Ballard display

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:36 pm

My Ballard display at our recent single shot rifle theme show:

Don Anderson · Post by **Don Anderson** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:54 pm

Hi Val:

Very nice collection of Ballards. Anyone would be proud to have a collection like this.

Don

Sure-Shot · Post by **Sure-Shot** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:20 am

I am dreaming of the day. Thanks for sharing.

Hunt4em · Post by **Hunt4em** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:39 am

Val,
Nice display of some very fine rifles. Just need a few targets showing they shoot as good as they look. Still looking for my first one!

John

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:39 pm

Thank you all! Ballards are my favorite of all the single shot rifles. Maybe not as strong as a Wrenchester 1885, or a Sharps, but still the finest of them all in my opinion.
John,
They do shoot as good as they look, and better in some shooter's hands! This target is from my Schoyen Ballard, (the one in the top center)

As the picture shows, this was 15 shots in the group at 100 yds. The other group measured under 3/4" for 5 shots.

Hunt4em · Post by **Hunt4em** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:40 pm

Val,
That's some nice shoot'n!! I like to see old guns still breathing smoke and lead. Thanks again for the measurements for my sideloader. It looks good on the outside. Milled the inside with a endmill so it doesn't have the taper at the rear. I ordered a gate last week from Wisners. I'll try and get some pics posted when it's finished.
Back to the Ballards, what cal. is your #5 and do you have a preference between a 32-40 or 38-55? The longest range I have access to is 300yrds.
Thanks,John

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:45 pm

Hunt4em wrote:Val,
That's some nice shoot'n!! I like to see old guns still breathing smoke and lead. Thanks again for the measurements for my sideloader. It looks good on the outside. Milled the inside with a endmill so it doesn't have the taper at the rear. I ordered a gate last week from Wisners. I'll try and get some pics posted when it's finished.
Back to the Ballards, what cal. is your #5 and do you have a preference between a 32-40 or 38-55? The longest range I have access to is 300yrds.
Thanks,John

Sorry John! I missed your reply until just now! Seems there's not much action on the Ballard topics and I don't check back often enough!
My #5 Pacific is a .45-70, with heavy barrel. My favorite between the .38-55 and .32-40 is the .38-55. Both are great calibers, and can shoot equally well, but I've had an easier time getting all my .38-55's shooting well, than with the .32-40's I own. Once I figure out what they like, the .32-40's shoot equally well though!

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:44 pm

Vall,

That's one nice collection!!! Glad to see that you're putting them to their intended use on the range!

Hey, I've got a Ballard question for you. I have a Remington #1 sporting rifle that had the barrel replaced years ago. I'm guessing that the replacement barrel came off of a Ballard Pacific. Whoever replaced it kept the ramrod and made a new forend for the #1. The reason that I think that it may have come off of a Pacific is that the ramrod thimbles are exactly like (as far as I can tell) those on a Pacific. What sort of markings are on a Pacific barrel? This barrel is .45 and has very deep rifling. There is a serial number on the bottom of the barrel, but no other markings.

-jim

Hunt4em · Post by **Hunt4em** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:37 am

MM93,
Thanks, I have been looking for my first ballard and I just wanted an experienced opinion on the 32-40 and 38-55. I would really like to find a #5 pacific. I've been hunting with muzzle loaders exclusively for the last 12 years, so that ram rod just appeals to me. I would settle for a #4 if I could find one in one of these calibers.
I'm planning a trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming this summer and hope to tour the Ballard Rifle works. might have to buy a new one if I don't find an original along the way. How many gun shops are there between Mo. and Wy.?

John

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:40 pm

John,

If you're going to tour the Ballard Factory, you better plan to keep driving until you get to Cody, Wyoming!

-jim

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:41 pm

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I try to shoot all my guns, as I believe they were made for that purpose!
Jim,
That sure sounds like a Ballard barrel, as they generally have only a serial number under the forearm on early JM Marlin Ballards, and later Marlin Firearms Co. Ballards had caliber on top near chamber, like the levers. No other markings.

Vall

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:19 pm

Vall,

Well, I hope I didn't do something stupid. I welded up the dovetails and reblued the barrel and made a new forarm for the roller. The bore is absolutely mint and although the groove diameter is .458, the bore diameter is substantialy less. In fact a .458 dia bullet has to be forced in to engage the rifling. I thought that I'd throat out the barrel, wrong! A .457 piloted throating reamer won't go in. I feel guilty welding up the dovetails since this was probably a new, or close to new, barrel when it was put on the Remington, I still have the original thimbles to put on that Pacific action when I build it up. It's funny how things eventually correct themselves.....

-jim

Hunt4em · Post by **Hunt4em** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:43 am

Jim,
I know their in Cody. I'm going to Cheyenne for a reason and hope to extend my trip to Cody and other parts of the state if I can manage the time off from work. I would hate to travel that close and not get the opportunity to visit them and the Buffalo Bill Museum. A friend went a couple years ago and said he could have spent 3 days in the museum, but his teenage daughters dragged him out. My wife shares or at least understands my fixation with guns, so I shouldn't be drug out of the museum. But the Ballard shop might be another story if she hears of the price tags. They should build a lounge for the female visitors!

There are times when she walks in on me in the computer room and says "What are you bidding on now?" Like that's all I do on the computer, if she would read some of these informative posts on here, she would realize there's more to it than buying guns. You have to talk about them too!

Have you been to either the museum or the Ballard shop?

Thanks, John

Jim D · Post by **Jim D** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:17 pm

Hi John,

I'm a member of the museum and have been there many times. There will be a lot for your wife to do besides looking at guns! The Whitney Gallery has an incredible collection of western art including a lot of Remington and Russel originals. There is also a great display of indian artifacts along with a natural history section. As a last resort, there's always the gift shop.

I have never been through the Ballard factory and I have vowed to do so the next time I'm in Cody. They do some great CCH'ing from what I've seen. I wonder if they'll share some of their secrets?

Well, better go. My wife thinks I'm bidding on another gun.

-jim

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:14 pm

Haven't been to the BB Museum in quite a while, but I was a bit disappointed in the Marlins (or lack of Marlins!) when I was there years ago!
They had the prototype wood model for the 1889, and maybe 4-5 other Marlins in a case, and that was ALL!
Still I really enjoyed the entire museum, and I'd love to go back there and spend a couple days looking at it again. My wife tolerated the gun collections with me, but she really loved the rest of the museum's items!