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Ballard Receiver (Read 593 times)

Bnelson Full Member Offline Posts: 199 Location: Lower Michigan Joined: Jan 5^th, 2009	Ballard Receiver Feb 18^th, 2026 at 3:28pm	Print Post
	I've been looking over my Ballard parts and noticed I have a pre-Marlin Ballard receiver. It is set up for a manual extractor and has the longer 1.7" receiver ring. The strange thing is that it is threaded for a v-thread the entire length of the receiver and is set up for a 20 thread pitch. I've never seen one other than the 18 v or 8 square thread. Anyone know what manufacturer did this? I can't find any answer in Dutcher's book. Of course there are not markings at all left on the receiver. Bruce


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GT Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2334 Location: Northeast Wyoming Joined: Jun 28^th, 2015	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #1 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 3:53pm	Print Post
	Bruce, Does it have a screw in tang? I have an early Ballard action similar to that, without the tang. Top and bottom tangs part of the action itself. Threaded most of the way in 20 TPI, I have notes that I came up with that say a Brown... The other one pictured is a Brown though, with square threads full length and a screw in tang... GT

	"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk" T. A. Edison "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1972 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #2 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 4:05pm	Print Post
	Never knew there was anything except a screw in tang... JMH


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17774 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #3 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 5:20pm	Print Post
	jhm wrote on Feb 18^th, 2026 at 4:05pm: Never knew there was anything except a screw in tang... JMH The earliest Ballard rifles before Marlin didn't use a through bolt tang. They had top and bottom tangs like many lever action repeating rifles have.

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Bnelson Full Member Offline Posts: 199 Location: Lower Michigan Joined: Jan 5^th, 2009	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #4 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 5:30pm	Print Post
	Greg, This one does not have the screw in tang. It has the earlier top and bottom tangs like most of the pre-Marlin ones I have seen. Based on what you are saying, I am thinking it is a Brown like the one in your picture. I didn't realize that they had a 20 tpi full thread, but that sure sounds like mine. Bruce


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jfeldman ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 1107 Location: Imperial Beach, Ca Joined: Nov 5^th, 2005	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #5 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 6:58pm	Print Post
	I have one of the early ones with upper and lower tangs and external extractor. Several parts are marked #290. What I found doing research is the external tangs make it 1866 or earlier, so made by Ball and Williams (1862 to 1865) or R. Ball and Co. (1865 to 1866). Serial range is said to be #1 to #15600. Mine has the one piece breechblock, which were apparently up until Serial# 9700. Supposedly the first 100 rifles had an internal extractor. It's possible also that they started marking the side of the frame after serial# 9000. Most of this info was gleaned from the internet, so take with a grain of salt! Regards, Joe


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17774 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #6 - Feb 18^th, 2026 at 9:10pm	Print Post
	Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe any Brown Ballards had top and bottom tangs? Even earlier Merrimack's used a through bolt, but Ball & Williams and R. Ball had top & bottom tangs. I had to grab my copy of Dutcher's book and it shows all Brown and Merrimack without the two tangs and were through bolt design. Guessing yours is an earlier design if it has tangs.

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Deadeye Bly Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1121 Location: Stephens City Joined: Feb 25^th, 2011	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #7 - Feb 28^th, 2026 at 8:20am	Print Post
	Bruce, it is probably a Ball & Williams. They had V threads. I've worked on several of them, even fitted a barrel but don't remember the thread pitch. I set a barrel back to correct a headspace issue and I think it was .050" per turn which is 20 tpi. They made most of the early ones except Dwight Chapin. Those had rounded top receivers and Ball & Williams finished up most of them after they were rejected by the inspectors.


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Bnelson Full Member Offline Posts: 199 Location: Lower Michigan Joined: Jan 5^th, 2009	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #8 - Feb 28^th, 2026 at 1:12pm	Print Post
	Thanks John. That makes sense and fits what I have. Bruce


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17774 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Ballard Receiver Reply #9 - Feb 28^th, 2026 at 3:56pm	Print Post
	R. Ball and Ball & Williams were both done identically. Could be either.

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