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SN 10641 - Possibly now the oldest extant Reilly center-break gun (to be confirmed)

Yesterday through Diggory Hadoke, I was contacted by an American gunsmith Dan Hopping of Raleigh, NC who is evaluating a collection owned by Mr. Landon Watts, of Raleigh. Amongst them is a Reilly hammer gun SN 10641.
-- The gun was originally a pin-fire converted to center fire (firing pins missing). It apparently is a Lefaucheux-Lang style single bite receiver. The under-lever appears to be in the Beringer under-the-trigger-guard style.
-- 28" Damascus barrels (barrels may have been cut back 2"? 13 & 14 bore (on the barrels) - probably 12 bore chambers but not yet measured; chambered for 2 1/2" shells;
-- "S. Breeden" is on the action (a name he has previously found on a 1850's Westley-Richards.)
-- highly-engraved,
-- excellent stock

The serial number is found on the forearm, the water-table, the locks, and along the tang behind the trigger guard (the last quite worn). This gun is 14 serial numbers earlier than the New Zealand gun SN 10655 and like the New Zealand gun also probably numbered in March 1858.

There are difficulties for the chronology.

1) The name/address on the rib and action is "E.M. Reilly & Co., New Oxford Street, London.". "E.M. Reilly & Co," to my knowledge did not begin to be used until October 1859 - the name should have been "Reilly", "Reilly & Co." or (like 10655) simply "E.M. Reilly."

2). The barrel has Birmingham proofs dated to the 1850's (NFI). No serial numbered Reilly with original barrels has Brum proofs to my knowledge. Edit: 13132 - Terry's Patent gun - dated per chart late 1863 (see previous post) has Birmingham proof mark.

3) There is a name on the water-table/action flats
"S.Breeden"...apparently the action maker.

Following are pictures of the gun. This gun is obviously a difficult one to put into the date-chart. If someone could analyze the action, it might shed some light on it. (I'm wondering if it were one of those guns modified extensively? E.M Reilly & Co,. should not be there on that serial number - unless maybe it were a muzzle loader modified later to a break-action gun with new stock, engraving and rib....a lot to speculate about). And am very curious about the Brum proofs. (about the only explanation I can come up with is the gun was sitting around for a couple of years...a guy needed a gun, so Reilly put the number on an engraved the rib and side plates on an outsourced gun - I'd bet UK gunsmiths could come up with all sorts or reasons a March 1858 SN suddenly appearing on an 1860 gun...








If that action were indeed made in Birmingham in March 1858, it's a lot earlier than any analysis done on center-break Birmingham guns. My feeling is it's an 1860 gun...and the SN somehow got on there. To be further investigated.

Last edited by Argo44; 08/06/20 11:11 PM.
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