Engraved Ballard

[marlinman93]

Picked this one up recently, but need to find wood for it. I'm guessing it's a Union Hill, with special order features. The .38-55 caliber, pistol grip frame, and double set triggers would line up with the #8 Union Hill. But 30" full octagon barrel, and engraving would be special order for a Union Hill. Has midrange vernier Ballard tang sight, and windage adjustable Ballard globe front sight. Hopefully I wont have to make stocks for it! Not one of my favorite tasks!

[Brent]

Beautiful rifle - I would restock it in a second. But then I think restocking is fun - it's the metal work that is the killer.

Good luck with it. She is a beauty.

[marlinman93]

Thanks Brent! I just know somewhere along the way the original stocks got put up, and the owner passed on. Then some family member sold the barreled action. Always wonder if those stocks are still wrapped in a rag and stuffed into the basement rafters, waiting to be found!

[Brent]

Someone probably used them for kindling

But here is your chance to have set carved like this
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/P ... llardB.JPG

[marlinman93]

Wow! That's a very unusual, almost Germanic touch to those stocks! Probably cost more than my meager budget could allow! Gorgeous though, and would befit a barreled action like this for sure!

[Brent]

I think it is the prettiest gun stock I've ever seen, bar none. I don't think of it as Germanic as much as Colonial, but a bit of both is probably about right. Anyway, I like it and one day, I'm going to steal that design and put it on a rifle of my own. Perhaps a Low wall. If I do it myself, it will fit my budget.

[marlinman93]

I think it is the prettiest gun stock I've ever seen, bar none. I don't think of it as Germanic as much as Colonial, but a bit of both is probably about right. Anyway, I like it and one day, I'm going to steal that design and put it on a rifle of my own. Perhaps a Low wall. If I do it myself, it will fit my budget.

Ha da couple German Aydt single shot rifles, with even more elaborate carving on the stocks. The Aydt design schuetzen rifles usually have larger cheekpieces though, even the small patterns.

[Brent]

Yes, the German carved stocks are usually far too ornate and over done for me. I admire their skill but I rarely enjoy the end result. This one, however, suits me to a "T".

[Road King]

Very nice find Vall and will look forward to see the finished product. Don't give up on the stocks, I found a stock one time and few years later found the gun a model 1893 that it came off of. Here is the thread http://www.marlin-collectors.com/forum/ ... f=5&t=8874. Worth while building new stocks and likely when you get it finished the old original ones will turn up.
Brian

[marlinman93]

Very nice find Vall and will look forward to see the finished product. Don't give up on the stocks, I found a stock one time and few years later found the gun a model 1893 that it came off of. Here is the thread http://www.marlin-collectors.com/forum/ ... f=5&t=8874. Worth while building new stocks and likely when you get it finished the old original ones will turn up.
Brian

Thanks Brian! That would be a near miracle, but I've seen it happen also. Had a friend who bought an engraved, nickel plated 1893, and the wood was very plain. He ended up selling it to another friend, and he bought it because he knew exactly where the original fancy wood was! He had known the original owner, and knew he took the original wood off to preserve it. Went back to his home, and got permission to look in the basement rafters. There in a rag were the original stocks!
Unfortunately this barreled action came from the opposite end of the USA, so chances are probably better of winning the lottery!

[marlinman93]

Talked some more with Dave Crossno, and I am probably going to go with his Union Hill pattern stocks. Just need to decide what grade of wood my wallet can afford.

[marlinman93]

Dave is busy doing the 95% inletted stocks on 4x walnut blanks. Should be fitting of an engraved Ballard, and about all the wallet could handle! Will probably be done by the end of the week, so I'll post some pics when they arrive.

[marlinman93]

Been awhile since I had an update, but finally got my new stocks built, and finished for the engraved Ballard! Got a semi inletted stock set from Dave Crossno in Ok. and fitted them to the action and barrel. Lot of extra wood to work down, but that's OK. Took a full day with a wood rasp to get them down close enough to start sanding with paper!

A few layers of blue tape to protect the receiver, and set the height of the wood, and they began to fit into place.


A little rough sanding with 80 grit, and then 120 grit. It's ready to be wet sanded with Minn Wax Wipe On Poly.


After 8-10 coats of poly, and sanding in between. Looks a bit off, but it's getting close.




A little work with 4/0 steel wool, and it's ready to cure. Then the final cut and buff begins.


After rubbing the stocks out with rottenstone and paste wax, they're ready to send to the checkerer for checkering.

[marlinman93]

Did a quick final test fit, mainly just because I wanted to see it together before I tore it all apart again! Put the wood on, and buttplate temporarily on the wood. The small Farrow buttplate needs to have the screw heads recessed, and polished.





After taking the pictures I disassembled it again, and pulled the barrel off the receiver to polish out, and rust blue. Found that some previous owner had put soft solder under the front target scope base, and it filled the screw heads also! Took some heat and a dental pick to clean out the screw slots, and remove the screws. Then had to break the base loose from the barrel with a drift punch. Unsure why the solder was under the one base, as it was held fine with the screws?
Got the solder off the barrel, and began polishing out the flats. Another hour's work, and it will be ready for bluing. Hope to get the checkering and bluing all done about the same time.

[SgtDog]

Vall, I think you "won the lotery" when you found that receiver:-)