What happens when your barrels are too tight? 

That lever needs a slimmer schuetzen stock with 3" prongs to keep it secure for offhand.

Since it has the un-rebated frame, is it a low serial number?

Frank

Here my pick for you, Joe.

With your PG frame, it lends itself to a beautiful perch belly type stock. I LOVE perch belly stocks.

This one has that, as well as being simi Tyrolian cheek.

Frank

A Winchester/Helm stock, adapted the the butt-end of the Ballard would look nice and be suitable for OH, like you prefer. Just my opinion, not because I like them ol' Winxxxxxxx rifles.

westerner wrote on May 18^th, 2018 at 1:05pm:

I thought you might be wearing the breech down. Thought I'd better make sure my Ballard barrels are not too tight 

Check with Mike at Crossno Gun Service (405-396-8786), I believe they have several Berg patterns as well as some others that might work for you.

That'd do

Yeah, that should work just fine.  I'm glad you got my extra Ballards Joe. You know how to take car of them 

Well, I didn't mix them up 

Not sure.  Never got one just to have and collect.  I intended to shoot them all, but never got around to most of them.  Too busy running matches and shooting matches    WE used to have a full plate with all the LR and schuetzen.  Hard to keep up with casting and loading.

With a system like that you probably shoot as good as the old saying, beware of the guy with only one rifle, he most likely knows how to use it. 

Are those your two new ones Vall?

Your the best, Joe!!!

Frank

These Ballard levers are truly a mystery.....I've talked to John Dutcher about them, but even he doesn't know who made them. This rifle has no serial number, it's not quite like any other Ballard I've owned, the barrel is marked "made to order by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company," and it has the magic lever; 

Schuetzenmiester wrote on May 21^st, 2018 at 5:11pm:


No, those are old ones I've owned awhile Bob.

westerner wrote on May 21^st, 2018 at 8:28pm:


Doesn't look like you have enough cutoff to make a perch belly.  Isn't that the reason you cut it off?  I have wood.  Need to get a better BR stock made so 250s will flow like wine in the Tri-cities vineyards 



westerner wrote on May 21^st, 2018 at 8:28pm:
Just be thankful somebody found enough part s to make a Ballard before the Chinese got them in a scrap bin 

You are amazing Joe, It looks like the number match on those two pieces of wood 

Looking good, Joe

I think it will fit me well

Frank

Joe the extra scroll to hold the panels and the bar across the center are both different than John Dutcher's and Ron Long's copy of Dutcher's lever. But general shape is similar. Suppose one is a copy of the other, but no telling which was first?

Nice work Joe!
Aaron

Joe, think about taking that tag and having it inlet into the new butt when you get it?

I think it's beautiful just as it is Joe. Maybe get the buttstock done and match the finish, but it's perfect patina to me! The way you brought it together looks like it's been this way for a very long time!

I have several Ballard schuetzen rifles with Winchester barrels and all shoot as good as my Marlin barrels.

Thanks for the reply, and good shooting with what looks like a very capable rifle. Very interesting thread, don't know how I missed it. The two triggers, the Gove and yours surely look very similar. Makes the rifle that much more interesting.

The second stock style looks the best, now.  If you had kept the pistol grip with the second stock style, I'd have wanted the grip capped and the "crotch" filled in for better flow.  (I like pistol grips and my small hands seem to prefer them, too.)  But you're the one who's going to shoot it

Bill Lawrence

Rifle or at least stock design by committee, who would've thunk?

Also, the second comb is definitely better, aesthetically speaking.

Bill Lawrence

This is the one I like.

I changed the curve on the PG.

Frank

I would do the pistol grip stock in case someone with fingers shorter than 8 inches shoots it 

Ooooh..... I can barely wait until we 'design' the palm rest.

Maybe build one of the style that clamps the barrel with forearm removed? Or maybe build a spare forearm just to install a palm rest on?

I suppose the forearm screw is too far forward to use as the attachment point, even if the palm rest bends/swivels and can be locked?

Bill Lawrence

Well, he certainly hung out in better classes of hawk shops than me.

Where'd this thread dissapear to? It's too much fun to lose. It'll be like the German commision rifle of 1888 (I have one), nobody will be happy when the Ballard gets done. 'Cept maybe Joe.

The collector's name was Henry J. Nunnemacher.  His Ballard collection was in the Milwaukee Public Museum through at least the early 1970s, but the internet seems silent on where it might be today or even if it still exists.

Bill Lawrence

I suppose the Milwaukie Museum sold off the collection quietly and wont tell the public. I've always wondered where it went also? 
That's the bad part of donating anything to a museum. Doesn't matter what your will says about the disposal; they can do what they want once the items are in their possession.

Joe, How about doing  then all for testing and evaluation?  You could report to the forum.

FrankenBallard or Frankenstein anything is an overused description by many gun collectors. And often misused in the case of custom schuetzen rifles. 
I hear people describing fine schuetzen rifles built by famous gunmakers as Frankenstein guns and I wonder how they got so  ignorant? There are a good number of poorly built, or poorly assembled schuetzen rifles, but those done correctly surely shouldn't be grouped into the same category. Especially when one sees what the well done schuetzen rifles sell for. Often more than if they were still original as they left the factory.

What a crying shame!

Frank

I like the rifle. Have fun shooting it now that you have the firewood for next winter laid in.

What is your groove size, Joe. I have a excellent NEI, tapered spitzer mold that casts .378 and weighs 290 gr.

Frank

Gee, I'd give you some advice to improve, but all I'll do instead is congratulate you. On using a Winchester barrel.

Yeah, the lever too. I like it.

westerner wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 4:08pm:

Add the correct phase of the moon and a 250 might be possible on a lucky day, but buying a Lotto ticket might be a better idea on a day like that 

You sure have some nice lumber laying around Joe!

Man....what an interesting and entertaining thread! More good info here than in a book on schuetzen stocks.