Friend called me asking what his new purchase is worth, says it's a marlin- ballard single shor with double set triggers,folding tang sight, curved steel buttplate, heavy barrel relined to 22,no blue on barrel or receiver but not pitted ,he realizes and bought it for the action. Says its very heavy. Sight nor barrel have any markings, receiver is marked marlin, ballard patents 1861 is the date if I recall borrectly. Thanks for any info on a ballpark price, as he intends to sell it.

Pictures would help. Original Schuetzen Ballards bring silly money - I've seen some with $10K asking prices, although I doubt they sell for that.

A modified Ballard often doesn't bring much at all. I bought a pretty nicely rebuilt Marlin-action based "Schuetzen" rifle in .22 rimfire for $800, just about a year ago. Another of mine has fancy schuetzen wood and double set triggers, but the action was plated and is flaking off, and the bore is none too good. Got that one for $1000, and in retrospect I should have bargained harder.

Every so often you run across a Ballard that was modified in the pre-WW2 period by somebody famous. I have one set up by Sedgley as a varmint rifle, (R2 Lovell), that I willingly paid $1800 for. Nobody else even bid on it, but that's because it's chambered for an obsolete wildcat. It it were in .32-40 it would have been twice that or more.

There are "cast" actions, and "forged" actions, and the forged ones bring a fat premium.

Good place to offer it might be the ASSRA forum. Or post some pictures there and ask about the value.

thanks for the reply thats in the ball park of what he was going to ask. thanks again

Mike try the single shot rifle association's forum. All of the Ballard geeks hang out there.

Ohhhhmigosh. Tell him he'll regret letting that Ballard go. Don't ask me how I know ...

You guys are making my cry, kick myself, tear my hair out, contemplate drinking toilet cleaner, and prepare to go bungee jumping WITHOUT a bungee cord, all simultaneously.

In 1963, a boarder couldn't pay his rent, so he gave me a Marlin Pacific Ballard in .45-70 instead. In 1965 I needed money to stay in college, so I sold it for $85. The bore was mint and the outside had absolutely no signs of rust anywhere. And I had to throw in a Lyman 500 gr. RN mould to get the prospective buyer to take it.

AC: You're killing me. The Ballard Pacific is my favorite rifle of all time. Or as Ned Roberts would put it, "I was greatly pleased" with the rifle.