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Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? (Read 4639 times)

.22-5-40 Oldtimer Offline Posts: 802 Joined: Feb 13^th, 2010	Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Jan 19^th, 2011 at 12:38pm	Print Post
	Hello, I have another question on the No. 3 Ballard..I have come across a #3 with 6XXX serial no. The action top is flat. approx. when were they produced with the concave radius? About when would this 6XXX have been produced? thank you.


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terry buffum Full Member Offline Posts: 149 Location: Bend, Oregon Joined: Feb 11^th, 2007	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #1 - Jan 19^th, 2011 at 7:23pm	Print Post
	I have had them both ways, and think it had more to do with barrel weight than date of manufacture. A heavy barrel #3 had a flat top action while those with light barrels had the concave "grooved" top.

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rustyrelx Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 474 Location: Wallace Idaho Joined: Oct 9^th, 2007	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #2 - Jan 20^th, 2011 at 8:56am	Print Post
	About 1878 to 1880 I would think. Don rustyrelx


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Slowshooter Ex Member	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #3 - Jan 20^th, 2011 at 12:13pm	Print Post
	John Dutcher indicated in his Ballard book that the early #3's had the flat top receiver, while the later ones were grooved. The three I have seem to bear this out: J M Marlin s/n 10832 has the flat top receiver and a very heavy (though short - 24") barrel. The other two, both marked Marlin Fire Arms, s/n 25023 and 32119, have the groove top to facilitate a lower sighting plane with their lighter barrels. Does anyone have a grooved top receiver marked J M Marlin? Jerry


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16330 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #4 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 10:35am	Print Post
	Usually the JM Marlin marked had heavier barrels and flat tops. The later Marlin Firearms marked #3's had lighter barrels and concave tops. The Later marking started in 1881 I believe.

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sureshot Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 306 Location: Snohomish Joined: May 27^th, 2007	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #5 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 3:14pm	Print Post
	I have a Marlin Firearms marked #3 with a fairly heavy barrel and a flat top. Serial # 301xx. I also have a Rigby Marlin Firearms marked #3 with light barrel and a concave top. Serial # 334xx. I think Terry is right. It has more to do with barrel size than when they were made. Steve


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16330 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Ballard #3 gallery Action top profile? Reply #6 - Feb 2^nd, 2011 at 1:21pm	Print Post
	One thing you should keep in mind with Marlin Firearms Co. is their methods of assembling guns. Those numbers run towards the end of production for Ballard rifles, and as a habit Marlin was using up all the remaining Ballard parts right at the end. Marlin did this often towards the end of production on many models. Workers were told to scour the plant and use up all the parts they found to assemble guns, so often times those guns with very late markings had early features. I've got some Marlin lever action repeaters that have very early features and markings, but when lettered they come up 8-10 yrs. too late for those features. Nothing is for certain when it comes to Marlin firearms.

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