Rare KY Contract CIVIL WAR Ball & Williams Ballard
Guns International #: 101375198 Seller's Inventory #: 10478
Category: Civil War Rifles - Military Rifles - Antique

Seller's Information
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Verified Seller
Seller: AncestryGunsLLC
Company: Ancestry Guns LLC
Member Since: 11/3/16
State: Missouri
Zip: 65203
Country: United States
Phone: (314) 707-7373
International Phone: 314-707-7373
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 1449
Total Number of Listings: 29828
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.

Payment Types Accepted: Credit Card, Certified Check, Money Order



Description:

Rare KY Contract CIVIL WAR Ball & Williams Ballard

“KENTUCKY” Marked, Only 3,000 Made & Issued in 1864

Here we present an antique Ball & Williams Ballard Infantry Rifle, made in 1864 of Worcester, Massachusetts. The Ballard is an interesting rifle in that it began its career during the American Civil War, when it was produced in relatively small numbers (only about 24,000 from 1862-1873) by five different manufacturers. It was ultimately made a commercial success when made into one of the staples of the Marlin Company. Charles H. Ballard invented the rifle and the famed arms agents Merwin & Bray secured government contracts and lined up the firearms companies to make them.

This example is one of only 3,000 that was purchased by the highly contested state of Kentucky during the conflict. The top of the receiver is marked “KENTUCKY”, the left side is marked “BALL & WILLIAMS/Worcester MASS/MERWIN & BRAY AGTS./NEW YORK”, and the right side is marked “BALLARDS PATENT/NOV. 5 1861”. This rifle features a long (30 inches), round barrel, chambered for the .46 rimfire cartridge. The front sight is an adjustable blade, and the rear sight is a two-leaf variety. Each of the various ranges on the rear sight are clearly labeled: “100YDS” in the short leaf notch, “250YDS” for the long leaf aperture notch, and “500YDS” for the long leaf notch at the top. It also features a spring-loaded manual ejector, the knob of which you can see below the forearm. This rifle, while not being a repeater, was a huge improvement over the muzzle loading rifle-muskets being issued en masse to most soldiers of the war. It was much shorter than the rifle-muskets and used rimfire cartridges, making it faster and more reliable to shoot and handle. In fact, this rifle is only about 8 inches longer than most Civil War carbines.

The overall condition is near fine. The metal surfaces have a pleasing even gray patina. The markings are clear and legible. The serial numbers match. The walnut stock has a small repair just forward of the comb. The forward part of the hand guard was once much longer, but cut off some time ago either out of convenience or because of damage. The bore is bright, shiny, and sharp. The action is excellent. Here is a fantastic example of a Civil War infantry rifle, issued to Kentucky state units in 1864.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 30 inches in length.

Caliber: .46 rimfire

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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ancestryguns

$3000

#10478

SOLD

Antique: Yes