mwhite49 wrote on Aug 31^st, 2011 at 11:51pm:


Wish I was Mike, but sometimes I wonder!   I still occasionally do something that leaves a scar, and right afterwards I say to myself, "Why'd you do that?"

No, I think you misread that Mike. I meant I wish I was getting smarter as I aged.

I keep thinking about this thread. Hmm?  Why would someone counterfeit a low dollar rifle?  Seems like the big money would be in high dollar arms.   

                             Joe. 

[quote author=3F2D3B3C2D3A262D3A480 link=1314752460/20#20 date=1315023281]I keep thinking about this thread. Hmm?  Why would someone counterfeit a low dollar rifle?  Seems like the big money would be in high dollar arms.   

Yes, it really dosen't make much since. I'm sure the guy that did it would have payed out at least $500 to have that barrel built and installed (in todays dallors) and that's bout how much I over payed for it. Makes no since at all.

Frank                              

Frank, just to insert another 2¢ worth concerning the "counterfeit" barrel situation... having read the whole thread carefully, I'm now of the opinion that a gunsmith went to a lot of effort to make a shootable .32-40 Ballard with a #2 action he had available to him, either at the request of a customer or for himself, and using the original wood.  This meant that he had to make up a barrel with the proper profile including the flats and the tulip, and since each Ballard receiver times up a little different from every other one, he marked the new barrel to the gun.  If it were mine, I would drill and tap the barrel and put a Lyman or Unertl scope on it; then I would shoot it with lead bullets and moderate loads of smokeless, but that's just me, YMMV.

Froggie

Counterfeiting a high end gun usually gets caught, as those guns are so valueable they get scrutinized closely before forking out thousands of dollars to purchase.
Counterfeiting a #2 to make it a #4 is cheap, easy, and since the prices double, an equal #2 will double in price and most people wont question it enough for the price difference, especially if it's a pretty good deal on a #4.
But there's also another reason that may not have originally involved counterfeiting. Often owners build a gun with no foul play intended. They just want it to be their version of what they wanted, but it gets sold cheap, and another buyer decides to resell it as something it isn't. 
I've run into owners that seemed legitimately surprised when I pointed out things that were not correct on a gun they were selling. I'm pretty sure they were unaware that the gun they thought was original was tampered with previously.
Ballards are found modified more often than just about any old singleshot rifle I've ever seen. Most often by old shooters who just wanted to customize them for themselves, but later by people trying to make them something more "interesting". I actually love the ones modified back in the old days by shooters, if they're nicely done.

The best thing to always do with a Ballard it to pull the breech block out and inspect before buying to make sure it is a forged one. If it is a long distance purchase such as a rifle at an auction I will not purchase one unless the auctioneer is willing to pull the breech-block for me and take pictures. If they can't do that I don't need to bid on it. Most are willing to if you walk them through the process. This way is about the only way too not get taken to the cleaners. 
Mike