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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!
Walt wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:42 am
Beautiful! Did Marlin use quarter-turn interrupted threads to join the barrel and receiver in those days?
Great pictures, thanks!
No, Marlin and the 5 previous Ballard makers never offered a takedown at all. The Pope-Ballard is a takedown using Pope's patented system. And his system used the knurled collar with two different thread counts on the receiver fixture, and barrel collar. I think they're 21tpi and 23tpi, so as you tighten the collar it seats the barrel that's tapered into the receiver, and as you loosen it the threads pull the barrel shank loose to break the taper.
A really nice design, but unfortunately for Pope, it required extensive machine hours to build, and never sold well. I've seen one other rifle built with this system, and it was a single barreled Ballard with .22RF Pope barrel.
GunnyMack wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 7:59 am
I sure would like to find 1 Ballard in these parts- let alone 2 that are siblings!!
I've only found a few around me in over 40 years of searching locally. the others in my collection have all come by traveling to out of state gun shows where there are large numbers of Ballard rifles at one show. I've found well over a dozen at the CGCA show in Colorado alone, and a few at the Reno show. And at shows where they're plentiful you've got more dickering room, as everyone knows people might spend their money at another table if they don't give a little.
I don't hit the shows, gotta drive out of state at least an hour to get to anything decent, I can't stand all the tactical junk,the greasy packaged foods or the armchair warriors. When I did go to shows I can't remember ever seeing Ballards or even hi/low walls.
Your collection is great so I'll just live vicariously through your pics!
GunnyMack wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 2:47 pm
I don't hit the shows, gotta drive out of state at least an hour to get to anything decent, I can't stand all the tactical junk,the greasy packaged foods or the armchair warriors. When I did go to shows I can't remember ever seeing Ballards or even hi/low walls.
Your collection is great so I'll just live vicariously through your pics!
We have a wonderful local collector gun show at Oregon Arms Collectors, and I have found some various single shots and lever actions at these shows. But not very many.
We drive about 1300 miles to attend the CGCA show each year, and with gas and motels it's not cheap, but considering what shows up there, and the prices on some guns, it's well worth the trip to many folks. I personally would keep going, even if I came home empty handed as they're such great shows. I've picked up two of my Schoyen Ballards, my Pope Ballard cased 3 barrel set, my AW Peterson Ballard, and a couple factory engraved Ballards all at this show. A number of others also.
I look at these trips as my kind of vacation, and if I find something to purchase also, it's just icing on the cake!
