Hello to all:
I was recently gifted this Marlin-Ballard from an estate. I personally don't have a use for a Schutzen, so I will likely sell or trade for something more in line with my current interests.

I am primarily interested in what might be a fair starting value. I will attempt to provide all details, but if I leave something out please prompt me.

The rifle has a forged nickel plated receiver, DST, and a thumb rest on the right side of the frame. It has 2 barrels, a Winchester 1/2 round 1/2 octagon chambered in what I believe to be 38/55 and a second barrel in what I believe to be 357 Maximum, although I have not cast the chambers. The palm rest is included.

Some photos:

Additional photos

That seems to be a mighty generous estimate to me for an assembly of questionable parts topped off with a poorly plated receiver.   
I'm not trying to be harsh, but it needs real money and time spent on it to turn it around.    
My guess is$1,000 to $1,200.
I hope it ends up with someone who will make it right again.

830singleshot wrote on Apr 20^th, 2021 at 4:44pm:


You could strip the stocks, and both barrels off, and get $1,000 for the receiver alone. I think you're light on your estimate. Unless you're saying the two barrels, stocks, and palm rest have zero value? 
I'm looking at it as what the accumulation of parts is worth.

I appreciate ALL perspectives. My primary concern is that this ends up in the hands of someone who will use it for years to come.

Neither barrel is original to the action. Nor are the stocks. I wouldn't know how to remove the nickle plating. If someone wanted to buy with the intent on parting it out, more power to them.

Val,
Your probably right that my estimate is light.  I tend to be conservative when it's"a pig in a poke".
Just recently received a unpleasant surprise when I opened a similar breach block.  Fly gone. Safety notch ground off, sear spring replaced with undersized stock and a wedge drove in to hold it in place.  None of it insurmountable, but it would have been very costly if I was paying for the work.
The old definition of a custom gun is a $1,000 worth the parts to build a $500 gun.  I've been there plenty of times and will again as long as it's fun.

I ended up with the Ballard.  The other stock is kind of strange and is fitted for the same hook butt plate that is on the rifle's stock.  The other barrel turns out to be a 30-30 Wesson and is in need of final metal finishing to remove tool marks.  It looks unfired.   I haven't pulled the 38-55 barrel off to see if the Wesson barrel was threaded for this receiver.  The 38-55 barrel has an excellent bore and I hope to shoot it this weekend.  The forend is downright obscene. Might have to name the rifle Phallus.  I do have a regular Ballard forend that I could fit if I relocated the mounting screw or I could test my carving skills.  Overall I am pleased with the acquisition.  The barrel needs some TLC to remove the worst of the dings and pipe wrench marks.  I filled a couple of gouges in the buttstock and will give it a few coats of Wipe On Poly after my shooting sessions.   

Jack

I will take some additional photos of the stocks tomorrow, but yes, the brass butt plate fits both stocks.  The dowel that is screwed to the bottom of stock #2 looks like an attempt to create a level slide for bench use.  Why the stock was cut and reassembled with the back end lowered and possibly shortened is beyond me.  Some judicious surgery might salvage it but the stock on the rifle looks like it would shoot ok off the bench except for the forks.  On my 32-40 Ballard, I made a mold of the butt plate and cast a replacement out of resin with no forks that is easily replaced when bench shooting.

Jack

OK, Vall.  Here are the photos of the new to me Ballard stocks with the hook plate.  The brass plate is stamped J MEUNIER on the inside.  I found this reference:

MEUNIER, John— Milwaukee, Wis., 1855-1919. West Water Street. Maker of very fine percussion schuetzen rifles. Listed as John Meunier Gun Co. after 1893. After the general adoption of breech loading target rifle, Meunier built schuetzens on Ballard, Mar tini and Patt-Martini actions.


It is fitted to the newer stock well with some evidence of sanding both pieces to fit.  It fits the weird stock poorly but shows some evidence of old bedding that has chipped off.  There are 3 screw holes since the through bolt holes are at different positions.  Not sure if either stock was the original one the plate was fitted to.

Jack

I took the new 38-55 Ballard to the range today.  It went bang but only 90% of the time.  The rim recess has been cut too deep so 1 out of 10 attempts takes a second hammer strike.  A longer firing pin should fix that.  Accuracy was mediocre, but I did not work on making load changes.  I was more into getting it on paper and checking functions.  I may need more seating depth from my plugged case.  Next session I will budget more time for it.  Now to disassemble the breech block and do some cleaning.


Jack

bpjack wrote on May 1^st, 2021 at 7:16pm:


So the headspace is excessive?  Rim cut in the barrel is to deep?

I see now that what I thought was a recess for a long top tang in the smaller pictures is the end of the stock cut off and offset down. Makes more sense now.
I think Joe's right. If you set the barrel back one thread it will tighten up headspace, and make it reliable. But may also help accuracy a bit too.

The forend could benefit from setting the barrel back but the rear scope block is already touching the receiver.   I could undercut that block to prevent having to drill more holes.  John, the primer is flush in the case. I think it is the camera angle that makes it look like it is even with the back of the barrel. I have a few things to try with this rifle before I address this issue since I am not sure I want to keep it in 38-55.  I have a 32-40 barrel that came off my other Ballard that I might try on it as well as the 30-30 Wesson that came with it. 

Jack

I believe it is 18 TPI.

I have a Merwin&Hulbert H&A .38-55 Shotgun that had the rim seat cut too deep.  Unless it was pointed vertically, the firing pin wouldn’t even set the primers off.  (Maybe it used folded-head shells; it’s certainly ancient enough.)

I measured the excess headspace with a modern shell in the chamber with a dial caliper, got a piece of shim stock 0.001” thinner than the measurement, soldered it to the end of a piece of steel rod, and cut a circle of ID the shell base diameter and OD the rim diameter on my lathe.  I cut a section out with a chisel to clear the extractor cut, and melted the piece off the holding rod.

I cleaned the rim seat with brake cleaner, oiled the rest of the barrel and pushed a cleaning patch almost to the chamber base.

I put a tiny amount of flux in the rim seat, put the piece of shim, solder side down, in there (matching the cutout with the extractor cut), and heated the barrel breech with a propane torch while pressing the shim down with a wood dowel.  When I could see the solder melt, I removed the torch and held the dowel there until the solder cooled.

It’s shot fine ever since, and I can’t even see the junction any more.  Probably a tiny amount of JB Weld would do as well; you wouldn’t even need to get the barrel off or heat anything.

Otto Jack moved this discussion over to the gunsmithing section and not sure if he is looking here anymore. It is under 38-55 plated Ballard or something close to that. If you don't mind I am going to go ahead and copy and paste over there.