![Image](https://i.imgur.com/PYJMdEYl.jpg)
Lyman scope with offset mounts:
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/2ZCCmhrl.jpg)
Took it home and figured I'd have to put a new barrel on it, but a gunsmith friend said to use a full length screw into the rear mount that would just enter the chamber, and use blue Loctite on the screw. Then we used his reamer to take the excess metal off the end of the screw. Took it back to the range, and it worked great, but still bugged me. Just always wondered when it might fly off again, but it never did.
Then a few weeks ago another friend asked if I had any interest in a Ballard barrel in .40-65? I did, and asked details. He said it was a brand new Douglas Premium in #4 weight, and contoured to half octagon. Rust blued and fitted to a Ballard, and his friend wanted $200. I asked what was wrong, and he said the owner just wanted to go to a lighter .32-40 caliber, so I bought it.
I figured the engraved Ballard already had a mismatched barrel, so why not put a half octagon heavy barrel on it? Plus I could forget about that gnawing worry of "will the scope fly off again" in the back of my mind! So I pulled the old barrel and set it aside, and spun the new barrel on. They NEVER index up and headspace correctly, but to my amazement this one looked really close! So I turned it back off and put a little blue Loctite on the threads and turned it back on. Then grabbed the action wrench and turned it into final position. I closed the action and it had perfect "crush" on the chamber end! Put a cartridge in and that fit very snug too! First time a barrel has ever indexed up perfectly for me!
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/SNlPbSul.jpg)
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/0UhpmCJl.jpg)
The new barrel also had scope base holes D&T on it, and a front sight dovetail. SO I installed a spare globe sight, and took the bases from the old barrel to see if one of the bases might be a hole spacing match. I was shocked when both bases mounted right on the new barrel with the exact spacing!
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/H5R156ul.jpg)
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/eIuhvwVl.jpg)
Took numerous hours of careful filing and sanding to open up the forearm channel another 1/8" wider and deeper to fit the new barrel! The wood is pretty thin on each side with the #4 weight barrel, but it's on now!
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/OY9BIZHl.jpg)
Put the scope and tang sight back on it, and today I took it out for a spin with some .40-65-345 gr. loads I worked up. Shoots under 1" MOA at 100 yds. off the bench, so I'm pretty tickled! Tried some shaky offhand shots at 100 yds, but I couldn't get much better than about 4" groups with me trying to hold steady! But it is a very fun gun to shoot with the big heavy .40-65 barrel on it now!