Green_Frog wrote yesterday at 10:52am:
As the purists cluth their pearls, “FrankenBallards Rule!”
While I don’t advocate breaking up any complete original collectible, if one can find random, orphan parts and reunite them into a new and useful form, this is not sacrilege, it’s a resurrection. I’ve followed the same pathway with a couple of Winchester ‘walls as well… no guilt involved. I’m just finding it difficult to determine whether this #2 Ballard in hand is a corpse on life support or just an aged specimen in need of care.
Froggie
I buy orphan single shots that are complete but may have issues like a sewer pipe bore, etc. I have also bought empty receivers, filled them with random parts, barrels, and stocks. In all cases, I take a rifle that has little value, make it mechanically sound, add a liner if needed, and put it back to work. I don’t care if it is shiny, dull, or some point in between. The metal will be cleaned and waxed, the wood may get a couple coats of finish for some protection, but that’s about it.
I shoot a 32-20 lowwall at silhouette matches. It has about zero metal finish, is seriously pitted on the right side of the barrel, receiver, and lever, as if it laid on something wet for a period of time but interestingly, it had/has zero rust. It’s homely as can be, but shoots lights out.
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Modify A Ballard #2? (Read 1184 times)
