ASSRA Forum - .44 Ballard CF

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.44 Ballard CF (Read 9345 times)

marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #15 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 7:42pm	Print Post
	Quote: The JM Marlin Ballard 1 1/2 I have is stamped "44' on the barrel. It is chambered for 44-40 Unusual for any JM Marlin marked Ballard to have any caliber marking. That was usually a pre-Marlin thing. After the incorporation the Marlin Firearms Co. marked receivers almost always had the caliber marked on the barrel. A 1 1/2 forged frame is also a very rare caliber on that model. I've never seen a #1 1/2 that wasn't either .40-63 or .45-70. I think Dutcher mentions those were the only two calibers it came in?

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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #16 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 7:47pm	Print Post
	Redsetter wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 9:30am: Another method of CF conversion I've heard of on the dual-ignition models consists of replacing the nipple on the block with a short firing pin. But if the gun in question is any of the pre-Marlin models, it's odd that whoever's got it failed to note the unusual appendage protruding from the bottom of the forearm--the manual extractor. If the chamber must be reamed to accept .44 Spl. (which, because of the .44 RF's heel bullet, is what I thought originally), how can .44 Mag cases be used? The Model 0 was the first Marlin Ballard, and it also had the external extractor. It was Marlin marked, but built from leftover Brown parts. The .44 Spl. and .44 Magnum aren't different diameters. So if a chamber was reamed for the .44 Spl. then it could use that case, or a shortened .44 Mag cases, which is more readily available. I usually end up using the .44 Mag case for this reason. But it would still need to use a heeled bullet as the bore will be anywhere from around .439"-.446" and the .44 Spl. will have a smaller .429" bullet

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jfeldman ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 1079 Location: Imperial Beach, Ca Joined: Nov 5^th, 2005	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #17 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 8:15pm	Print Post
	Here is a picture of my early pre Marlin Ballard with the firing pin on the hammer. Don't think it's very strong. Regards, Joe


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MIEagle Participating Member Offline Posts: 24 Location: Eagle,Mi Joined: May 24^th, 2015	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #18 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 8:57pm	Print Post
	Thanks to all replies. I learned a lot. The owner (a team mate) said that it was a cast receiver, that it took probably a .439 heeled bullet. As I recall, it did have the manual extractor. Anyway, what I really wanted was a complete rifle with a shot out barrel that I could convert to a silhouette rifle. My team mate said that this rifle would not work for that. I wish that there was an affordable book about the Ballards like there is for the 1873 Springfields, among others. Thanks again. Tom


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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #19 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:05pm	Print Post
	MIEagle wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 8:57pm: I wish that there was an affordable book about the Ballards... Forget Dutcher's, but I'd hate to think that George Layman's has become unaffordable!


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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #20 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:11pm	Print Post
	marlinguy wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 7:47pm: The .44 Spl. and .44 Magnum aren't different diameters... .44 Spl. was the only thing I ever shot in my long gone .44 Mag Super Blackhawk; hard to believe this once commonly available cartridge has now joined the list of hard to find factory ammo. But I thought you meant .44 Mag could be used without chamber modification.


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BP Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 8039 Location: Westside Joined: Aug 27^th, 2006	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #21 - Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:50pm	Print Post
	Redsetter wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:11pm: marlinguy wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 7:47pm: The .44 Spl. and .44 Magnum aren't different diameters... .44 Spl. was the only thing I ever shot in my long gone .44 Mag Super Blackhawk; hard to believe this once commonly available cartridge has now joined the list of hard to find factory ammo. But I thought you meant .44 Mag could be used without chamber modification. Not that hard to find, but then I also have a couple handfuls of 44 Russian brass.

	There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading, the few who learn by observation, and the rest who have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. Proud Noodlehead
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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #22 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 9:51am	Print Post
	BP wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:50pm: Not that hard to find, but then I also have a couple handfuls of 44 Russian brass. Well, no longer than about 10 yrs ago, I was seeing Black Hills brand 44 Russian stocked even in small gunshops. But I'm continually shocked when I hear someone report trouble finding what were once such commonly available cartridges as 32-40 & 25-20. The direct consequence of an ammo industry that considers supplying the US military, Homeland Security, other branches of the federal gov't, its principal obligation, and taking care of the domestic market what it does when the gov't orders have been filled.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #23 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 10:21am	Print Post
	I rarely see .44 Special for sale around here. .44 Magnum cases and ammo are plentiful though! Doesn't help if you own a .44 Special and it's loaded ammo, but if it's brass it's cheaper to buy Magnum and trim them down than to pay more for .44 Special. Midway USA sells .44 Mag brass for $6-$12 per 100 less than .44 Special.

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jy3855 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 368 Location: California Joined: Jul 13^th, 2015	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #24 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 11:58am	Print Post
	If you buy direct from Starline, prices are pretty similar: 500 1000 44 Russ $106 $174.50 44 Spl $101 $174.50 44 Mag $101 $176 44 Colt $107 $185 44-40 $116 $199 I'm not quite sure why the relative prices of the 500 and 1000 round boxes are so wonky, but this is how they are listed.


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coljimmy Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 283 Joined: Nov 10^th, 2012	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #25 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 12:30pm	Print Post
	I dug mine out and my 2-line J. M. Marlin is marked 38-50 on the original barrel. My 40-70 2-line J. M. Marlin is not, a somewhat tricked out one with acid etch engraved action. I also have a No. 2 marked 32 Long (now 32-20) with a three-line J. M. Marlin stamp. I just sold a No. 2 marked 38 Long to a friend that I had relined to 38 special. I shoot a rolling block 38 XL, but did not want to chamber it in that for fear some future idiot might shoot 357 Maximum in it. A friend has a very nice 38-55 with internal extractor with a dovetailed tang sight, a special order with the first owners name around the muzzle. Conclusion: Ballards are somewhat like alley cats as per variations. James


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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #26 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 12:35pm	Print Post
	BP wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 11:50pm: Not that hard to find, but then I also have a couple handfuls of 44 Russian brass. Just checked to see if Black Hills brand was still available, and not only is it still in production, but two other companies also make it, chiefly for Cowboy Action shooting.


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John Boy Ex Member	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #27 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 5:16pm	Print Post
	Quote: Unusual for any JM Marlin marked Ballard to have any caliber marking. That was usually a pre-Marlin thing. Vall, I dug the rifle out of the safe for a look see. Previously we deduced on the formum it is a #2, not a #1 1/2, cast iron JM Marlin 3 line with 44W stamped on the top flat of the octagonal barrel that I relined with a TJ Enterprise 44-40 liner


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #28 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 8:20pm	Print Post
	Quote: Quote: Unusual for any JM Marlin marked Ballard to have any caliber marking. That was usually a pre-Marlin thing. Vall, I dug the rifle out of the safe for a look see. Previously we deduced on the formum it is a #2, not a #1 1/2, cast iron JM Marlin 3 line with 44W stamped on the top flat of the octagonal barrel that I relined with a TJ Enterprise 44-40 liner Makes perfect sense now John! A #2 would be correct in .44 Long or .44-40 (44W) as your gun is marked. Guessing it's a late JM Marlin to have the caliber marked. Most of the earlier would be .44 Long, as it was replaced by the .44-40 chambering before all .44 caliber cartridges were dropped in the #2.

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MIEagle Participating Member Offline Posts: 24 Location: Eagle,Mi Joined: May 24^th, 2015	Re: .44 Ballard CF Reply #29 - Mar 21^st, 2017 at 9:41pm	Print Post
	Thanks again to all the responses on this thread. Learn something each time. Layman's book is on order!


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