Very nice! I'd fall in love with it too! Appears to be a custom built Marlin Ballard, and nicely done! Sort of a mini #6 Schuetzen style!

lrf, it is a 22 long rifle. Bonner

Bonner, does it have the round two piece extractor of a #3 Ballard, or the one piece modified to work on a .22RF?

Very nice.  Congratulations.

That's the sliding 2 piece extractor system Bonner! It has a lever inside that operates off the gun's lever, and the tip slips into a slot in the round extractor. The round extractor slides in a hole bored in the barrel, so it stays in contact with a small .22RF rim well!
Looks like someone really knew what they were doing when they built your gun! Or simply used the factory Marlin barrel and extractor.

chawk, Like you, I was drawn to It. This is the one and only marlin-ballard that I own. I have been looking for one for some  time and when I saw this one and in 22 long rifle that was it. probably paid to much, but as for as I know you only live once.Bonner

chawk wrote on Jan 18^th, 2016 at 9:32pm:


Sure looks like factory engraving to me! During that time frame it would be either Nimschke or Ulrich. Factory engraving is never identical  between guns, but almost always very close. It looks nearly the same as my .38-55 Ballard.
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I have both Nimschke and Ulrich and it appears to be factory engraved.  I love that rifle.

.22Hepburn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2016 at 7:49am:


Well I suppose because of the caliber, and #3 style extractor. In fact it may well have started life as a special order engraved #3 Gallery. It has the straight grip receiver of a #3, caliber of a #3, and extractor of a #3. So hard to say it didn't begin life as a #3?
Ballard rifles seem to be more often customized than any other single shot rifle I've seen. But often Marlin was so agreeable to customer's wants, that even factory customs defy a certain model number. It's sometimes nearly impossible to classify a factory Ballard by anything more than it's caliber, and not add "special order" to the classification. If only the caliber and receiver matches a certain model number, then is it a different model?
I purchased what I call a #2 Ballard last year. I based this model designation on the cast receiver, and the .32 Long chambering. But nothing else matches a #2 Ballard. It looks like a deluxe nickeled version of a Union Hill. All numbers matching. So what else could it be?

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rustyrelx wrote on Jan 21^st, 2016 at 1:02pm:


Don, a 3f is a pistol gripped receiver; and this looks like a straight grip 3 to me?

Might as well chime in on this very nice Ballard. I think it is a straight grip frame. Photo 2 does resemble a pistol grip, but when I enlarged the photo the part at the rear bottom is wood and that is what makes it look like its curved.

I believe it is an older custom job with a #6 style stock and with it in .22 LR it is either relined or a new barrel. I have had Dave Crossno make several of this style stocks for me on straight grip frames. He has an engraved straight grip frame he is building now.

I sure would not pass on it either, I like it!

Richard

Bohemianway, Here is a shot of the end of the barrel. You can see it has been relined, the # on the action is 5952. the bottom of the hand guard is more flat that round and will make it more bench friendly .

Wasn't the first time my eyes have deceived me. But a beautiful rifle.  Don