Innovative Rifle Action - Ballard

[Pete123]

The design of the action on the Ballard seems pretty innovative for an 1860s design.  

The gun can be used for rim fire or center fire cartridges.  The rim fire firing pin can be reversed.  A hollowed out space in the hammer won't hit the protrusion when reversed.

I haven't been able to find a pic or schematic for the complete center fire firing pin for this gun and I suspect a piece or two may be missing.  The part I labeled as the firing pin is a hollow screw.  I don't have the actual firing pin.

I also think they did a good job with the hammer.  The flat part fires the rim fire and the hollowed part fires center fire.

Be great to hear your take on this.

 

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by Pete123

[Pete123]

Bump, no one commented so it went fast.  Interesting for those who like Civil War / Wild West era guns

[raildog]

That is pretty ingenuitive

[xtriggerman]

I have a schematic for the center fire only action and it looks like the rim fire firing pin is home made. It should have a round notch to match that half moon cut above it. But the round cut notch would be a bit oblong for proper pin movement. There should be an action screw that bottoms out in the round cut above the rim fire firing pin. that screw is what retains the pin. That's how the center fire only action's firing pin is held in place. I cant venture a guess as to what the center fire pin would look like without having a look at the entire assembly. Interesting gun for sure. 

[Pete123]

Thanks for the info.  The rimfire firing pin does have the oblong part, though its really hard to see that in the pic.

I have a question about the centerfire part.  I think the screw below the rimfire pin holds the firing pin.  I think this because the screw is perfectly sized for the slot it's in.  Other than the firing pin, do you think another piece is missing

[xtriggerman]

Looks like a DBL hammer shotgun FP retaining screw in the hole. That hole would normaly be a blind hole except for a small firing pin hole in the receiver, not the tip of that screw. Is there another lateral screw that touches that FP screw laterally from the side? 

[Pete123]

No, everything I have is in the pic.