Ballard No. 1½ Hunter's Rifle
Marlin Firearms · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1879
Also known as: Marlin Ballard No. 1½ Hunter's Rifle, Marlin-Ballard No. 1 1/2 Hunter, Ballard Hunter's Rifle
Overview
The Ballard No. 1½ Hunter's Rifle is a single-shot, breech-loading falling-block rifle built on Charles Henry Ballard's 1861 patent and produced by Marlin Firearms of New Haven, Connecticut from about 1879 to 1883. A lighter, more affordable hunting model in the Marlin-Ballard single-shot line, it used a simple falling-block action of only a handful of moving parts worked by a Winchester-style finger lever that dropped the block, ejected the spent case and brought the hammer to half-cock as the lever was closed. Typically fitted with a 30-inch round barrel and chambered for the .45-70 Government, it weighed about ten pounds and was distinguished by Ballard's deeply cut lands and grooves, the so-called Ballard rifling, prized for its accuracy. Factory examples carried a Rocky Mountain rear sight and a rifle buttplate.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4570 g (161.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1201 mm (47.28") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 411 m/s (1348 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2215 J (1634 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 270 m (295 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 8 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45-70 Government · primary — also known as .45-70, .45-70 Govt, 11.6x53mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Falling Block Action, Winchester Style Finger Lever, Automatic Shell Ejection, Ballard Deep Rifling, Round Barrel, Rocky Mountain Rear Sight, Rifle Buttplate
Base model
Service history
Operators
- American hunters and target shooters
Production
Production years: 1879-1883
Produced by Marlin Firearms as the light hunting model of the Marlin-Ballard single-shot line; most examples made from 1881-1883
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Charles Henry Ballard
Discontinued: 1883
Notes
The No. 1½ Hunter's Model was offered chiefly in .45-70 Government but also in .40-63 and .40-65 Ballard, with both 30-inch and 32-inch round barrels. Unlike the heavier target Ballards, the No. 1½ was not factory-equipped with a tang sight. Receivers stamped 'J. M. Marlin' date to before about 1881, after which they were marked 'Marlin Fire Arms Co.' Quoted weight and length vary with barrel length and chambering.
Background
The plainer, lighter brother of the heavy Ballard target and buffalo rifles, the No. 1½ Hunter's Rifle put the famously accurate Ballard rifling into an honest working hunter's gun — a falling-block single-shot meant for the field rather than the firing line.