I have a Ball and Williams Ballard that has been in my father's gun case since at least 1940.  The serial number is 97XX, matching on barrel, action, and breech block.  It looks like a second type sporter, but:  Kentucky on the top of the round frame, 27.5 inch round barrel, no barrel bands, forend attached with a screw 6 inches forward of the action.  The front sight blade was made from an old coin (V-nickle?) in a dovetail base.  Rear sight looks like the original flip-up 250 and 500 yds.  Looks to me like some one "sporterized" a "kentucky" full stock a long time ago.  Questions:  How can we determine the caliber?  If it is a second order kentucky, it should be a .46 rimfire, but the barrel slugs at 0.440 lands, .454 grooves, which seems too tight.  I like to shoot my guns, and have been thinking about trying to modify a .22 insert to fit.  To do that, we will need to modify the hammer and the breechblock.  Am I considering irreperable damage to a priceless heirloom?  If I am, does anyone need it for a priceless price?

Thanks for your inputs and opinions.

Alan

Alan,   

     The guys of the North-South Skirmish Association are doing conversions of those, both by altering the blocks or by making replacement blocks so that centerfire cartridges can be made up and used in them (with black powder, or course!!)  You might want to check out some of the discussions that have gone on over on their website about the subject.  With your particular one, a reversible, non-destructive conversion would probably be most desirable.  I have a Brown Ballard with dual ignition (rf and percussion) block that I am thinking about converting to cf, but that just involves putting a firing pin in place of the percussion nipple.   

HTH ~ Froggie

Oh wise and aged one, many years ago, when not everyone was sure that cartridges weren't just a passing fad, some wise manufacturers made rifles that accepted rimfire cartridges AND could be shot by piercing the fired cases in the middle and using a percussion mechanism to ignite reloads sort of like the Maynard, Smith, and other hybrid (externally primed) cartridges of the day.  Some of the pre-Marlin Ballards had this feature and it made them much more attractive to the outdoorsman far from the closest gun shop.  Drag out your old copy of deHaas' Single Shot Rifles and Actions and look at the Ballard chapter for further explanation, or Layman's or Dutcher's Ballard books should cover it too, IIRC.

Regards,
Your Green Grandson