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Ballard Rifles

Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
edited February 2009 in Ask the Experts
Anyone know about the early Ballard single shots and lever actions?
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    Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know a little bit about them... why do you ask?
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    Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's just a curiousity. It seems that I saw one more than a year ago on GB that was described as a high quality lever gun. I was curious on how they compared to Winchesters and Marlins of the same era. Didn't Marlin have something to do with the Ballard designs?
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    Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ballard was independent of Marlin from late 1861 to 1873 (when they went bankrupt, and were purchased by arms dealers Schoverling & Daly of New York City. During that time, they produced single-shot Rifles, Carbines, and Muskets, many of which were sold to fill Civil War contracts. In 1873, Schoverling & Daly arranged a deal with John M. Marlin to continue production of the Ballard single-shot rifle line. In 1881, Ballard was incorprated as a permannet part of Marlin, and the name changed to Marlin-Ballard. Circa 1891, Marlin discontinued the Marlin-Ballard line of single shot rifles. To the very best of my knowledge, neither Ballard or Marlin-Ballard ever produced a lever-action repeating rifle.

    It was in the year 1881 that Marlin introduced the first successful large bore lever-action repeating rifle, but it did not have the "Ballard" name on it.

    Marlin did have a lot to do with the design of the Marlin-Ballard line of single-shot rifles.
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    Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thank you Bert.
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    Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Winchester 1912
    Thank you Bert.


    You are quite welcome.

    A thought just crossed my mind... are you sure that the high quality lever-action you saw a year ago was not actually a Bullard? Bullard was in business making decent quality lever-action rifles from circa 1886 - 1890 (production is estimated at 10,000 - 12,000)
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    Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Now that's quite possible, Bert. I'm gonna google Bullard.
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    Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A plethera of information. Bullard repeating rifles were essentially hand made firearms of the highest possible craftmanship. Alledgedly, the smoothest lever action ever made. James Bullard also developed some cartridges as well.
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    Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Winchester 1912
    A plethera of information. Bullard repeating rifles were essentially hand made firearms of the highest possible craftmanship. Alledgedly, the smoothest lever action ever made. James Bullard also developed some cartridges as well.


    Every once in a great while, the gray matter between my ears works real good[:0][;)]
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    Wehrmacht_45Wehrmacht_45 Member Posts: 3,377
    edited November -1
    Or possibly a Burgess lever action, which was sold by Colt? Well until Winchester sent them a letter saying they would start making revolvers. That seemed to seal the fate.

    Also, if you read about some Marlin lever guns they can marketed as having "Micro Groove" rifling, or "Ballard Type" rifling.

    Just a couple possibilities not already put forth by our other gunnies.
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    CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,520 ✭
    edited November -1
    The straightest shooting iron sighted I've ever owned is a Ballard sporting rifle in 45-110. Originaly the 38-55, which is the parent case of the 30-30, 25-35, 32wcf and many more, was a ballard caliber.
    W.D.
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    Winchester 1912Winchester 1912 Member Posts: 528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What a rich rifle history our nation has. Google "Bullard Rifles" and check it out. Pretty interesting.
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