I just received my 1st Marlin Ballard rifle & started this thread since I will no doubt have additional questions.  Based on the photos of the rifle, comments from the seller & marlinguy, the rifle is believed to be a Special Order No. 4 since it left the factory with the double set triggers.  But after reading more on the rifles along with the fact that it now has a Green Mt. barrel and new wood, it may have started life as a No. 6 Schuetzen Model or No. 6½ Off Hand Model.

To start this thread, I'm including some questions & answers that were discussed with marlinguy in a recent thread ( (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links))

Wayne
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Marlinguy's comment,
"... always be sure to leave the hammer down on a Ballard before trying to open the lever."

Wayne's response,
Your're the 2nd person to warn me about the Ballards due to this thread.  I received a PM yesterday with the same warning in which he further stated it will bust the tip of the trigger off which I assume is the sear.  I'll have to check out the action to determine why.  Can the action be safely opened when the hammer is at half-cock?

Marlinguy's response,
As soon as you begin to open the lever on a Ballard after firing the hammer is drawn back to half cock. Half cock on a Ballard is tough to even see as it's just off the firing pin by a small amount.
The hammer at full cock is situated where the spur is over the top of the frame, so as the lever is opened the spur catches on top, and if forced it will indeed break the sear/trigger tip off. Most people realize it before they break the trigger as it takes a fair amount of force to do this. I've let new shooters try my Ballard rifles at the range and often begin to cock the hammer before opening the lever and I jump in and stop them before they even get to the lever. 
The only time I use half cock is hunting with my Ballard rifles and a loaded chamber. The rest the time the hammer is down, or automatically on half cock after chambering, and just cocked to shoot.

The rifle arrived today.  After inspecting it I have a few more questions.
1) The serial # is 36316. Does this help in identifying the model #?
2) With an empty chamber, when opening the action the extractor back out about 1/4" which is sufficient to grab a case.  But with any resistance such as with a round or empty case chamber, the extractor only backs out 1/16" which is not sufficient to grab a case.
3) The firing pin is not spring loaded & does not retract when the hammer is at half-cock or full-cock.  Is this correct?

Wayne

Vall,

It's a Marlin Firearms co. marked receiver.

Wayne

You can take the extractor out and solder a tiny piece of steel along the straight surface at the bottom circumference around the pivot pin that the lever bears against.  A little cut-and-try will get the top of the extractor pushed out as far as possible when you open the action all the way, while still seating fully otherwise.

The extraction powers of the Ballard aren't all that great even with a good extractor setup.  Some Samsonite Proconsul back in antiquity probably bore down on that lever to get stuck shells out of your gun and caused the problem in the first place.

Ballards might be nifty (and their set-triggers are something to marvel at), but they do depend on exact geometries and teensy-weensy surfaces and bearings to do their magic.  The tiny links stretch, the little pins wear, that 10-to-the-minus-2 square inch contact on the extractor wears or crushes and droopitis leverosis and extraction problems set in with a vengeance.  Unlike some other single shots, there isn't room for larger or more robust links or wider extractor bearings to fit in, so the little figure-8 link and that flattened surface on the skinny extractor had better be right in all respects.  They seem to have depended on good hand-fitting and proper hardening of parts and, hopefully, an ideal world of hunting and shooting, for longevity.

A good specimen, carefully maintained or not used much, might be free of these annoyances, but the ones in my price range sure aren't.

OK guy, more questions.

1) No problem finding schematics of single-trigger rifles, but nothing on the double set-trgger rifles.  Does anyone one or a link to one?
2) See photo of the extractor.  I assume what the arrow is pointing at what determines how far the extractor back out.
3) Next photo has some parts that came with the rifle in a plastic envelope labeled Ballard.  The firing pin is obvious, but I can't find any reference to the spring & small screw which has a knurled head in a small hole through the center.  Any ideas?

BTW,  the firing pin hole in the rifle is apparently full of goop, hence it will not back out when the rifle his held vertical.  So, the next thing is to separate the breech block & clean out the goop.

Wayne

I’m probably confused, as usual!  But isn’t the arrow pointing to the front of the extractor?

Wouldn’t that be a timing adjustment between the lever, breech block and extractor?  If built up too much wouldn’t it lock up the breech block when lowering because it would be trying to open the extractor to soon? 
Bob

I have picture of a double set trigger internals if that helps.   

But that trigger assembly is really simple to remove and disassemble.
Bob

Vall, okay I didn’t have one apart right now but I see my #2 doesn’t touch anything.  

But I thought he was asking about the limiting stop for the extractor being fully open.  I agree, if it’s not moving the extractor a build up would be required at his arrow point.

This is something I was going to be looking at on a rifle I have in the shop, so the question perked up my interest.  I was looking/wanting to limit the opening, just a little, because a cartridge head will slip past once in awhile.  Looks like nothing but the breech block stops the distance the extractor can move.  But then I need to study things a bit more…when I get to it.
Bob