doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Ballard - Restore? or keep it original?

Just kidding, of course. It's a rebuilder. Here's a picture:



I also located an organ donor for it:


Bought the first one because it's a pacific in 45-70 to rebuild into a shooter. Bought the second one because the price was right and was ignorant of what type of frame it had. Wanted the lever, triggers, and block assembly. Bonus when it came is it also has a forged receiver, even though it's a .38 rimfire.

Now, to decide what to do.

Could simply rebarrel and stock the organ donor. It's a nice rifle in it's own right. That would leave me looking for another organ donor for the pacific. Or, use the parts in the pacific, and keep looking for another ballard with a cast frame to complete the organ donor. I've sold a couple of cast frame ballards in the last year that would have done nicely. A guy should never sell anything.

The second one has the wrong triggers for the Pacific frame serial number. And, it all numbers together. Almost a shame to mix and match it. But, it could be ten years before I find another one to complete the pacific. And, it might not match the serial number range either.

Hard to decide. First, have to wait until about three other projects are done and paid for before I start this one.

dave

Are you missing everything not shown? I may may some parts, and others here may also. From your remark about the triggers, I assume you need the early thick plate style.

I think I'd keep the second rifle together, and re-bore it and build it up as a .40 - 70 while finding the parts to make the Pacific back into a .45 - 70. That crescent butt plate might hurt a bit, though.

Dave,

I don't think I would break up a matching original for parts to go on that other shell. The .38 looks pretty good as is, and has its own value that should be considered, while the Pacific (or whatever it was) shell is pretty rough and not likely to ever have any great value as a shooter... if the original .38 can't be fixed to suit you, it would be financially better, IMHO, to sell it as is and complete and use new parts, if nothing else, to rebuild what is not and never again can be an original rifle. This is JMHO, of course and worth what you paid for it, but you did ask!

Froggie

PS Since the .38 is a forged action, what would keep you from making a heavy barrel for it and then you could stock it as desired and you would HAVE your .45-70 (or whatever caliber desired) Pacific-style Ballard and not have to "break up" the parts that are numbered together? Just a thought.

Nice dilemma to have, say I. One question, tho--is the barrel on the original "semi-corpse" cut off? All the Pacifics that I've seen had longer barrels.... And, if so, where would you get a Pacific barrel? I suppose someone could make one, but it would take some serious attention to little details that make a Pacific a Pacific.

BTW, in general, I'm with the amphibian on "what to do." But all nice choices to have!

Hey Dave, Glad to see you here. As what to do, Sell me all the internals in the 38 and I will send you a set of guts with a single trigger just for your time. I also picked up a deal this past weekend. It is an old pacific action with an AW Peterson 22rf barrel. The double sets had been swapped sometime in its life for a single trigger and lever. Nos. don't match. The Peterson barrel is for sale, bore shiney with a little leading about middle ways, and must have been accurate as it has about 8 scope holes drilled in top.Looks like it has had several different scopes on it. Thought I'd give you an out for your dilema. Jerry

I sure wouldn't take anything off #2 to save #1. The first one needs way too much to get it going, and I'm with most the others. I'd rebore the second one, and make it the keeper.

Well I would keep the complete set together, but it is of course your choice. Is it even possible to switch the internals and have a perfect fit? I have not seen much success at doing that with original Ballards: the blocks never seem to sit correctly. I have a mismatched block and frame, I should dig them out and post the numbers in case anyone has the missing pieces. Why did people do these things? How has the Franken-Ballard parts gun worked out Froggie?

The FrankenBallard is in my temporary possession pending A) me getting busy working on it and B) Froggie deciding/remembering to mail me some things he told me about....

The FrankenBallard lever in its present form is a shining example of the very finest work of that reknowned single shot gunsmith, Harlow Parkenfarker. Everything else looks pretty good, except the barrel is round (G).
Regards, Joe

Doubtless it is an optical illusion of some kind but in the photos that empty frame looks much longer than the frame on the complete rifle.