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Evolution of early Reilly 1850's break-action, pin-fire guns

I've always been curious about the early evolution of British breech-loaders/break-action guns and of Reilly center-break guns specifically. Steve Nash wrote a very succinct history here:
https://www.internetgunclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=97

Basically, Casimir Lefaucheux exhibited at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Lang, Reilly, Blanch paid attention. Lang went to work and created a variant in 1853 (actually made by E.C. Hodges and sold to Lang) that could escape patent infringement suits somehow (with help from British courts). But his variant languished.

After the 1855 Paris Universelle, Reilly changed his labels to promote "fusills a bascule" (French for break-action guns) and for "Improved Breech Loaders." (Prince patented his military breech loader in 1855....Reilly immediately obtained manufacturing rights). Speculation: Lang may have shown his Lefaucheux copy at Paris, which might have spurred the businessman Reilly into action.



Based on the label, one assumes Reilly was making break-action breech loaders by late 1855. But what type? 10655, which dates to early 1858, gives the answer....copies of the Lefaucheux patent - appropriately beefed up in places - with a different forearm.

10655


Sketch of one of the 4 Reilly shotguns used in the July 1859 trial from "Stonehenge"'s book:


Blanch, who worked closely with Reilly, gives more substance to this evolution:



The print is small so here is the above transcription (from William Blanch's obiturary)

"The Lefaucheux system of breech-loader was brought prominently forward in the 1851 Exhibition. The invention was not received with open arms, and it practically rested on three enterprising gun-makers to fight the battle of breech-loaders against the inert resistance of conservative influences, and also against the active opposition of those who have eyes only for the objections to the system.

At this time of day it is difficult to realize how great these objections really were. The gas-tight cartridge had not yet been evolved, and the difficulties of constructions were increased many times. A little thought will, therefore, manifest the wide sympathies of the gunmaker who pledged his reputation on the soundness of the breech-loading system. This honor is divided among the firms Lang, Reilly and Blanch, though, of course, others joined in as time went on.

It was the year 1855 that the late William Blanch went to Paris and purchased of Benniger, for 27 odd, one of the new fashioned guns. This he set to work to copy and improve. But he had also the more arduous task of teaching his men to make the new gun. The barrel maker had to be instructed how to make the lump instead of the screw breech-plug. The percussioner had to be broken-in to the task of making actions on the Lefaucheux system. Everything was new and the only moral support to the task came from the fact that Joseph Lang had some time previously entered the same field of research. The cartridges of Chaudun and Gevelot were imported from the Continent, English cartridge makers not being then existence. The following extract from "The Field" of October 1858 show the stage to which matters had arrived some three years later. "Lang, Reilly and Blanch have been overdone with orders, and more than one gentleman we know has had great difficulty in meeting with what he wanted. It is therefore simply absurd to attempt to pooh-pooh the invention.".........

Per above change in labels, a plausible assumption can be made that Reilly was making center-break breech loaders from at least late 1855 on - Purdey did not sell a center-break gun built on the Lefaucheux system in until 1858, 3 years later.
https://books.google.com/books?id=89JaDw...859&f=false

It's hard to overemphasize the flame wars which enveloped the British press over the issue. In UK at the time, advocating for an effeminate French piece of effrontery could get your man-hood questioned, your sanity challenged and your reputation threatened. William Greener (the elder) was prominent in despising the new invention and Diggory reports that son W.W., who favored center-break guns, and father fell out over the issue and didn't speak for years. One strongly suspects the same situation applied between Joseph Charles and Edward Michael Reilly at the same time and may have led to JC's early and abrupt retirement in Sep 57.

Reilly's first ads mentioning break-action guns (not counting his label change in late 1855) so far found were these two: first from an early 1857 "Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of GB and Ireland,"
https://books.google.com/books?id=oN1kAA...lly&f=false
and the second from an early 1857 Bradshaw travel book (A June 1857 ad in "The Field" is similar to the second ad below):


The fact that by Fall 1858 Reilly, now managed by E.M., was "overdone with orders" for breech-loaders (per "The Field" above) probably explains why he opened 315 Oxford Street in January 1859. (And it was obviously not because he needed more retail sales space -the building was huge dwarfing Purdey next door).


