E.M.Reilly & Company London

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Gene Williams

21,361 may have been numbered in Fall 1877. It should have 502 or 315 New Oxford street + the Rue Scribe, Paris address on the rib. (He sometimes left off the Paris address - assume this was to satisfy some Francophobe customer and there were a lot of them at the time in UK).

26584 is the last SN I've found with Rue Scribe on the Rib. He closed Rue Scribe in Paris in summer 1886. At that time he was numbering about 50 guns a month. This 450 BPE is 5,223 numbers before 26584 divided by 50 = 104 months before July 1886, 8 years, 8 months = Autumn 1877. (you can go the other way too starting with the first SN with Rue Sribe on a rib 15270 -from Feb 1868 - and counting forward). (And there are some checks which can be applied - the first numbered Martini Henry - knowing when the Martini Henry was adopted for British service).

A check could be made of the patents on the gun to confirm this though it won't be definitive: The gun may have these:
1872 - Patent: Anson's fore-end fastener patent no. 3791
1874 - Patent: Needham patented a hammerless, barrel-cocking gun which was also the first ejector in 1874.
1875 - Patent: W.M. Scott's patent 3223
1875 - Patent: Anson & Deely patent; the first hammerless gun with top lever.

It should not have these:
1878 - Patent: Mills 3rd bite patent no 4980
1878 - Patent: Patent Number 761 was recorded by William Middleditch Scott and Thomas Baker

Also we've found that Reilly stockpiled barrels at least in the 1890's. Barrels were put onto guns which were proofed six years prior to the SN.

Terry Buffum sold a lot of Reilly's recently at least one was a 450 BPE as I recall. A check of Amoskeog and his auctions should confirm this.

The left barrel is inscribed "E.M. Reilley and Co Oxford Street London" and the right barrel is inscribed "& Rue Scribe Paris 450 Bore Express" . I didn't bother to take a picture and add it to the auction as I don't think the camera will make it legible in a picture .