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2000+ hours of research.


Work is currently being conducted on British census records, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891, primarily, going through the London census manually which is taking some time. However, as the new year approaches here is what has been accomplished by this line over the last four years. Afterwards will move the three most important posts for most dealers and owners distilling:
1) the dating of Reilly trade/case labels,
2) the working, dated list of Reilly Serial Numbered extant guns, and
3) the latest version of the New History of Reilly - regularly up-dated, modified since it was published in Diggory Hadoke's on-line magazine.

Partial list of methodology and accomplishments:
-- Extant SN gun list: First, a list of extant Serial Numbered guns was compiled and difference between non serial number - serial numbered, long guns- hand guns understood, address/names on ribs recorded, patent use numbers noted, characteristics of each gun marked. etc.
-- Product list/dates: All Reilly advertisements and mentions in contemporary newspapers from 1825 to 1922 were gone over, new products noted and their dates, changes in names, addresses, references to their use, etc., including all Reilly exhibits at international exhibitions.
-- Shop locations/dates: Correct addresses, time periods of occupation and photos of Reilly shops and workshops in London and Paris were compiled and published - using primary sources from the 19th century - which including understanding the geography of 19th century London and Paris and the location of competitors.
-- Dating guns: Extant guns were dated using "marker dates" and the list was corroborated by "sanity checks," patent dates (researched extensively and compiled), dates on advertisements, etc.
-- Reilly labels: A library of Reilly trade/case labels was compiled and ultimately dated as best it can be.
-- General history written: Once this was understood, a general history of the firm was published correcting errors in every published account of Reilly over the last 75 years.

Note: this began as an ambitious attempt to create a chart year-by-year from 1825 on detailing what was happening to Reilly, Serial numbers, labels, family history, guns made, general UK history, history of the UK gun industry, melding in European history, metallurgy, advancements in patents...sort of a horizontal "what's happening" historical very-visual record that proved to be impossible to sustain or to create something that could actually be understood.

(I didn't have the talent....if anyone wants to read the greatest such effort in the world of historical scholarship...take a look at these thin, beautiful edited, map-centric books by Colin McEvedy - they are all one needs to understand Western History, society, culture, influence and should be in every library:

https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Atlas-Ancient-History/dp/0140513485
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books...avid-woodroffe/
https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Atlas-Modern-History-1815/dp/0140511539
https://www.amazon.com/New-Penguin-Atlas...XMHG2EA2BT9Z2SX

And along the way these topics were extensively researched:
-- Gun making under license: Reilly building guns under license from other patent holders such as Wesley-Richards, etc. was studied.
-- UK Patents and patent use numbers: A list of prominent UK patents used on historical UK guns and on Reilly's was compiled; An attempt was made to try to understand UK patent use numbers and payment for same.
-- Personal history: Personal elements contributed by a Reilly kin and by other knowledgeable authors were added once these were verified.
-- Military contracts: Reilly attempts to win a military contract from Arsenal over 1840-1870 was researched and published.
-- Center Break guns: Reilly very early involvement in making and promoting break action (Fusils a Bascule) pin-fires from the beginning of the UK center-break gun industry in the mid 1850's including his involvement in the "Field" trials in 1858, 59 was detailed.
-- Military breech-loaders: History of Reilly involvement in the attempt to get Arsenal to consider, then adopt breech loaders including petitions to reopen the 1853 adoption of the Enfield rifle-musket in favor of the Prince, and in the Arsenal sponsored breech loading competitions of '65 and '69-70' were researched.
-- Green Bros breech-loader manufacture: Reilly history of manufacturing Green Brothers patent breech loaders 1864-71 was reviewed.
-- Prince breech-loader manufacture: Ditto to Reilly history of manufacturing Prince patent breech loaders 1857-70.
-- Comblain manufacture: Ditto to Reilly manufacturing of the Reilly-Comblain breech loader 1867-1875.
-- Stocks and Engraving: Distinctive Reilly stocks and engraving style was researched and documented.
-- Yoemanry Militia: Reilly wholesale sales to Yoemanry Militia for 35 years was documented.
-- Shooting grounds: Reilly shooting grounds and gallery were identified..
-- Air gun library: Reilly history of air-gun/air-cane making 1841 - 1880's was detailed and documented and a photo library of guns compiled.
-- Royal warrant: Reilly attempts to obtain a royal warrant in 1862 mentioned (there is a lot more to this...) and his obtaining Royal warrants from Netherlands, France, Spain and Portugal.
-- Prosecution: Reilly prosecution for violating British neutrality in the Franco-German war of 1871 mentioned for the first time ever.
-- Foremen: Two Reilly foremen, one from 1861 and the other 1898 identified
-- Cartridge manufacture: Reilly involvement in manufacturing cartridges from the late 1850's researched.
-- Pigeon shooting: Reilly involvement in Pigeon shooting competitions and his manufacture of guns to Hurlingham specifications was extensively researched and reviewed.
-- Famous explorers/hunters: Use of Reilly guns by famous African explorers and hunters was gone over...including use by some of the most renowned hunters and explorers of the age.
-- Writers of the age: As was the use of Reilly's guns by some of the most knowledgeable gun-sport writers of the day, who were physically in Reilly's shops.
-- Bankruptcy: Date of bankruptcy in 1912 was identified and corrected.
-- Riggs: Date of the purchase of the Reilly name by Charles Riggs in 1922 was corrected., the serial numbers of the Rigg's guns identified, and a history of sorts of Charles Riggs was compiled (a lot of this not yet published).
-- Commercial sales-hand guns: Reilly commercial sales of pistols and revolvers reviewed, including his engraving of same and his importation of Liege guns in parts, which were assembled in his workshops in London.
-- Commercial sales-rifles: Reilly commercial sales of other rifles he did not make including Sharps, Winchester, Wesley-Richards, etc. was gone over.
-- Silver maker mark: His 1818 silver maker's mark was discovered and silverware and other items his jewelry shop made was published (there is more to this that hasn't been posted).
-- there are dozens of more topics that have been researched:
. . . . . - manufacturing processes,
. . . . . - barrel blacking and engraving,
. . . . . - tools used in mid-1800's gun maker shops,
. . . . . - anti-catholic prejudice at the time
. . . . . - history of UK princes who bought or gave Reilly guns.
. . . . . - waisted bullets - origin, use...flat trajectory advantages.
. . . . . - Worlds' Fair medals
. . . . . - militia organization,
. . . . . - gun-club rules and organizations,
. . . . . - pigeon shooting rules,
. . . . . - silver-smith requirements,
. . . . . - history of jewelers making guns,
. . . . . - gun permit fees,
. . . . . - history of the Arsenal 1865 and 1869-70 breech loading competitions,
. . . . . - history of UK military rifles,
. . . . . - Pretty much the history of Western Europe in the 19th century, especially France of Napoleon III and its poetry.
. . . . . - London Proof House history, records
. . . . . - Dating the EM Reilly authored air-gun pamphlet...etc.

-- And prima facie evidence was presented that over 90 years Reilly was more than just a "retailer!"

Will advise additional facts as they turn up.

And for all of you who have contributed to this history (I've repeatedly changed the chronology based on new information from this board), welcome additions or objections/dissensions to this narrative. Opinions are ok but history would prefer facts - thanks. After all, this is UK gun history and is very much a work-in-progress.


Last edited by Argo44; 02/08/20 12:58 AM.

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