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*18 1851: Crystal Palace Exposition – the Lefaucheaux revelation

Reilly exhibited at the 1851 Crystal Palace International Exposition*18a as Edward M. Reilly).*18b. This is one more indication of the increasing prominence of E.M. in company affairs. Among other items exhibited by Reilly (air guns, pistols, etc,) were examples of engraving and chasing.*18b

There were two extremely influential guns shown at the exposition. Colt showed his heavy revolver which became a sensation. However, Reilly and the UK long-gun world was much taken by the Casimir Lefaucheaux’s center-break gun, used in France since 1836.*18c Reilly, Lang and Blanch ultimately became the major advocates for the Lefaucheaux new type of break-action guns in England, something that would cause a profound technological revolution and a great deal of dispute and public wrangling amongst the UK gun-owner fraternity.

Comment: This said, one cannot overstate the impact on UK gunmaking that the colt revolver had and in particular, the fact that it was made mostly by machinery. Colt was asked to speak to the British Society of Civil Engineers in fall 1851, the first American to do so, where he discussed his methods. Numerous publications commented later on his London works and the fact that the workers finishing machine-made parts were not skilled and this in turn provoked dozens of trips by UK delegations to visit US factories. This ultimately led to Enfield establishing an “American system factory” circa 1860. The system did not arrive in Birmingham until the 1870’s. This is mentioned here because it is possible that Reilly tried elements of “The American System” later on in serial production of Prince and Green Brothers breech loaders).*18d

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Last edited by Argo44; 06/04/22 11:05 PM.
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