Marlin · Rifle

Ballard Rifle

Name: Ballard Rifle
Brand: Marlin

Falling block · .44 Long Rimfire · introduced 1862

Also known as Marlin-Ballard, Ballard Single-Shot

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About the Ballard Rifle

The Ballard rifle is a single-shot, breech-loading falling-block rifle patented by Massachusetts machinist Charles Henry Ballard in 1861. The lever-actuated falling-block action housed the firing components inside the breechblock to protect them from fouling, and a center-hung hammer gave fast lock time. Produced from 1862 to 1891 by Ball & Williams, Merrimack Arms, Brown Manufacturing, and finally Marlin Firearms, the Ballard was offered in a vast range of rimfire and centerfire chamberings and earned a strong reputation among target and hunting shooters.

Charles Ballard's falling-block patent outlived its inventor's own company several times over, passing through four manufacturers before Marlin turned it into one of the most coveted single-shot target rifles of the American West.

Ballard Rifle specifications

General

Type: Rifle
Action: Falling block
Firing mechanism: Hammer-fired
Trigger: Single stage
Calibres: .44 Long Rimfire, .38 Long Rimfire
Magazine capacity: 1 rounds
Magazine: Internal

Dimensions

Barrel length: 710 mm (28.0 in)
Overall length: 1170 mm (46.1 in)
Weight (empty): 3.60 kg (7.94 lb)

Barrel

Rifling: Right hand

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Wood
Finish: blued

Performance

Muzzle velocity (typical): 335 m/s (1099 fps)
Effective range: 180 m

History

Introduced: 1862
Discontinued: 1891
Production status: Out of production
Country of origin: US
Designer: Charles Henry Ballard

Available calibres

.44 Long Rimfire.38 Long Rimfire

Features

Falling block action
Lever operated breech
Center hung hammer
Fast lock time
Interchangeable barrels

Safety

Half cock hammer

Early Ball & Williams rifles were chambered in .32, .38, .44, and .54 rimfire; later Marlin-made Ballards added centerfire calibers such as .38-55 and .45-70. Configurations varied so widely (barrels, sights, stocks, levers) that many approached custom guns.