============*14 Hypothetical 5500 series TEXT ============

*14 Hypothetical J.C. "5500" Serial Number series early/mid 1840's:

There are two (possibly four) extant SxS percussion guns from apparently the mid-1840's which are very similar; It may be that J.C. Reilly had a 5500 serial number series of some sort; more guns are needed to establish this point. One wonders whether this series might be connected to 4573 (above); if so it would add a good 1,000 guns to the total Reilly made.

However there is a second possibility to account for the below serial numbers; It is possible that J.C. and E.M. split their gun numbering series around 1844 well before the move to Oxford Street, E.M. keeping the 3000 series and jumping it to 8350 in 1847 and J.C. numbering guns with the 4500-5500 series and jumping those numbers to the 7000 series in 1846; again more guns are needed to establish this point.

. . .- - SN 5512 – 1845-47?, a 16 bore SxS muzzle loader shotgun, which has “J.C. Reilly, 316 High Holborn, London now 502 New Oxford Street” on the rib, the only gun found so far with both addresses and it would appear numbered around the time of the move. However, the two addresses are printed a slightly different font indicating 5512 may have been brought in for maintenance after the March 1847 move and re-engraved at that time; *14a

. . .-- SN 5580 – 1845-47?, a 12 bore SxS muzzle loader shotgun, which has “J.C. Reilly, 316 High Holborn, London” on the rib, (engraving and format very similar to 5512 above); *14b

. . .-- SN xxxx – 1845-47?, The engraving on 5512 and 5580 match remarkably to a 12 bore SxS percussion gun advertised by Christies with “J.C. Reilly, 316 High Holborn, London” on the rib; The SN was unpublished, however, it could be part of this possible “5500 series.” *14c

. . .-- SN yyyy – 1845-47?, The engraving on 5512 and 5580 also match quite well a 16 bore Reilly SxS percussion gun with “Reilly, 316, High Holborn, London” on the rib.*14d

. . .-- SN 5991 – 1847-48?, a 17 bore SxS percussion rifle, serial numbered “5991” on the barrels. “991” is found on forend stock, hammers and ramrod. “Reilly, New Oxford Street, London” is engraved on the rib; “Reilly, London” on the side plates. The case has a post December 1847 Reilly label pasted over a Lang label from 7 Haymarket Street, from circa 1845-1848. If this serial number is part of the hypotheical “5500” JC series, then it may indicate that the series was continued for some reason into the late 1840’s ad used along-side the new “7000” series. *14e

============*14 Hypothetical 5500 series END TEXT ============

Last edited by Argo44; 06/04/22 11:02 PM.
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