertising a connection to the King of Portugal and by 1882 to the Kings of Spain and The Netherlands. Also around 1876 he changed the description of the company in ads to "Gun and Rifle Manufacturers" (as did many other English gun makers). This description was sometimes but not always used on his trade/case labels for the next 15 years.

In addition from as early as 1868 Reilly had evinced an interest in penetrating the American market. He acquired an American agent, had his guns advertised in mail order catalogs, and exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia centennial along side very high-standard British guns such as Purdey, and won a medal.

Reilly again exhibited at the 1878 Paris exposition and again won medals. By 1880 Reilly sold a third more - soon to be twice as many - serial numbered, hand made bespoke guns than both Holland and Holland and Purdey combined, this in addition to a very active business in guns sold under license from well known gun makers including revolvers (Trantor, Baumont-Adams, Walker, etc), rook rifles, repeating rifles (Sharps, Winchester, etc.), as well as merchandising every type of gun accoutrement - reloaders, cartridges, shells, cases, etc. and sustaining a huge business in previously owned guns.

In November 1881 Oxford Street was renumbered; ”502” became “16 New Oxford Street” and “315” becoming “277 Oxford Street.” The first extant gun with either of the new addresses on the ribs is SN 23816. (In spite of the formal change in numbering, the old numbers occasionally appeared in Reilly ads and on gun ribs for the next couple of years).

Reilly’s business was booming and bespoke gun production topped 900 a year. He exhibited at the 1882 Calcutta fair (a British Empire only affair) and won a medal and was highly praised for his exhibit at the 1885 London International Inventions Exposition where he again won medals. Reilly guns dominated live pigeon shooting contests throughout the 1880’s and big game hunters in Africa used his guns and advertised the results (including Henry Morton Stanley, the Welsh-American and perhaps the most famous of all African explorers).

In July 1885 rue Scribe was closed. The reasons for this are not known - hand made guns were being sold at a very high rate; it may have had to do with the departure of a long-time partner (possibly a M. Poirat). The last extant SN’d gun with rue Scribe on the rib is 27340 (there are two guns with later serial numbers which may have Paris on their barrels). Note: Allegedly at some point in the 1880’s Reilly opened a branch establishment at 29 Rue du Faubourg, St Honore. This has not been confirmed; no guns with this address on the rib have been found; the only advertisement with this address appeared in Jan 1886 touting a win by an Italian at a Monte Carlo pigeon shoot).

Reilly exhibited at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, the “Tour Eiffel" Exposition Universalle, and may have won a silver medal. However, by this time advertisements for Reilly guns had significantly declined and he did not publicize the medals if he won them. A nasty law-suit on easement limitations to the Salavation Army Hall behind his establishment at 277 Oxford Street was litigated. The fact is, something changed with the firm after 1886; Reilly's guns regularly won competitions and were given as prizes; but the company just gradually disappeared from mass-media print.

In July 1890 EM Reilly passed away. Reilly's sons Herbert H. and Charles A. were young. His wife Mary was in her 40's. Business was still lively. Who ran the company during these years is not known though widows did successfully manage companies in England at the time after the deaths of their husbands. By 1894 Reilly guns were no longer being mentioned as winners in Pigeon shoots; Reilly victories and promotional donations of guns as prizes had been a prominent feature in London papers for 25 years. His oldest son Edward Montagu "gun maker," who was involved with the company in some way, died in 1895.

In 1898 the company closed 16 New Oxford Street where it had been located for 50 years; 277 Oxford Street remained open. Bespoke guns continued to be sold in the early 1890’s at a goodly clip but as the decade advanced, and factory mass produced guns with steel barrels began to compete with Damascus, the demand for these hand-made and measured guns in a middling cost category seemed to decline.

Reilly advertisements in mass media, an almost daily occurrence in the London press since 1833, declined markedly as the 90's progressed. In response, with sales diminishing, closing the finishing facilities at 16 New Oxford street while retaining the shooting gallery and smaller sales and manufacturing spaces at 277 Oxford Street would seem to have been logical.

The last extant SN’d gun from 16 New Oxford Street is 34723. After 1898 the trade/case labels changed to reflect the marketing of magazine guns and advertised the medals won in 1876 (Philadelphia), 1878 (Paris), and 1885 (London). On his presentation cases, the company description changed back to "gun and rifle makers" although the company was still "Gun and Rifle Manufacturers" in phone and business directories.

In 1903 the Company vacated 277 Oxford Street where they had been quartered for 44 years while the building was being renovated and moved 300 yards down the street to 295 Oxford Street. The company apparently was run by Herbert H. (Bert) Reilly and Charles A. Reilly, EM Reilly’s sons. The first extant gun with 295 Oxford Street on the rib is 35422. The company remained at 295 until bankruptcy was declared on 06 June 1912. The last extant gun with 295 on the rib is 35678.

Bert Reilly opened a small gun shop, E.M Reilly & Co., at 13 High Street, Marylebone in 1912 after the bankruptcy. No advertisements can be found for the shop though per London postal address, telephone and business directories they identified themselves as "gunmakers." No guns with this address on the rib have been found. The date of its closure is not noted although it is listed in London telephone directories up to 1919 and in business directories to 1921.

In August 1922 The Reilly name was bought by a sporting goods dealer named Charles Riggs (most Reilly history summaries put the date of purchase as 1917; this is belied by the dates of newspaper advertising). Riggs apparently decided he could use the name to promote his premium line of guns (possibly built by BSA). Whether a Reilly had any say in the design of these Riggs-Reilly guns is unknown. Riggs remained in business until 1966. His “Reilly named” promotion guns have six-digit serial numbers and appear to begin at around 130000. A Riggs "Reilly" with a serial number in the 150000’s is known to exist. It is doubtful that all these Serial Numbers were "Reilly named" premium products.

The Reilly's sold all types of guns in various qualities using all types of actions. Reilly serial numbered about 33,000 guns from circa 1825 to 1912, all built by them. The guns that they made had an artistic elegance and balance, which is unmistakable. they were one of the first to use highly figured French walnut for their stocks and their engraving, for the most part floral scroll work, was consistently classy. Reilly's best guns were as good as those produced anywhere in England at the time.

Gene Williams, June 11, 2018

Last edited by Argo44; 12/15/19 09:25 PM.
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