doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com I bought a Ballard action.

Hello Michael,

I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr Cox was the owner of your Rifle. With no disrespect, that forearm really is the work of an incompetant. No 'Gunsmith' worthy of the name would have produced such an abortion. A personal opinion I know, but can you think of anyone who would accept such work? I can't.

Harry

Unquestionably it's the work of the little-known but long-remembered world-notorious gunbutcher and raconteur, Harlow Parkenfarker!(grin) Harlow really got around......
Regards, Joe

No argument from me, the forend is a work of art compared to the buttstock.

Whoever did the barrel fitting, cambering and fitted the extractor was a good gunsmith.

On the other hand, these messes make those of us who are just above "Parkenfarker standard" feel better.....I just bought an otherwise very nice Savage 23D (I know, NOT "fine") that has apparently been "customized" by having a foot from a Victorian armchair glued and dowelled on where the little schnable used to was...nice claws! Suppose it's the result of mis-translation?

I kinda like the 23's, but have never seen one fitted with that particular type of 'furniture';-) Hahaha

Am much enjoying the discussion and progress with your Ballard, Michael. Apparently the darkened front portion of your bbl. is not an impediment to its shooting well! Glad it has worked out that way for you. How about a pic of the bullets you've tried to go with the group pics? How much larger than the bore dia. in front of the throat is the 'better' bullet, or is it? Does the bullet up-set any when hand seated or too hard for that?

I will be very interested to see how it shoots when you get the rest of it sorted and have the opportunity to do some serious testing w/o the current aggravations. Thanks for the thread!

TW,

I guess I was a bit unclear and not that it matters but the dark part of the bore is in the rear.

Two things I look for when shooting a new rifle is how it cleans and does it have an even star of lube on the muzzle. This one cleaned OK and the star was just as it should be.

The bullets I posted pictures of are the ones I used. All are bore diameter for the first few bands then progressively larger at the back. All are 20-1 lead tin, nothing else is used. Within the first few inches after firing the bullets are full groove diameter.....NO MATTER HOW HARD THE LEAD IS.

The rifles that shoot well for me have the bullets breech-seated in front of the case and only one case is used. I do not use wads with fine grain powder like 42227 or AA #9.

I like the bullets to seat easy into the rifle, ones that I have to hammer in with the heel of my hand don't seem to do well. A lot of folks use a mechanical breech-seater with a lot of leverage, it mush work for them but not for me.

I am going to leave the barrel on this action and fix it up to play with but now I'm back looking for another action.

By "cleaning OK" I mean that there was little to no lead in the bore and a couple of patches cleaned it clean.

I'm a bit on the fanatical side when it come to cleaning a Schuetzen (lead bullet) rifle.

I only use a one piece steel rod and button tip with a "o" ring at the back to protect the muzzle. My rod guide is made from nylon but an easy one is to drill out the primer pocket of a case to fit your rod. Cotton flannel patch and Hoppe's No.9. Nothing else ever, if it needs a brush I sell it ;-).

I'm making a little progress, with a little (lot) help from my friends.

I removed the escutcheon and plugged the second hole on the forearm. I moved the escutcheon back to the first hole.

I removed the two pins from the action and the Winchester forend hanger.

I fitted and glued a piece of wood into the space cut for the Winchester main spring in the back of the forend.

I took it up to john's and he mounted the forend on the side of his mill table and drilled it for a wooden dowel that goes into the hole in the Ballard receiver. I then came home and glass bedded that into place.

Today I received a Winchester 92 pistol-grip stock from Terry that had been modified for a Ballard...IT FIT!!!! Somehow it seems fitting that a Ballard with a Winchester barrel should have a Winchester stock.

The stock bolt must have fell off a piece of farm machinery then stepped on by the horses. I spent more time working with that than if I had just taken a piece of steel and made a new one.
Slow learner some time.

Not sure what is next, the barrel needs to be drilled and taped for both the forend screw and the scope blocks.

Michael as fast as you are going on this project. You will soon have nothing to do.?? Did I tell you I have what could be a nice project for someone. A AYDT Project. Whitey

Nothing to do, not likley

A lot more to do on this one, new screws, reshape the forearm and take down the butt where it's proud. Then refinish both the forearm and butt.

The firing pin sticks above the breech block so that will have to be redone.

A buttplate or recoil pad depending on the length of pull.

PLUS: This is only one of several projects that I'm working on and as a sideline I need to write, what do you call them, Articles.