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*8 1840's: Air-guns:

JC Reilly during this period also became known for his air cane guns. Air guns had been around for years. Lewis & Clark carried one on their expedition across America.*8a Manton made one in the 1820's. However, around 1840 they became exceedingly popular and just about every gun-maker advertised them. Young EM was billed as the expert and was so mentioned in advertisements for the next 8 years, identified as "Reilly Junr."*8b

In 1847 EM wrote a widely disseminated pamphlet on air guns. It is mostly an advertising brochure highlighting the company's ability to produce all sorts of air-guns and parts - but also going into air pressures they achieved in the air chambers and other technical aspects of the guns. It is cited to this day. The pamphlet title page noted the author was "Reilly junr," used the (new) 502 New Oxford Street address and included the phrase "Removed from Holborn" (see below). *8c

Note: The earliest Reilly trade-case label known (for 316 High Holborn Street) came out of an air-gun case, not surprisingly since it was undoubtedly not carried out into muddy fields. It appears that Reilly did not serial number air guns even though the company manufactured and made the guns (similar to post 1837 hand-guns mentioned above). This said there is one air-gun with a serial number 7801 with J.C. Reilly’s name on it. This appears to be a legitimate JC “7000” series number (see below).*8d

A collage of extant Reilly air guns dating from the 1830’s to the 1880’s is pictured below:*8e. Note: There is an extensive series of posts going into detail on a dozen extant Reilly air guns dating from the 1830's to the 1880's posted here beginning at the bottom of the page: https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=509815

Note: Reilly became so associated with air-guns that his name was mentioned in various fiction "who-done-its,*8f, *8g and may have been a prototype for the Sherlock Holmes short story "The Empty House" by Arthur Conan Doyle.*8h

Interesting fact: Apparently by 1843 E.M. Reilly (Reilly, Jnr) had joined the Masonic Lodge. And advertisement in “The Freemason” from 1843 identified him as “Brother Reilly Junr.”*8i He was also a practicing Catholic who contributed substantially to the local Catholic church (commented on below).*8j There was apparently no contradiction in being both a Mason and a Catholic.

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Last edited by Argo44; 06/04/22 10:57 PM.
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