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Marlin Ballard- Union Hill- - Ballard Rifles

 

That's close but my sights are different and my barrel is longer??? Any idea on year?

 

Reloading kit for the old ballard.

 

wow thats neat... especially with the reloading kit!! what caliber?

 

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is something to find out about!
YEA WHAT CALIBER??
More photos please

 

That eye patch is more than likely something that one of the owners of the rifle over the last 140 or so years fabricated and attached. I doubt you will find another like it anywhere. I am not a Ballard expert by any stretch, but I do know good property when I see it. You have some very good property there. The reloading kit is an awesome original accessory for that rifle. I'm sure the Ballard experts will chime in on this one. Wow !

WB

 

38.55 cal.
I will work on pics.

 

That reloading kit has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen!:congrats:

 

The receiver and wood is most likely Union Hill, but the barrel is most likely a replacement done for a serious shooter. It is longer than normal, and also larger than what Marlin Ballard ever supplied with their rifles. The length is actually just over 36", as they are measuered to the back of the receiver top, not the front. If you remove the forearm screw and wood, you may find a maker's mark. You can also check for other markings, and a serial number. If there is no number, it's a good sign it's not original, as Marlin always serial numered barrels to match the gun.
The serial number, and receiver marked Marlin Firearms, rather than JM Marlin, indicate late production. Marlin dropped the Ballard in 1891, and I'd guess your gun is around 1889-90 era. The eye patch is definitely a shooter's modification.
Whoever had this gun was a serious shooter to have a barrel of that weight and length added! The kit is wonderful, and contains some splendid old shooter's tools and supplies. It should always remain with that gun! You have a piece of history, not just a nice heirloom!

 

Truly remarkable! I wonder where this rifle was used. (My father used to tell me about the old Germans target shooting at Schuetzen Park in Union City, NJ.)
Vall, would this have been shot offhand, or from a muzzle rest? If offhand, that marksman must have been a mighty man...

 

Thanks for all the info. I am afraid to touch the old screws but will try gently tomorrow. I live about 30 miles west of Cincinnati, OH. but I understand it doesn't mean it's been in this area forever. My stepfather, Earl Miller, was a farmer by trade and also a WWII hero. I can't be positive but would think it was passed down to him by his father, Henry Miller. The reason I say this is because Earl did not ever fire a weapon as long as I was around him. I'm sure the war must have caused that.
Does anybody know if those rifles came with a cleaning rod? I will post a picture later but a cleaning rod was always stuck in the barrel. I cannot imagine shooting this offhand. I'm 6' 200 lbs and I might get a shot off but sure would not be accurate. Again thanks for the info and I'm really sorry I never talked with Earl about it.

 

You might want to post on the ASSRA forum. There are a lot of schuetzen enthusiasts there that can help you learn more. That is a beautiful rifle.

Chris.

 

It would have been a mostly offhand rifle, and yes they are extremely heavy! But consider that offhand was not a timed event, so competitors could bring their gun up to fire, and often sat it back down if they couldn't acquire the target before it got too heavy. One of my schuetzen rifles weighs around 14 lbs. and I can hold it long enough to get a good shot, but sometimes not.
The Swiss buttplates used on these guns made holding it up a bit easier. With the hooks under your arm, the pivot point for the weight was near the middle of the forearm, so shooters either had a built in palm rest, or they hel the forearm off their finger tips. They didn't cradle the forearm as we do with a conventional rifle, as they rested ther offhand elbow on their hip to help hold the gun.
A strange looking shooting position, but it worked well, and still does.
This is one of my Union Hills, also in .38-55. As you can see from the lower picture, the Union Hill was actually a pretty small Swiss buttplate. Many others had much larger prongs and cheekpieces:

 

Great collection, marlinman93. Your rifles appear to be in a lot better condition than mine. Should I try cleaning the old girl up or have a pro do it? By the way the numbers do match on the barrel and receiver. More pics to follow.

 

 

 

Wow, what a gorgeous heirloom you have there! Thanks for sharing (and you as well, marlinman93, thanks).
Have you updated the homeowners' policy yet?

 

I don't know if mine are any nicer; that's an awfully nice gun you have there!
That's not only great that the numbers match, but they don't appear to be of a different stamping tool either! There's a good possibility that this barrel and receiver are indeed a unusual factory special order!
As for cleaning the gun, I would need to know more about what you plan to do with cleaning. Any cleaning will help the appearance, IF that cleaning is gentle and not aggressive! A lightweight gun solvent and a tooth brush to clean the outside would not hurt a thing. Same for putting solvent down the bore to clean it with a soft patch. I'd also use some mild furniture cleaner or liquid Pledge to wipe down the wood and metal outside. My favorite is Old West Snake Oil, if you wanted to buy something to keep around for cleaning.
Be sure not to clean or do anything to that shooter's kit and tools! They should remain as they are in all their splendor! Some of the tools in your kit appear to be original Ballard tools ordered from Marlin. I'd love to see more close ups of the various tools! I also would love to have a chance to find such a nice gun and shooting kit some day! You're a lucky guy!
Would I be out of line to ask if you could email me those pictures? I'd love to download them to others I have in my zip file of old schuetzen rifles!

marlinguy@juno.com

 

I will work on the pics.

 

Thanks!

 

Alucino...., no había nunca visto algo así, ni siquiera en fotos.Muy bonitos todos y gracias por compartir.

 

Google translation:
"Hallucinate ...., had never seen anything like it, even in fotos.Muy beautiful and thanks for sharing."

 

As I stated earlier health issues caused me to sell the rifle so I made sure to get the best value for the item. Upon further talks with,Cowan's Auctions, the rifle was special ordered with additional length of 36" receiver to end of barrel. They sated the serial numbers probably did not match but in fact they did match. When they saw the matching serial numbers the value went way up. Rifle sold for $8500. I know you collectors probably don't like to see this but I had no choice. I am a big man but guarantee you tears were shed.

 

Thanks for the update! Wish I had known it was going up for sale! Missed seeing any mention in previous posts. I'd have gone on a gun selling spree to free up the funds! Maybe it's better I didn't know!

 

logrunner,

Sorry to hear you had to sell it but thank you for sharing the pictures with us. That was uber cool! I got to see a couple gentlemen shooting a Ballard at our local range this past Saturday.

 

Thought I would post the actual sale add if anybody is interested. Sorry Marlinman I did not dream anybody would pay that much money but I guess it was one of a kind.

 

View attachment 177601
Thought I would post the actual sale add if anybody is interested. Sorry Marlinman I did not dream anybody would pay that much money but I guess it was one of a kind.

No problem! It's the kind of Ballard that would make any Ballard collectors collection. Or be a one gun collection in itself! The gun was rare, but the shooting kit is probably as rare too! Together they are the things collectors dream of finding!