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1830 - 1890 - Reilly making his own guns -- These posts provide definitive evidence that Reilly manufactured his own guns...QED:

The question of whether Reilly made his own guns has been repeatedly asked with the usual internet response being "No."

From TRW999's post: "In the 1881 census Edward was recorded living at 315 Oxford Street, before it was re-numbered. He was recorded living with his wife, Mary A (b.1848 in London), 31 years his junior. His children were listed as Charles A (b.1871), Herbert (b.1875) and Gerard (b.1878), all were born in London. Charles A, being born in 1871 suggests that Edward and Mary A were married shortly before 1871 and suggests that Edward could have been previously married and had children. Interestingly, Edward described himself in the census as a gun maker employing 300 men. This figure may have been a transcription error because it is an extraordinarily large number and there is no record of any Reilly factory in London or Birmingham.

The correct answer as detailed above repeatedly and reiterated below: "Yes, the Reilly's made their own guns and did so in their large buildings in London.".
-- they responded to orders 3 times as fast as other London gun makers and could make special orders;
-- by early 1880's they were making over 1,000 serial numbered guns a year + a huge business in guns made under license engraved and marketed by them.
-- It was virtually a factory output - they had to have had their own finishers, engravers, stockers, as has been speculated above; they may have imported barrel stocks and actions from Birmingham but their guns were made in-house.

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1830 - Reilly making his own guns
..........18 July 1830, "Bell's Life."


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1831 - Reilly makes his own guns (continued)

May 1831 Advertisement from "The New Sporting Magazine."
1) He's making his own guns and calls himself "Gunmaker" - in Jan 1831 rings and jewelry were stolen from his store - this ad may therefore be the first in which he identifies solely as "gunmaker.";
2) He's advertising guns and pistols - at this time he was still serial numbering pistols in his chronology;
2) these are at very moderate prices (see business model);
3) There is mentioned of "Patent Breech" which appears on a couple of his pre 1845 guns. Believe this is the Henry Nock patent.



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1840 - Reilly making his own guns (continued)

I ran across a note that London gunmaker and Reilly friend HJ Blanch had compiled a notebook of various ads and gun related subjects that had been turned over to the Royal Armories probably about 1905 when he died. On P.15 was an ad by Joseph Charles Reilly at 316 High Holborn (1835-47). Royal Armories sent a photo copy. Much of it is the usual found in newspapers. But this is interesting because it adds weight to the argument that Reilly indeed made or and the very least finished his own guns.
. .1) The ad refers to Reilly's "own guns" and to a barrel boring process he used.
. .2) He could fulfill "peculiar orders" in 4-5 weeks and could rebore barrels.
To do this he had to be able to make his own guns and to have a barrel boring machine on his premises.
..3)Oh yes, note the problem of forgeries which existed even at that time.




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1861 - Reilly making his own guns (continued)
..........April 14, 1861, "Bell's Life." If Reilly wasn't making his own guns, he sure as heck couldn't have allowed gentlemen to "superintend the progress of their gun."


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1861 - Reilly makes his own guns (continued)

Reilly made his own guns and on his own premises. There are enough ads and articles around to confirm this now, this in addition to the 1880 census in which Reilly said he employed 300 workers. If there is any doubt that London gun makers made guns on their premises, the bankruptcy inventory of Joseph Manton's building in 1826 included boring machines, lathes, etc. Here are some more ads:

..........11 Jul 1861 "Volunteer's Service Gazette"


..........28 Sept 1861, "Bell's Life"


..........17 Aug 1862 "Bell's Life" - review of guns at the 1862 London World's Fair



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1862 - Reilly making his own guns (continued)

..........1862 London exposition catalog with Reilly's entry - identifies his manufacturing location as 315 Oxford Street:


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1862 - Reilly making his own guns (continued)
In an early (1862) advertisement he guaranteed guns he made himself (though by 1880 he was guaranteeing everything that he sold).


Last edited by Argo44; 12/03/18 10:16 PM.
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