Ballard Carbine
Ball & Williams · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1862
Also known as: Ballard's Patent Carbine, Ball & Williams Ballard Carbine, Ballard Military Carbine
Overview
The Ballard Carbine is a single-shot, breech-loading, falling-block carbine built on Charles Henry Ballard's November 1861 patent. Manufactured by Ball & Williams of Worcester, Massachusetts during the American Civil War, it used a lever-actuated dropping breechblock that enclosed the lock work to resist fouling and a center-hung hammer for fast lock time. Chambered mainly in .44 Long rimfire with a roughly 22-inch part-octagonal, part-round barrel, the cavalry carbine carried a single barrel band and a pair of sling swivels rather than the usual saddle ring, and saw service with Union and Kentucky state forces in the Western theater.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 940 mm (37.01") |
| Barrel Length | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 335 m/s (1099 fps) |
| Effective Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 730 m (798 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 8 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Long Rimfire · primary — also known as .44 Ballard, .44 Long
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Falling Block Action, Lever Operated Breech, Center Hung Hammer, Manual Extractor, Sling Swivels, Barrel Band
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1863
- Kentucky State Militia · adopted 1863
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 20,000 · Production years: 1862-1865
Ball & Williams produced roughly 15,600 to 16,000 Ballard rifles and carbines during the Civil War; Kentucky was a major state purchaser of carbines for cavalry use
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Charles Henry Ballard
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Most carbines used a 20-1/4 to 22-inch barrel and a manual rear-lever extractor. A 1864 Merwin & Bray dual-ignition device let some carbines fire either rimfire metallic cartridges or percussion combustible loads. Calibers also included .46 and .54 rimfire on some contracts.
Background
Pitched against a crowded field of Civil War cavalry carbines, the Ballard's enclosed falling-block lock and clean metallic-cartridge ignition kept it firing reliably in the mud of the Western theater, and its patent later outlasted the war to become a celebrated target-rifle action under Marlin.