When did Reilly change from primarily using the Lefaucheux system? It's pretty obvious that it was right after the Jones (a Birmingham gunsmith) under-lever "double-bite" system was patented in September 1859. The above book published in early 1860 shows a sketch of a Reilly using the Jones under-lever system. SN 11469 dated to April 1860 is another example. Reilly the businessman always jumped on the most sale-able system.

. Feb 1860 "Reilly & Co. (from pre-Oct 1859 . . . . .Note the forearm attachment different from Lefaucheux .11469 - April 1860


Therefore, 10655 answers a lot of questions on the evolution of Reilly breech-loader, break-action design. Notice in all this there is not a mention of Birmingham...the promotion of the breech loader in UK for the first 5 years after Crystal Palace looked to be at the instance of three London gunmakers.

For skeptics who say that Reilly did not make these guns:
-- Who in Birmingham at this time was making breech-loaders - 1855-1858?
-- Who do you think made these guns for Reilly if he didn't do it? (And I'm thinking Reilly made the guns for Blanch. Reilly had his guns at the 1858 and 1859 highly publicized trials run by "The Field" - Blanch wasn't there).
-- And no one said during these trials that the guns he presented weren't his.
One prominent poster here who knows a lot about guns has said flat-out that he knows 100% that Reilly was making muzzle loaders - well if he could make a breech-plug, why couldn't he make a lump? Welcome comments and am willing to discuss the issue - it's important UK gun history.

Edit: I have been been told by PM that lots of gunmakers in Birmingham could make guns for Reilly. We've discussed this many times - WC Scott, etc. - but please note that this is not the point.
-- The question asked above is, "Who, if anyone, in Birmingham could make a center-break breech-loader for Reilly in 1855?" The question is a serious one; Stonehenge mentions one Birmingham gunmaker making center-break guns in 1859 (Elliot who participated in the July 1859 trials).
-- The corollary question is, "Who might have made 10655, the center-break gun above), for Reilly in Spring 1858, if Reilly did not do it."
-- And, when did center-break breech-loaders actually start to be made in quantity in Birmingham and by whom?
The literature on the early-mid 1850's is pretty clear that it was Lang, Reilly and Blanch who put their reputations on the line to promote the new guns. So the question is historical and important - and I'm not being "snarky." (I suspect Steve Nash can answer this question - and by the way, he owns a Reilly)

Whatever, It is clear that British break-action guns spoke French originally...shades of William the Conquerer...full circle to 1890 when all Damascus in Uk was apparently speaking French....Belgian Walloon dialect.

Of course information on the type of center-break guns Reilly was making in the mid-1850's was right there all along, just unnoticed. Here are the results of the July 1859 trials shoot-off conducted by "The Field" comparing muzzleloaders and breech-loaders (a previous trial was held in April 1858 in which Reilly participated)...."Reilly, London" is listed as using the "Lefaucheux" system of breech-loader, entering 4 guns in each bore from 12 to 16; "The Field" editor particularly praised the 16 bore.



https://books.google.com/books?id=inQCAA...858&f=false

(Note that Prince bolt action breech loaders were in the trial. I didn't realize that Prince made guns in a shotgun gauge. At least two Reilly Serial Numbered Princes are pictured in this line. Prince was in partnership with Green until late 1859...Green then went his own way and created his own breech-loader to which Reilly obtained manufacturing rights in 1864 per a long post above.). A description of these guns including Needham's patent bolt action breech loader, Bastin's patent, etc. can be read here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=6ftIAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA298&lpg=PA298&dq=needham%27s+breech+loading+pattern&source=bl&ots=abzRRlyFTN&sig=ACfU3U2h2urMWEr7l9K2j-1jUV9y0p-5Bw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjU9rL2mrvlAhXDwFkKHbEJAlAQ6AEwFHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=needham's%20breech%20loading%20pattern&f=false


Last edited by Argo44; 11/17/19 08:40 PM.
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