due to the restrictions in the size of the peacetime navy, reynolds was not actually promoted to lieutenant until 1777, following the outbreak of the american revolutionary war. reynolds saw action in the war, remaining aboard hms "royal george", hms "barfleur" and hms "britannia" in the channel fleet until 1783 when he sailed for the west indies as commander of the storeship hms "dolphin". in 1786 he took over the sloop hms "echo" on the newfoundland station and in 1788 returned to europe, being promoted and made temporary captain of hms "barfleur" at the spanish emergency in 1790.