Here’s a few questions you should be asking…….let’s talk about the 1870’s through the early 1900’s.

1. Did Reilly build boxlocks? No.
2. Did Reilly build sidelock breach loading shotguns? No.
3. Did Reilly have a “factory”, not a building, but an actual factory that employed 300 gunmakers? No.
4. Did Reilly have an identifiable “house style”? No.
5. Did Reilly have any important patents to his name besides the exploding bullet of the 1860’s? NO.
6. Can anyone name anyone that actually was noted to build guns at Reilly? No.
7. Did Reilly make Greener FP actions in house? No.
8. Did Reilly make SMLE rifles in house? No.
9. Did Reilly make Scott patent Crystal indicator guns in house? No.
10. Did Reilly make modern double rifles in house? No.
11. Does anyone recall anybody that worked at Reilly’s and then went out and hung their own shingle to build guns? No.
12. Did Reilly contribute anything of note to the gunmaking world during these years? No.
13. Why are there absolutely zero pictures of the Reilly factory floor showing his 300 gunmakers busily turning out beautiful boxlocks, sidelocks, hammer guns, etc?
14. Why is there absolutely zero recollection from anyone else active in the trade during those years as to knowing anyone who actually built guns for Reilly? No names of Stockers, actioners, barrel makers, finishers, etc?


And the questions like this go on and on and on…….

I’ll concede that the EM Reilly store was probably a fantastic place to go shopping and do some browsing. Probably chocked full of all kinds of sporting wonders, anything and everything a gentleman sporting man would ever want all under one roof. I wish there were at least some pictures of the inside of the store. I’d be interested just to see how it was laid out.

I wonder how Genes friends at the Internet Gun Club feel about all of this? Seemed he got peer reviewed over there and it didn’t go very well. I wonder how come.