Why Ballard?

Anything to do with Rimfire guns

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Brent
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Why Ballard?

Post by Brent »

This is a bit of an off the wall question but it bugs me not to have a decent answer to it.

Why is what I would call generic, "normal" rifling in a Marlin 39a called "Ballard" rifling? By this time Ballard didn't exist as a company or a model of Marlin. And it was simply a singleshot action, not a style of rifling. Ballard rifles never had a unique style of rifling that assumed their brand name. But we use this to distinguish "normal" Marlins from the Microgroove rifling for some reason. I'm curious why that is?

Also, what years were microgroove started and ended (I'm assuming it ended)?

Finally, if a grad student is looking for a used Marlin 39a, and encounters a microgroove is it worth as much as a normally rifled 39a? Are these good shooters? Personally, I've always avoided them but I've a student or three that really like my 1951 vintage Marlin and are interesting in buying one. Marlins of this vintage are not super common, so if the newer, microgroove rifles were good rifles and perhaps a little cheaper, so much the better.

Anyway, I could use some schooling on microgroove rifles and, in general, the dynamics of the 39a used market.

Brent
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marlinman93
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Re: Why Ballard?

Post by marlinman93 »

From the beginning of the first Marlin repeating rifles, Marlin used the terminology "Ballard Rifling" to describe their rifling used inn both Ballards and repeaters. Long after 1890 Marlin repeaters were still advertised as having Ballard rifling, as that rifling style used by Marlin was considered very accurate based on matches won with Ballard rifles.
Microgroove rifling first came about in Marlin 22's in 1953 when Marlin patented this type of rifling. In 1956 it was offered in CF rifles, but had performance issues in their high power CF bolt action rifles. It worked great in their lever action 336 in various calibers. Ballard rifling is indeed a "style" of rifling, and although it's always been close to what other makers used, Marlin considered it unique enough to advertise it as their own.
For the 39a the early pre 1953 Ballard rifled guns will always have a little higher values over later 39a with Microgroove rifling. But Microgroove rifling shoots extremely well with .22LR, and having owned older and newer 39a's with both style, I found them equally accurate. As for very new 39a's compared to older 39a's with Microgroove, I'd say the reverse is more likely. Any older 39a in Ballard rifling, or Microgroove rifling; will garner more value than most newer 39a's do.
Marlin lever actions 1870's-WWI, Ballards, and single shot rifles!
Brent
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Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:24 am

Re: Why Ballard?

Post by Brent »

Thanks,
That is exactly the sort of information I was hoping for.

Brent
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