As I look once again at the variety of 22 caliber single shots, I’m struck again by the strange variety of extractor arrangements for this simple little cartridge.  Can anyone explain the logic behind taking the perfectly simple extractor used on all the other Ballards and making that fiddly two piece contraption they used on the 22 RF?  Was there any real advantage in accuracy or function to it?

I have seen lots of 22 rifles built on Ballard actions well into the 20th Century.  Did all of them retain this complication, or did later gunsmiths resort to the simpler one piece design?

I wish my current Ballard 22RF had a 2-piece extractor.........

CHRIS

Bent Ramrod is correct. I've never had a rim slip past a Ballard two piece extractor, but have 3 custom Ballards built by well regarded old gun makers on forged actions with one piece extractors, and have to watch them to make sure when I chamber a round it doesn't slip past. They're fine extracting empties.
I wish Marlin had made the #3 extractor with a square body instead of a round body and hole though. The round hole allows the extractors to rotate a little as guns get older and have some wear, where had they made it square and milled a square slot in the left side the extractors would stay perfectly indexed, even when well worn.
Jerry H made a nice Ballard extractor for one of his Ballard .22's using square stock and says it works beautifully.

My rendition of an Eric Johnson .22 RF Ballard extractor. There's no chance of a cartridge slipping by, and fitted correctly there's absolutely no bulge on the side of the case when fired. The machine work is easily done with an 1/8 inch key cutter and 1/8 inch end mill.

Full disclosure: GT makes a much nicer looking one, but I think I gave him the idea.

That design is what we used on .22rf 1885 Winchester re-pops we made at Ballard 20-25years ago. I don't think there is a better concept if it will work on a specific action. Neil Rice made the first one we did but I don't know if the idea originated with him. I vaguely remember telling him I thought it was a really good idea and I think he referenced one of the old timers doing it that way. He is gone now so I can't check with him but I will always cherish his friendship.

I have adapted this slider configuration to almost all of my 22's now. And like Jerry said the idea I believe we got came from the Eric Johnson 22's.  The biggest win in my opinion with this style is the install, I use a woodruff cutter, cut the slot down the side, then across the end to appropriate depths, make a slider to fit that slot and finsh machine the face, chamber and rim fit.  With care, some prussian blue, and the extractor fits well and gap don't exist.  Mr. Bly got me started with using a scrap piece of brass, a ring sweated on the barrel to hold the slider for finish machining, but this process evolved to a pair of small hose clamps.  Works quick and simplified the process even more.   
I've used this slider design on Hepburns, Farrows, rollers, Webley's, Westley Richards, 1885's, Sharps, Ballards and currently with a No 1.  The conventional extractors on most of these mentioned doesn't work very well with the little 22.  Here's pics including some of the processes and results.  When things go right, the extractor disappears at battery.  I've used 8620, A2, O1, and 17-4 stainless to make these, hands down the best material but also the most difficult is 17-4, heat treating this is as simple as heating to a specific temp and letting it air cool - it'll outlast me.  Does this part need heat treat? probably not but I have a few builds now with original design extractors that I have to re-do because of wear from usage...   
As BR said, the hole drilled parallel to the chamber for an extractor on the #3 didn't set well with me, that's where it all began in my repertoire.
GT

kootne wrote on Mar 17^th, 2025 at 12:02am:


I wonder why they didn't do the same thing on .22LF Ballards also? I have a Cody Schoyen model built around 2002 in .22LR on a heavy Badger barrel and it uses the CF style one piece extractor. It actually works wonderful, but have always wondered why they didn't make a 2 piece with rectangle sliding extractor?

marlinguy wrote on Mar 17^th, 2025 at 10:54am:


My guess without further information is that a Cody Ballard .22RF with a one piece extractor is either a special order by a customer whose thought process I do not understand or it was re-barreled from a centerfire rifle by an outside gunsmith after leaving the company. The company's philosophy was to made parts interchangeable with originals. As I remember, the 1885 22rf extractor was not made to the original style because of rush to market pressure and a very busy cnc guy. It may have originally been a temporary idea that never got changed.   
Do you have the build sheet or know the history? There may have been rifles made differently before or after I was there (2000-2005). I made nearly all the action and sight parts from bar-stock, castings, lasered or waterjet profiled blanks from mid 2000 until leaving Jan 2005. The Ballard 22 extractors were two pieces, same as Marlins. If yours was originally made that way, I think it is a unicorn.