Gunfunpow wrote on Jul 17
th, 2018 at 7:27pm:
Because of the bluing on the receiver and lever. I thought Ballard's are all color cased, so collectors wouldn't be interested. Or am I wrong about that?
While the bluing on receiver and lever are not what Marlin would have originally used on that Ballard, they are very commonly found on old custom built Ballard target rifles. I can't emphasize how much I wouldn't want it changed at this point in it's life!
As for collectable. Every Pope barreled rifle is collectable, and the question is just to what extent? In the case of this particular gun, it is well documented by Claude Roderick, and is listed on page 136 of Warren Greatbatch's 2 volume set of the Hartford Pope rifles!
If this gun is still in the .28 Pope Special caliber, still has the false muzzle, and is still the same 30" full octagon #4 weight barrel, it's very collectable! It was also described by George Erlanger in 1976 as possibly having been owned by Lucian Cary, writer and close friend of Pope's. Erlanger said he was close friends with Allen Pope's son and daughter. (grandchildren of HM Pope)
No way to know for sure if it's Lucian Cary's old Ballard, but it's still a well documented gun. No picture provided in the Pope book though, so not sure if the blued parts were blued back then?
The description from Erlanger tells of an ugly black buttplate, and a added on cheekpiece done in "an un-workmanlike manner". So it appears someone swapped the old buttstock and buttplate. It also mentions the forearm being large and having a groove cut full length in the bottom for a palm rest. Bet that forearm is also gone. But since the stocks sound hideous, that might be good they're gone!