Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Ballards

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z4lunch
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Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:03 pm

Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Post by z4lunch »

Hello
Steve here... Newbee to the forum. I have a what I believe started out life as a #5 Pacific in 38-55. It is now a 22 K Hornet, and has been polished rebarreled & restocked I would guess. Do you guys think its worth restoring or would you sell it, and wait for a nicer original rifle. The receiver,DST block and tang have matching numbers. I have enclosed a bunch of pics when I had it apart the other day.I believe it has the forged action.
Thank you
Steven
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103899793/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103807394/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103795036/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103823354/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103806556/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103748965/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24861989@N02/11103812184/
Brent
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Re: Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Post by Brent »

That one has been polished hard - and poorly. Were it mine, I would dig a "normal" ballard stock out of that thing that is on there. The nonfunctional pistolgrip would come off and the forearm would be slimmed to something acceptable. I would strip the bluing, flatten the surfaces as much as possible (probably loosing a lot of lettering but that's the way it goes) and then rust blue it and enjoy it. I don't thing a full restoration is really worth it.

I don't think that is a Pacific, but darned if I can tell you exactly why. Does it have a hole going crosswise in the bottom flat of the barrel that would hold the forearm on? The Pacific's fore was held by a horizontal, not vertical screw that passed from right to left sides of the forearm.
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

Steven;

Your action is a Pacific action, you can tell by the two protruding pins on the front of the receiver. The barrel is not the original barrel as Pacific's had octagon barrels.
Frankly, the money you would spend to "restore" your gun would be probably more than finding a good, original Pacific would cost. And, your gun really would not be restored as the barrel would not be the original barrel with the same serial number as the receiver, unless you could find someone to serialize the barrel with matching stamps. Same with the wood. Proper shaped barrels can be purchased from Badger, but they would not have the thimbles for the cleaning rod under the barrel, and finding proper thimbles would be another problem.
The one good thing about "restoring" your gun is you could make it any caliber you wanted, whereas finding a good, original Pacific would limit you on the caliber, unless you simply waited until a gun in the caliber you wanted came along.
Good luck..........
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z4lunch
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Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:03 pm

Re: Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Post by z4lunch »

"The nonfunctional pistolgrip would come off and the forearm would be slimmed to something acceptable. I would strip the bluing, flatten the surfaces as much as possible (probably loosing a lot of lettering but that's the way it goes) and then rust blue it and enjoy it"

Thank you guys for the quick repy. Brent I will probably do exactly what you suggested. May try to find original wood, and at some point have a 38-55 oct barrel made up.
Thanks again
Steven
SgtDog
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Re: Ballard #5 Pacific restore or not

Post by SgtDog »

Steven, Hope you post your progress. I'm hoping to build one myself but have a more meager starting point, being a barrel only, so finding the receiver will be far more difficult. If you want to share progress reports send me a PM and I'll send my email. I'll be pecking away on mine as I find $$ and parts but be glad to share what I have, including pictures of a Pacific you could work from. John
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