Ballard No. 5 Pacific
Marlin Firearms · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1876
Also known as: Marlin Ballard No. 5 Pacific, Ballard Pacific, No. 5 Pacific
Overview
The Ballard No. 5 Pacific is a heavy single-shot, breech-loading falling-block rifle built on Charles Henry Ballard's 1861 patent and produced by Marlin Firearms from about 1876 to 1891. Marketed as a Western buffalo and big-game rifle, the No. 5 Pacific used a stout lever-operated falling-block action, a ring finger lever, and double-set triggers, and carried a long heavy octagon barrel of 30 to 32 inches. Chambered for powerful black-powder cartridges including the .45-70 Government, it weighed roughly eleven to twelve pounds and was fitted with a Rocky Mountain front sight, a semi-buckhorn rear sight, and provision for a folding tang sight.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5440 g (191.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1220 mm (48.03") |
| Barrel Length | 813 mm (32.01") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Set |
| 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 | 1000 m (1094 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, Ring Lever, Double Set Triggers, Heavy Octagon Barrel, Rocky Mountain Front Sight, Semi Buckhorn Rear Sight, Tang Sight Provision
Base model
Service history
Operators
- American buffalo and big-game hunters
Production
Production years: 1876-1891
Produced by Marlin Firearms of New Haven, Connecticut as the heavy hunting model of the Marlin-Ballard single-shot line; configurations varied widely and many approached custom guns
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Charles Henry Ballard
Discontinued: 1891
Notes
The No. 5 Pacific was offered in a range of heavy black-powder chamberings from .38-55 up through cartridges such as .40-85 Everlasting and .50-90; .45-70 Government was among the most common. Barrels came in standard or heavy weight, with stocks in rifle or shotgun butt configuration, so individual examples vary considerably.
Background
Named for the Pacific slope of the American West it was meant to hunt, the No. 5 Pacific was the buffalo rifle of the Marlin-Ballard family, a falling-block built heavy enough to tame the big black-powder cartridges that brought down bison on the open plains.