Steve, it's one of those details I've never really looked at. I have this database....a lot of the sites are no longer available and I find I didn't copy out important data or keep important photos. But this is for sure....Reilly only serial number guns he built, and they all had London proofs (originally).
I have a database of about 30 guns that have EM Reilly on the ribs but no SN. I'll go through them and see if any pattern turns up. But for now, I can't explain why some U-L had ring-tips and some not. Reilly made what would sell and it seems to have changed weekly - monthly.
Edit: Scrolling through the under trigger guard Under-Lever Reillys from 1859 to 1883....I can find no pattern for ring under-levers or solid filled-in under-levers. Solid started out being standard (Lefaucheux style)...ring U-L predominated in the 1860's-70's (but there were always the solid rings mixed in).. mid 70's solid rings took over but always there were open rings. On the pin-fire line, I'll post what I've got in a collage.
Last edited by Argo44; 03/30/21 11:39 PM.
