Union Hill #9-mongrel.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:56 pm

#9 Union Hill with deluxe wood and checkering special ordered. Also a Winchester barrel marked, "Rebarreled-Winchester Repeating Arms Co."

Sure-Shot · Post by **Sure-Shot** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:16 pm

You sure find some beautiful firearms. I am going to have to follow you around at a gun show so I can figure out how that magnet works.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:53 pm

Thanks Randy! Was hoping you might have come down for the show this weekend! There was a pretty nice Ballard #3 with double set triggers there! Sold for $1,000!

Sure-Shot · Post by **Sure-Shot** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:18 pm

Oh oh oh Vall you know how to make a guy have serious regrets.

To tell the truth I had a lead on 8 Ballards in an estate and then boom they dropped off the radar and went back east with a relative. Would not have been cheap but was really nice looking collection, two were deluxes.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:15 pm

Guess I'm thankful I'm not the only one who gets these exciting leads that don't pan out. You know misery loves company! Probably get 10-20 leads for every one that works out.
This Union Hill came from Single Shot Exchange. Nobody wanted a Ballard with a Winnie barrel, so got it cheap!

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:51 pm

And the Ballard's first hunting trip on Saturday!:

The mule deer hunt was very short this year! After getting out in the hills at 6:00 AM, we hiked a couple hours up into the hills and looked at various draws that were productive in past years. My nephew missed a shot at a little forked horn, so my other nephew and I split off to check another draw. After looking the draw overy pretty thoroughly, we were about to move on, when suddenlt out of what seemed like a deserted draw, about 10 does began to exit the far side.
I dropped to a seated position, and flipped up the vernier on my Ballard just in time to see a nice 5x4 buck move up the far side. I had sighted in the Ballard for 200 yds, and it appeared that he was about that distance, so I held right on his shoulder. Unfortunately he was probably closer to 150 yds, as I touched off a 245 gr. .38-55, and it ended up breaking his back. I reloaded and held a little lower, and finished him off with a second shot.
The mulie turned out to be about 200 lbs. on the hoof, and I was very fortunate to get a shot at a buck of this size, as most in this area run 50 lbs. less on average.
It took three of us a couple hours to drag him out, and we had him skinned and bagged before noon!
This may possibly be the first time this old schuetzen rifle has ever been used to hunt with. I was pretty pumped to use the old gal, and even get a good buck at the same time. I feel truly blessed to have such an opportunity, as this isn't just a nice deer with a great old gun, but my best deer ever!

djh · Post by **djh** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:17 am

Vall:

Outstanding. Just shows that the old girls will still do the jobs and that the 38-55 is still a great cartridge. It's great that some of us keep the fire lit for those old guns.

Nice job, bet the old adrenilin started pumping when you saw that buck.

djh

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:24 pm

Thanks David! Yes, I did get a bit excited, but had to bear down fast or my nephew would have got on it first! Thankfully that kept me from having enough time to really let it distract me!

-Vall

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:33 pm

Vall,

I just saw two Ballards listed by Leroy Mertz that were rebarreled by Winchester and have similar barrel markings. This must have happened more often than you would think? Congrats on the fine buck, the fine shot and the fine rifle!!! Doesn't get any better than that!

-jim

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:57 pm

Hi Jim,
I've seen those two listed in Mertz's catalog too. From the listing he infers that he doesn't see them often, but I've seen 3-4 others besides mine and the one's he lists.
A close friend also has a beautiful deluxe Winchester 1885 in .22 long rifle that sports a barrel by J Stevens A&T, and marked "Rebarreled by J. Stevens A&T CO." It also sports a Stevens forearm to go with the barrel.
On the subject of rebarreled Ballards! I recently did an appraisal on a beautiful Union Hill #8, with a barrel marked HM Pope! It's also got a Pope swiss buttplate, (slightly larger than std. Union Hill) and a Pope tang sight, with Winchester globe front. Way out of my spending limit, but fortunately a good friend of mine now owns it!
At least I get to visit and hold it occasionally!-Vall

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:11 pm

Now, if he was a really, really good friend, he might let you do more than hold it!!

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 8:22 pm

Hey, I just took a closer look at that last photo you posted, and I'm not sure I'm buying the "200 yard shot". It looks like about twenty paces to the back window of that trailer/hunting blind! Are those apples on the ground???

-jim