RE: [DL] Re: Ballard Rifle

[Frempath2@netscape.net]

This infromation is off of the Ballard Rifle Company's site.http://www.ballardrifles.comThough this is not the original company, they produce reproductions of the original company's products.
g'dayKevin Jameson
Charles H. Ballard, born in 1822 in the town of Sterling, Massachusetts. C.H. Ballard's occupation was that of a machinist. On November 5, 1861, he obtained a patent for a firearm that was to make the name "Ballard" a household word to riflemen for many years to come. After receiving the patent C.H. Ballard sold his interests to Warren Williams of the firm Ball and Williams. Ball and Williams was the first of many different firms to manufacture the new Ballard rifle in quantity.

The Ballard action patented by C.H. Ballard was manufactured by many different firms most notably Ball and Williams, R. Ball and Company, Merrimack Arms Company, and Brown Manufacturing Company. These firearms were mainly chambered for rimfire cartridges of the era and Civil War contracts figured heavily in production runs. The Ballard single shot most recognized by today's single shot enthusiast did not come along until Schoverling and Daly of New York, then holders of the Ballard patent, made arrangements with John Malon Marlin to work over the old patent and begin production in his plant.
The first Marlin-made Ballards made their debut in 1875. Between the years 1875 and 1891 J.M. Marlin and the later Marlin Firearms Company offered over twenty different models of the Ballard single shot rifle. These are the single shots that established the fine reputation for accuracy and reliability that the Ballard enjoys to this day; at many of the most prestigious rifle matches of the era, the Ballard was the preferred rifle among expert shooters. Riflemen of the day recognized the advantages of the "pull-rod" system of attaching the buttstock and the excellent Ballard set triggers. The Ballard action also provided for a camming action of the breech block, a center hung hammer for fast lock time, and the internal parts were contained in the breech block, protecting them from dirt and fouling. Ballard rifling was also recognized as being superior especially when shooting grease-groove bullets. The many different buttstock styles and barrel weights offered meant that the competition shooter could tailor a rifle to his specific needs. Indeed, many first generation Ballards are literally custom rifles.



__________________________________________________________________The NEW Netscape 7.0 browser is now available. Upgrade now! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp 
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/