I bought this rifle recently at auction. The rounded top receiver was something I saw on a Zischang Ballard and the buttplate was something I've seen on Zettler rifles. The action has fine scroll engraving in the corners and the back of the action is checkered. The checkering is professional. All the lines are parallel ... amazing really.

The full round barrel is 28-1/2" long is unmarked on the top of -or- under the forearm. It is chambered in .25-20 SS.

Thank you to RDBallard - and Gary Quinlan for helping me positively identify this rifle.

Joe,
That one is truly unique, I’ve never seen one even close to the engraving and metal checkering. I haven’t seen a rounded top either although I’ve heard of it. I don’t recall any like this in Dutcher’s book. I’m fairly sure it’s a custom rework, but don’t have a clue who might have done it. Would love to be the owner, congratulations on the find!

Wow ... thank you RDBallard ! I'll have to see if I can find other examples.

wow!

!!

If it was an octagon receiver reshaped to round, then I'd expect it would have to have started with a heavy receiver, and not a rebated stepped side receiver. And I've not ever seen a heavy pistol grip receiver with single trigger myself. All those I've seen or owned in a heavy pistol grip were DST blocks, so I'd expect to see DST block on this gun? Unless there are no serial numbers anywhere on this gun's receiver or blocks to determine if blocks match receiver.
But if the serial numbers match, it would be an extremely rare pistol grip, single trigger, heavy receiver that was converted to round top.

Ha, thanks chuck for reminding me of that!

But, on the subject of this gun and the engraving.  When I saw the engraving on top of the frame it reminded me of this.  Made me wonder if it wasn't the same guy worked on both.

I once tried to sharpen up the knurling on a tool handle just for fun. Used a file. I made it into a horrible looking mess. Cannot imagine sitting down to make that many straight, parallel lines on something like seen here. Astonishing task. All who can engrave at all have my respect- whoever can rule staight after straight line must be the king of 'em all.

Vall, I did a comparison between the thickness of the hammer and that of the sidewall on (the photo of) this rifle vs my Ballard. This one was 74% and mine was 85%. Has it been thinned enough to remove the rebate? Also, in the top view notice the shape of the flat crescent on the sidewall next to the hammer/block and compare it to one on a rebated sidewall.

I've measured dozens of my Ballard rifles, and what Marlin described as "heavy receivers" might be a bit deceiving, as those with a step seem to measure very closely to those with flat sides. It's my opinion after measuring a lot of them from early 2 and 3 digit flat side "heavy" receivers, to rebated or stepped side, that the stepped side is pretty much the same width.
So Marlin simply added the step for aesthetics, and they weren't really any lighter in width. Mine measure as small as 1.255" wide, to as large as 1.285" wide for a flat side early receiver on an AW Peterson Ballard. But most of mine are in the 1.265"-1.275" range.

I don't think Joe's receiver has been reduced in width at his measurement, so I'm unsure if it ever had the normal JM Marlin stamp? Or maybe if it was a heavier 1.285" wide, it could have only been polished on one side to remove the JM Marlin stamp, and not on the right side.

I wonder if Overbaugh as a firearms notable, with his own shop, and contacts in the trade, had enough pull to request a half dozen semi finished, or unfinished receivers from Marlin, and then do final shaping himself? Maybe even order them internally machined and breech blocks fitted, which would explain them being serialized?

This is a real mystery rifle, and I'm excited to see something so unusual, and speculate on how it came to be! I really like the custom gun maker's work on Ballard rifles, and that's a neat example of it!

Overbaugh had the pull and the talent to get those 73 Sharps "German target rifles" made.  So I wouldn't be surprised if Marlin might have accommodated him as well.

By the way, Joe, is it a cast or forged receiver?

Bill Lawrence

Vall, it is just that the "flats" on my rifle look like 1/4 of a pie whereas these look like half an isosceles triangle but with the long side slightly rounded.

It is my understanding that Charles E. Overbaugh is also generally given credit as the designer of the ultra-graceful Model 1877 Sharps.  But as a Sharps employee, he was a traveling salesman and an exhibition shooter; he did his actual gun smithing and gun building privately.

In short, Vall's suggestion that he would've had a relatively easy time getting favors from Sharps is likely valid.  But Overbaugh's reputation and obvious skills were just as likely known to John Marlin, too, perhaps well enough for Marlin to sell him a few not-fully-finished Ballard actions.

Bill Lawrence