JM Ballard #3 Follow Up Question ...

[John Boy]

Were the receivers on the early JM Ballard flat top #3 Gallery rifles blued or were they nickel plated?

The rifle is now apart. After soaking for a week, the barrel decided to unscrew and the 2 piece extractor slide out like hot butter. I did have concerns due to the large amount of rust. Initially ordered a 3/8" barrel from TJ's but with the 2 piece extractor a 5/16" liner will be needed to leave sufficient metal. After the machine work is done, surface work for bluing will be done. If the receivers were nickel plated, I'll send it to be done professionally. If blued, I'll do the work myself.

Thanks Kindly

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

John;

Typically, the Ballard receiver was case-colored. It is the unusual receiver that would be plated. I know of no model of Marlin Ballard that had a blued receiver, nor can remember ever seeing a blued receiver at all that was factory original.

[John Boy]

Regnier, thank you kindly for this information.
Sorry to have had to ask the question, but this is my 1st Ballard and be it a project rifle. Looked through the reference sources on Ballards and nothing to be found on the early #3's receiver applications.
Should have started collecting them years ago but back then shotguns were the passion
A excellent Holiday to you

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

John;

If you want Ballard information, the only place you need to look is in John Dutcher's excellent book, Ballard, The Great American Single Shot Rifle.
John's book covers all models in depth, including the pre-Marlin Ballards. Each model is broken down into a section of it's own with very good photographs and descriptions.
John spent 20 years putting this book together and it is very complete and accurate.

[marlinman93]

John,
If you get the parts polished out I can recommend a good reasonably priced guy to case them. The receiver, hammer, breechblocks, trigger, and buttplate (if it's steel) were all cased. CCH is not cheap, but Al Springer does great work, at the most reasonable prices around.-Vall
http://www.snowymountainblue.com/

[John Boy]

Thanks Vall. Do you have contact information for Al Springer? I was going to do the receiver myself and then was reminded about possible warping of the receiver. So going to have it professionally done

[marlinman93]

Contact info is on my post. Check the bottom where it says Snowy mountain blue.