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gunsmiths for old Ballards (Read 3618 times)

KWK Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 414 Location: USA Joined: Jul 12^th, 2004	gunsmiths for old Ballards Feb 25^th, 2022 at 7:38pm	Print Post
	Are there gunsmiths who specialize in either the Ball & Williams or the Marlin Ballards? At a shop not far from me are two forlorn B&W (both modified from their original configurations) and one fair No.2 Marlin (also a rimfire). I was thinking of trying to get one of these restored to their factory condition and set up to shoot modern (albeit wimpy pressure) ammunition. The one B&W would have been made in 1862 or 1863 and still has its factory barrel stampings intact. It would need to be relined, a CF firing pin added, and given new wood.

	Karl
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MrTipUp Frequent Elocutionist Offline Quality is to a product what character is to a man Posts: 1402 Location: Indiana Joined: Feb 19^th, 2020	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #1 - Feb 25^th, 2022 at 8:04pm	Print Post
	Please, don't call what you're considering a "restoration". Bill Lawrence


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Nimrod Junior Member Offline O.S.O.K. Posts: 62 Location: Eastern New Mexico Joined: Aug 8^th, 2013	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #2 - Feb 25^th, 2022 at 8:55pm	Print Post
	Get in touch with Curt Hardcastle. Hardcastle Custom Machine, Silver City, NM.

	If you need more than one shot, you need more practice!
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KWK Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 414 Location: USA Joined: Jul 12^th, 2004	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #3 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 12:50am	Print Post
	MrTipUp wrote on Feb 25^th, 2022 at 8:04pm: Please, don't call what you're considering a "restoration". It's a common term in the business. "Remanufacture" is perhaps more accurate.

	Karl
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ndnchf Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1122 Joined: Mar 6^th, 2014	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #4 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:14am	Print Post
	I shoot a .44 long rimfire Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle. They are sweet little rifles - Great fun. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links)


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Cbashooter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1631 Location: Eastern Wa. Joined: Mar 31^st, 2018	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #5 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:45am	Print Post
	ndnchf wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:14am: I shoot a .44 long rimfire Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle. They are sweet little rifles - Great fun. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Very nice video and info.i subscribed to your channel


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SBoomer Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1021 Location: Michigan's Frozen North (U.P.) Joined: Jan 28^th, 2010	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #6 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 8:52am	Print Post
	Ndnchf, Thank you for posting the video. It is always nice to put a face to the avatar.


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gnoahhh Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1063 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #7 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 10:08am	Print Post
	ndnchf wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:14am: I shoot a .44 long rimfire Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle. They are sweet little rifles - Great fun. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Thanks for that!


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JLouis Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 10625 Joined: Apr 8^th, 2009	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #8 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 10:23am	Print Post
	Steve Durren would also be an excellent choice for doing the work. He also worked for Ballard Arms for a time after the company in Wyoming sold it to the new owner who moved it back east.

	" It Is Better To Now Have Been A Has Been Than A Never Was Or A Wanna Be "
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KWK Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 414 Location: USA Joined: Jul 12^th, 2004	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #9 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 11:23am	Print Post
	ndnchf wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:14am: I shoot a .44 long rimfire Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle. I saw your video a while back, Steve. There's another fellow, "Dr. Durell Shepard," on YouTube shooting B&W Ballards with brass using offset 22 rimfire as the primer. At $5 per case (from RCC), if I'm putting on new wood and touching up the metal (this one rifle is pretty rough), I'm inclined to switch to centerfire. I need to go back and look closer at the bore, though. It's 22" and partial round, which looks like the later Civil War carbines in some ways, but there's no barrel band and the butt stock is an odd pattern. It has much downward sweep to the belly, not at all like those seen in the civilian Ballards, despite ending in the crescent plate. The frame on the fore stock for the manual extractor is missing, and the knob looks like a homemade replacement. Also, its s/n of 1158 puts it well before the military contracts. There would be no guilty feelings in reworking this poor, hacked up rifle. One as nice as yours I'd just go with the RCC brass. Of course, I'd be better off just finding one in better shape...
	« Last Edit: Feb 26^th, 2022 at 11:56am by KWK »
	Karl
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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #10 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 9:06pm	Print Post
	In the automobile business that would be a Restomod. Not a restoration.

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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KWK Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 414 Location: USA Joined: Jul 12^th, 2004	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #11 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 9:17pm	Print Post
	Correct. Of course, who's to say what was the original configuration? It's already been altered, at least once. Actually, in looking tonight over past auctions, I see the shop's asking price is about double what it should be, so I'll pass on it, despite the lower s/n. Now, that No.2 in 32 rimfire has possibilities...

	Karl
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ISS Oldtimer Offline Posts: 570 Joined: Feb 24^th, 2013	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #12 - Feb 26^th, 2022 at 10:27pm	Print Post
	I see restomod only if the rifle cannot be rescued... Rich


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #13 - Feb 27^th, 2022 at 4:12am	Print Post
	KWK wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 9:17pm: Correct. Of course, who's to say what was the original configuration? It's already been altered, at least once. Actually, in looking tonight over past auctions, I see the shop's asking price is about double what it should be, so I'll pass on it, despite the lower s/n. Now, that No.2 in 32 rimfire has possibilities... If it was built in a factory, a restoration would return it to factory configuration and original caliber.

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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Oldbee Full Member Offline Posts: 136 Location: Foot Hills of the Adirondacks Joined: Sep 26^th, 2021	Re: gunsmiths for old Ballards Reply #14 - Feb 27^th, 2022 at 7:38am	Print Post
	Cbashooter wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:45am: ndnchf wrote on Feb 26^th, 2022 at 6:14am: I shoot a .44 long rimfire Ball & Williams Ballard sporting rifle. They are sweet little rifles - Great fun. I enjoyed your video! (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Very nice video and info.i subscribed to your channel

	Seabee's, Danang, Chu Lai, Khe Sanh, 1966 -1968
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