What are the odds?

[marlinman93]

Was talking to my friend Jerry in Fresno, Ca. tonight, and trying to answer some questions he had on early Marlin Ballard rifles. During the process I dug out 5 I own that are all first year 1875 made rifles.
In the process of checking serial numbers I suddenly was shocked to see two of the rifles I own are consecutively serial numbered! Serial number 595 is my cased Pope Ballard 3 barrel set I bought in Denver just before covid hit. And the other is #596 a Ballard #4 Perfection model that is the first Ballard I ever bought back about 35 years ago!
147 years ago they came down the same assembly line, and now they sit side by side in my safe for the last 5-6 years until I finally noticed! Now I need to check the other 22 I own to see if there are any others! Probably easier to win the lottery than to get two consecutively numbered guns back together after 147 years!

[Road King]

Great discovery Vall. Happened to me once with a pair of SRC 94s.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Vall;

It happens! Back in 1986, while attending the Colorado show, I picked up an engraved Model 38 Standard revolver that I had been looking for.
When I called a friend that collected Marlin handguns, I described the gun I had bought, and it said it sounded alot like one he had and inqired about the serial number which was 2006, the phone went silent. I then asked if we had consecutive serial numbers, he confirmed that he had number 2005. He then stated they should be together, so I got to purchase his engraved 38 Standard revolver.
The really best part came the next year at the Colorado show when I purchased a copy of the Nimschke pattern book and found an engraver's pull from number 2006. Both guns were engraved by Louis D. Nimschke. They were displayed at the 1996 NRA Convention and received a coveted NRA 10 Best Arms Award.
So, neat things do happen!

[marlinman93]

Vall;

It happens! Back in 1986, while attending the Colorado show, I picked up an engraved Model 38 Standard revolver that I had been looking for.
When I called a friend that collected Marlin handguns, I described the gun I had bought, and it said it sounded alot like one he had and inqired about the serial number which was 2006, the phone went silent. I then asked if we had consecutive serial numbers, he confirmed that he had number 2005. He then stated they should be together, so I got to purchase his engraved 38 Standard revolver.
The really best part came the next year at the Colorado show when I purchased a copy of the Nimschke pattern book and found an engraver's pull from number 2006. Both guns were engraved by Louis D. Nimschke. They were displayed at the 1996 NRA Convention and received a coveted NRA 10 Best Arms Award.
So, neat things do happen!

Great story Rick! Getting two because someone you knew had the other, and was willing to sell it so they'd be together is even better!

I was a bit surprised that these two Ballard rifles were so different, as the few occasions I've read about when guys found two consecutive serial numbered guns they were often identical models. With one of mine being a plain Jane #4, with just the half octagon 34" option barrel, and the Pope set appears to have started out as a #6 Schuetzen prior to Pope's work; they are quite different when new.