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KFW
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Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Dec 9th, 2021 at 9:44am
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Can some one who has a original please provide me with the across flat barrel dimensions, muzzle and breech. Assuming it has a 32" long barrel, could one weigh it for me also. I am toying with the idea of building another Ballard and would like some base line spec's before hand. The Montana build sounds intriguing in a .45 2 7/8"
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kw
  
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marlinguy
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Ballards may be weaker,
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #1 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 10:29am
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John Dutcher lists the weight on the Montana as 14.25-14.4 lbs. Should you decide to build up a correct clone you'll need a non rebated flat side heavy straight grip frame also. Those are not often seen, so hope you already have one.
I don't own a Montana, but have a good friend with one. I'll see if his is accessible to measure the flats? I'd estimate the Montana barrels are about .125" wider overall than the frame width, and have the edge butted to the receiver beveled slightly.
  

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KFW
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #2 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 10:39am
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Yes I have a proper new frame in the works. I checked Dutcher's listed book weight, one more for verification would be great. 
kw
  
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ssrifles
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #3 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 10:56am
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kfw,  in the ria auction this past weekend i bought the montana for a client of mine, he has another one i will get after Christmas to sale.  if you haven't got the #'s you need contact me and i can get them for you.    tony<><
  
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KFW
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #4 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 12:26pm
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One more question, has anyone seen or heard of a special feature being added to the Montana model such as a 34" barrel, pistol grip, checkering etc.
thanks
kw
  
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ssrifles
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #5 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 9:40pm
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kfw,  i have owned 4 and seen a couple of more,  every one was either a very heavy 30" or heavy 32".   tony <><
  
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ssrifles
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #6 - Dec 9th, 2021 at 9:41pm
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kfw,  i have owned 4 and seen a couple of more,  every one was either a very heavy 30" or heavy 32".straight grip and no checkering. but a delux would be a nice gun   tony <><
  
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KFW
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #7 - Dec 10th, 2021 at 6:40am
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Either a very heavy 30" or heavy 32"straight. Tony that in itself is interesting. Maybe there was some build variation?
  
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ssrifles
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #8 - Dec 10th, 2021 at 9:38am
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there was at least 2 ballard pacific #5's that had pistol grips and at least one that was engraved . the montana had either a rifle or shotgun buttplate. since there is so few known to exist the variations seen are very limited. these big 5 1/2's were really to late for the buffaloe hunt so production was low less than 15 known,2 of the 4 i owned were not listed in john dutchers book. but every one except the one i bought this past weekend were very well used.   tony<><
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #9 - Dec 10th, 2021 at 10:41am
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Tony, One of those pistol gripped #5 Pacifics was the Browning Bros. marked one in John's book, and my friend owned it for a number of years. He sold it at Denver about 3 years ago, and when he put it out for sale I questioned why he'd sell it. He told me he had two of them in the same configuration, which I questioned, since I know his collection as good as he does. He sold it to another collector we both know, and when he got home he realized he didn't have two pistol gripped #5's and didn't have another Ballard with Browning Bros. marked barrel! He was pretty bummed out at his mistake.
  

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marlinguy
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #10 - Dec 10th, 2021 at 10:43am
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ssrifles wrote on Dec 9th, 2021 at 9:40pm:
kfw,  i have owned 4 and seen a couple of more,  every one was either a very heavy 30" or heavy 32".   tony <><


Are you saying the 30" had an even heavier barrel than the 32"? And didn't all Montana Ballards have very heavy barrels larger than the receivers?
  

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ssrifles
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Re: Ballard 5 1/2 Montana
Reply #11 - Dec 10th, 2021 at 11:34am
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val,  yes on both. i had a #5 years ago with browning bros on the barrel. sold it to a man out your way, then he died and lost track of it. wonder if it's the same gun.one of the pg pacifics had a cracked receiver and i think ron long put another pg reciever to it but the cracked frame was with it at one time.   tony <><
  
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