Who did the engraving of the marlin ballards?mostly the pinwheel engraving.

my #6 schutzen that is on pg 176 of the ballard book is a early rifle.looks like Nimscke engraving but i just read alot of engravers copied his style.

thanks marlinguy.im no expert and i wish they would of put initials on there work.both are very good engravers.online there is pictures of nimscke portfolio book with the same pattern and pin pricking in the back ground.

Many years ago a local pawn shop had an Axel Peterson Ballard schuetzen rifle that had a turkey engraved on the reciever. What was even more unusual about it was the turkey was engraved so it would be standing upright when the gun was vertical or in a rack.
I couldn't afford it at the time and always wondered where it ended up.
Anyone here ever see it?

Steve. 😀

I like most of the old engraver's work on American made single shots. Coverage can be very elaborate, or simplistic, and both have aspects I appreciate. 
I find it interesting or humorous what type of animal scenes some chose to adorn their scheutzen rifles with at times. My Ninschke has a charging lion on one side, and a buck deer on the other side. Why would somebody want a charging lion on a Rigby Ballard? Another engraved Rigby has a charging buffalo on one side, and a bear on the other. Just game scenes on an offhand rifle are pretty common, but usually are a buck on one side, and doe on the other side.
One thing common to most American engravers was their light engraving, not the heavy carved look some European engravers used. 
My late friend Bob Evans, a Guild Engraver, said one time he was really tired of guys asking him to engrave a gun in Nimscke style! He said he got that request so often that he finally turned down anyone who asked for it.

I am usually not a big fan of engraving, but I really like the frogs on the Ballard. What is on the opposite side?

mine i finally learned how to do photos

I love the frogs but oh the poor turtle.