doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E.M. Reilly; History; Chronology; Serial Numbers

Why keep records? History. Diggory sent information about the Reilly Big-Bore SxS rifle which has come to light in Ireland. It is SN'd 22432 probably numbered in very late 1880 or very early 1881. It is a .577 SxS Jones Under-Lever Rifle with what appears to be back-action locks.



There is an inscription on the barrel flats - presumably some Celtic runes followed by "RM" - probably the owner.



The "5288" on the under rib probably is a Birmingham barrel maker number. I can’t tell if these are Steel barrels or blued damascus – possibly the latter since Reilly was not advertising Whitworth steel until late 1881. There looks to be a faint 22xxx on the barrels which would have been the stamped serial number. Perhaps the original barrels were blued at some point.



The address on the rib is 502 New Oxford Street. It does not match the case label which is for 277 Oxford Street in a format not seen (Gun and Rifle Makers on leather) until the 1890's.



There is a problem: a gun with the same description and SN 22432 was sold 10 years ago at Holts:
https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=A1214++++914+&refno=+++76477



At that time the Holt's gun was housed in a case with a label with the address 16, New Oxford Street and 29 rue du Faubourg, St. Honore, Paris (1885-1886).



That case had the name of George Sackville Sinclair Wemyss on it . He died in Scotland in 1882. Six years ago we speculated that the case was not original to the gun or that it had been returned to Reilly for servicing and a new label added (and it does appear that that label was indeed a replacement of some sort.

Possible solutions to the problem:

1) There are two Reilly 22432's (unlikely)

2)This gun in Ireland is the same as the Holt's gun but the case and label has been changed.

The case though very similar seem to have slight differences.


The stocks look similar (photos are not good)


The sights on the guns look slightly different though it is hard to tell from the quality of the photos.


3) or once again Holt's got mixed up by the similarities between Reilly's "3"'s and "5"'s and the "Wemyss" cased gun was in fact "22452” not “22432." Holt's did not publish photos of the SN or mention the inscription/initials which are on the barrel flats of the Irish gun, something they usually would done (unless Holt's was trying to use the Wemyss name on the case to sell the gun).

Diggory has been asked to try to find out more about the Irish gun. Personally I think they are the same gun.