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1867 Reilly/Purdey dust-up

This post is to address a story (reported by several authors) about Reilly and Purdey dating from around the time of the Paris Universelle in 1867, where Reilly won the show (and his cockiness was running at full throttle).

“In 1866 (James Purdey) had a lively correspondence with Mr. E.M. Reilly, Gun Manufacturer, of 502 New Oxford Street, who was alleged to have told a customer that Purdey farmed out their guns to him (Reilly) to build.” (Purdey’s: The Guns and The Family by Richard Beaumont)

Purdey responded with a letter, “A gentleman was in your shop in Oxford Street and was shown two guns both of which were representated as being made by you. The price of one was 20Ł the other 40 guineas and the difference in price was accounted for by the person who showed them saying that ‘one had been proved and stamped by Purdey for which you had to pay him. Now as you know that the foregoing statement is not only perfecty untrue, but malicious and injurious to my trade and reputation, I must request that you will give me an explanation..”

This above quote is from Donald Dallas’ book but is excerpted from John Cambell’s DGJ article in Spring 2015. The letter was also mentioned to me in an email from Purdey historian Dr. Nick Harlow. John in his article has some analysis that ultimately comes down to explaining the bruhaha as a misunderstanding dealing in patent payments. (The other articles mentioning this confrontation usually assumed Reilly did not build guns, only marketed them and thus concentrated on who might have built that pin-fire....and pin-fire it almost certainly was at that date...and the chain of patent payments, etc.).

However, based on research above, here is another take:

1) It’s possible that Reilly was making guns in the white for the trade in the 1860’s…he had 5 major streams of revenue coming into the company; and two large workshops. He was making 1000 Green Brothers breech loaders a year at the time in addition to his serial numbered guns, etc. There are several reports that he was making for the trade at the time.

2). Reilly was perfectly capable of making such claims about Purdey guns, whether true or not, and in fact gloried in undercutting “the establishment.” Here is part of that awful poem from this time period which says exactly what Purdey claimed the salesman told the customer – i.e. the Reilly guns were “exactly the same” (as the expensive stuff).

A place-beyond all we in London know
To Messrs. E.M. Reilly & Co.
What other houses charge sixty-five pounds
For, and keep you four or five months (which astounds),
In waiting for; one exactly the same
For which only Ł45 they claim —
Having it ready too in thirty days
Or less, for which they merit highest praise
Exactly the same I’ve already said
The Gun shall be, by my Art-Heroes made,

Last edited by Argo44; 08/06/20 11:09 PM.
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