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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) The wonderful Ballard (Read 6482 times)
art_ruggiero
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #15 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 10:28am
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ballard for sure  just because!   art
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #16 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 10:52am
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uscra112 wrote on Aug 26th, 2021 at 10:22am:
And yet CPA is still doing a land-office business making replicas of an obsolete action. 

 
The Stevens 44.5 rifle will always outsell the Ballard due to its strength. A Ballard manufacturer might make money if CPA ever folds.

  
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Chuckster
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #17 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 11:01am
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Thoughts: The Ballard is one of the more difficult actions to build, thus, expensive
It is designed to be built on obsolete machine tools, a vertical shaper.
Ballard action strength, while adequate, is probably not up to modern standards.
That said, once you use a Ballard, you will never be completely satisfied with other actions.
Chuck
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #18 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 12:00pm
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The Cody Ballards were made on modern CNC mills.
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #19 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 12:52pm
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I had a fairly knowledgeable individual once tell me a long story about the Ballard, (he was very knowledgeable about the Ballard in particular)  he said "look through history, everyone that has ever made a Ballard went broke - or nearly so, be it because of lack of interest on their part, or because the market went soft"  there's a lot of fitting involved, by hand to make them function correctly.  Sure there are CNC's that can hold tolerances to within 50 millionths but they come at a substantial cost if your real desire is to make it look, function, and feel like a Ballard.  I believe Cody did a lot of their work on CNC's but the final was done by hand. 
 
If you want to change the Ballard like "they" on the other side of the pond did the HW and the LW by making it "better" -I for one am not interested.

I've been asked if I'd sell one that I've made, no.  There isn't a $$ figure I can come up with. 
 
On another note Mick,  I have a Pope Barrel that was originally on a Farrow.  I've been going to build a Farrow and put this barrel on it, I recently changed this horse in the middle of the stream (and I haven't fallen off yet) - I'm going to tweak things a little, not that you can notice and fit it to a Ballard I'm building.  Probably one of the scratch Ballards so I don't have to alter the original barrel - make the action fit to the barrel.
So in your case, I'd probably use the Ballard action also.

From what the historians say, wasn't Pope's favorite action the high wall?
Greg
  
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calledflyer
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #20 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 4:45pm
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All of which brings up another question....Has anybody ever seen a 
Remington rolling block with one of the ol' man's barrels? I don't think I've ever heard of one.
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #21 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 5:31pm
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we have previously established that Ballards add days to your life.

Aaron
  
WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. Let's Go Sonny!
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #22 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:07pm
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Mick, hope you are going OK in lockdown without your daily session at the range. Not much better 50 km from you over here in NSW. When things settle down/get back to normal, I'll bring a HW with a Stevens-Pope barrel and a Ballard out to the range for a shot and let you decide. I must admit that I have a real soft spot for the Ballards, especially the Pacific.

Joe, I really like that T-Shirt, will have to get my daughter to print one up for me. Also what is that tang sight mounted on the Ballard on the bench?

Pete (Spud)
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #23 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:12pm
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That sight is a Parts Unknown Pope sight.   


  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #24 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:17pm
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I think if you just put Ballards in a closet or gunsafe, they won't do much for you, but if you actually get out and shoot them you'll live a long happy life, and they shoot good too. In my experience Ballards are a healthful tonic effective against a wide range of maladies, with no known side effects.
« Last Edit: Aug 27th, 2021 at 12:44pm by Schutzenbob »  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #25 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:29pm
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I just got got an engraved 6 1/2 , I feel much beetteedrrr! moodyholler
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #26 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:33pm
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When you post pictures we can feel better along with you.  Share the happiness!
  
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Mick B
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #27 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 8:55pm
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From what I have read here it seems like owning a Ballard is more of a personal preference thing rather than any great improvement in accuracy.
Spud, If the range here opens sometime in the future and Andrew Barr ( who could not organise a chook raffle ) lifts the lockdown, then I would like to see your Ballard and we could have a shot out of each others rifles. Hopefully all this will happen before I die of old age.
Mike.
  
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #28 - Aug 26th, 2021 at 10:03pm
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I'd have to dissagree with that accessment. 

The Ballard is no looker, rather ugly I think. It with its through bolt and very tight wedging action when closed, excellent set triggers and fast lock time make it the most accurate rifle of all the old time designs including many newer designs. 

Rolands old world record ten shot group that stood for decades was shot with a Ballard.
« Last Edit: Aug 26th, 2021 at 10:09pm by westerner »  
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art_ruggiero
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Re: The wonderful Ballard
Reply #29 - Aug 27th, 2021 at 11:06am
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in my opinion  the ballards are the belle of the ball  very elegant, if not the strongest  who cares   art
  
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