doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A new caliber for a Merrimack Ballard

I have an old Merrimack Arms Ballard that is pretty much "done for". It was originally a 44 rim fire and I'd like to make it something else like a 17HMR or 22Mag. I realize that this is a cast receiver and won't take much punishment but what do ya'll think about these rimfire conversions? I'd rather do a rimfire than convert to centerfire.
Thanks,
Blair

clowdis,
The difference in dia. between 44 and 22 may effectively require a conversion anyway.If so, what about 32S&W long/32H&R Mag? They can be handloaded.
Mike

The Ballard action is well-designed for use with a 22RF cartridge since the block moves forward when closing, thus seating the bullet against the throat of a match chamber. While this forward travel would not be necessary with the various 17 RFs, the Ballard block retracts amply enough to ensure easy access to the chamber, an important point with small cartridges in actions having no ejection capability(!). The forward block movement also allows for tight-breeching with negative headspace if wanted.

IIWY I'd go for it. I've done several of these Ballard RF conversions and it's not rocket science. However the conversion DOES require a good understanding of the bench-fabbing process for the Ballard 2-pc extractor, or else acquirng the 2-pc RF extractor designed for the low wall and sold by DZ Arms (or some such name, grin).

Biggest hurdles IMO:
Ballards are NOT LIGHT and so a heavier rifle might be better. Frank de Haas in one of his articles showed a sporter he built on a SG Ballard and it was OK though.

Early Ballards had a fast thread pitch of 8 tpi, meaning DON'T repeatedly sock the barrel home against the shoulder while fitting/chambering unless you wanta end up advancing it 'just one more thread' because of looseness. Square threads too, I had to grind a special bit.

Fabbing the new RF firing pin will allow room for a retraction spring, a small round spring fits well here.

I STRONGLY suggest you consult de Haas' Single Shot Rifles and Actions as well as his Ballard articles published in The American Rifleman. He's a little sketchy in some of his descriptions but his Ballard smithing info is still the best available in print.

As you can see, IMO all this work is no step for a stepper and no hill for a climber. However your choice of smith will be VERY IMPORTANT here, just make sure that he can step and climb reasonably well....

FWIW I'm always available for advice and long-range consultation but am accepting no new work now.
Regards, Joe

Mike,
I would definately have to extend the blade on the hammer down a little bit to get it to strike a 22rf cartridge. But that would be easier than converting to centerfire I think. I'll to post a photo.

Joe,
Will probably do the work myself. The ejector is a hand eject with the lever under the barrel. Think I might keep that if I can just because I think it's kinda cool.

Not telling what you should do, but I won't touch one with a 10 foot pole. I know a person who got hurt converting one of those. Admittly he used a 38 S&W and that is bigger then a 22rf foresure, but not all that much bigger.

It's an interesting gun in its present config, hang it on the wall. IMHO.

clowdis I have a Frank Wesson two trigger in .44 rimfire that I shoot regularly. It's great fun, easy to reload and I get the satisfaction of making an old gun shoot again without messing with it. I once fired it into a birch log cut end facing me and it went in almost 8 inches with a cast bullet.

If you DO decide to convert, your task will be a lot easier if you retain the original manual extractor design.

If your pic shows the rifle under discussion, IMO it would make up into a PERFECT Schuetzen with its cheekpiece and Swiss buttplate!

Any conversion, IMO, any Ballard conversion at all whether RF or CF, will require a small breechblock insert spanning the two halves of the block face. Not difficult, and fabbing details are amply covered by de Haas' instructions. I've done it 2 ways and both were fine.

IMO the NON-forged Ballard action is NOT suitable for ANY CF cartridge even if loaded to minimum pressures, period, end of discussion. JMOFWIW.
Regards, Joe

Following Mike Harrell's suggestions, the Oct. 2011 "Handloader" (#274) magazine has an article showing how to convert .44 Spl. to .44 Henry in the same way Mike shows for his Wesson. Of course it shows how to convert for a .44 Henry Colt SAA, and your Ballard may use a different .44 RF, but using the same method with a .44 Russian, .44 Spl.,.44 Mag or cut down .444 case oughta cover about ALL the many .44 RFs.

If your bore is really toast, you could get it relined with a .44 liner and just use these .44 CFs converted to RF. That would leave it "cosmetically historical" at least. A GOOD reline doesn't show at all on the outside.... Just some thoughts. Nothing wrong with the original concept; I too love .22 single shots.