I would like to relate an experience that I have had recently. Hopefully it may save someone some grief.

I just purchased from the for sale forum here on ASSRA an early Ballard #8 marked Rifle Works and Armory, Cody, Wyo. Serial number 17X, no prefix. It is a very nice looking rifle with beautiful wood, checkered butt and forearm with a half octogan/round barrel in .32-40. The package came with MVA front spirit level Winchester sight and MVA Soule rear. Also included was a Unertl 15X Ultra Varmint in very good condition.

I picked up the rifle from my dealer on the way into work for night shift.  I inspected the contents and everything was there and not broken. I contacted the seller and told him everything arrived in one piece and I was happy with the deal.

The next day after waking the first thing I did was scrub the bore and check the twist. From the breach I found a 1-19" twist. What the ____!? I contacted the seller and told him I had my doubts about the barrel. He told me it was a gain twist and to check it from the muzzle. I did and got 1-17" twist. Called the seller again and he assured me it was a good barrel even though a bullet pushed through it was a disgusting sight of rounded lands with grooves and scratches around the entire thing. He told me to shoot some of the fixed ammo he sent along with the rifle. So I set up and shot some groups at 100 yds off a bench with my Mitchell 38X. Fired six, five shot groups ranging from 5 1/2" down to 2". My 200 grain breach  seated bullet went into 5" as well.

I contacted the seller and asked him what we were going to do about the rifle. He told me that I had told him I was happy with the deal and he felt no remorse or responsibility about the way it shot or how the bore looked. He told me he thought it was a Badger barrel and that he had shot 1" groups with it.

I called Ernie Stallman at Badger and asked him if he had ever supplied them with barrels. 

Cont' on next post.