J.M. Marlin Everlasting 40-65 SN. 1412

[Jimbrody]

Hi

I am trying to find out when my J.M. Marlin Everlasting 40-65 with SN. 1412 was made? It has a 30" octagon barrel and the frame is marked J.M. Marlin New Haven. Conn. USA-1/Ballards Patent Nov. 5. 1861. It has a Marlin's Graduated Peep Sight on the tang. It weights 9.84 pounds and has a 1.01" barrel that tapers down to .878"at the muzzle. Is this a No. 4 Perfection Rifle?

[marlinman93]

Without a picture it's tough to say what model you have? It does sound like a #4 Perfection, but without seeing pictures, and seeing the rollstamp on the left side of the receiver up close, can't be positive.
The JM Marlin marking, and low serial number would indicate a first year production 1875. Many of these low first year guns are a mixture of Marlin and Brown Mfg. parts, but can't say how much yours might have of a mix without seeing pics.

[Jimbrody]

Hi Marlinman93
Thanks for your reply. I will post some pictures.
Regards
Jimbrody

[Jimbrody]

https://www.1898andb-4.com/guns/item-4877/ This link has 4 pictures.
Thanks
Jimmy

[marlinman93]

https://www.1898andb-4.com/guns/item-4877/ This link has 4 pictures.
Thanks
Jimmy

From the couple pictures of the action, it does appear to be a #4 Perfection, but a complete picture of the rifle, and one of the buttstock showing the buttplate will confirm for certain.
What I can see is what I expected of a 1st year Ballard straight grip action. As expected the lever, trigger, and hammer are all typical of a 1st year Marlin Ballard. The lever is a leftover Brown Mfg., as is the trigger. These levers often have a hole in the loop on the return that rests against the receiver. Sometimes the receivers have a pin that fits into the hole in the lever, and sometimes not. No consistency in these early Ballards assembled with mixed parts. The receiver is what's referred to as the "heavy forged" as it doesn't have a step in the side like later receivers have.
This is my 1st year #4 Perfection with the same receiver and lever. Mine has the pinned frame, and hole in the lever to fit the pin. Mine is a .45-70, with special order 34" half octagon barrel. Std. was a 30" full octagon barrel.

[Jimbrody]

Hi
I will put up more pictures for you to look at.
Jimmy

[marlinman93]

Sounds good. Look forward to seeing more of your rifle.
A couple other things I forgot to mention, and one I already see on your Ballard. The early rifles have a unique firing pin retaining screw, or unique how it's designed. The screws on later Ballard rifles went through the block for the firing pin retainer screw, but not on early guns. So you can't see the end of the screw on the left side as yours and mine both are.
The other is if these early variations have a crescent buttplate, the shape is a much deeper curve than later Ballard rifles with the improved buttplates. These early plates are so deep that the points on the crescent can be painful when the guns are in chamberings with much recoil.

[Jimbrody]

Hi marlin man93

Click on the link again.

[marlinman93]

Your link doesn't work.

[Jimbrody]

Click on the previous one, all the pictures are there. I seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties.

Jimmy

[marlinman93]

Click on the previous one, all the pictures are there. I seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties.

Jimmy

Thanks. I clicked the previous link yesterday, but they weren't there either. But today they are, so it's working. That's the correct deep crescent buttplate made by Brown Mfg. and used on a lot of first year Ballard hunting models. So it confirms you've got a Ballard #4 Perfection. A nice looking example, with some above average figure in the buttstock.

[Jimbrody]

marlinman93
Thank you very much for helping me to identify my rifle.
Regards
Jimbrody

[marlinman93]

You're welcome! Happy to assist anytime.