Originally Posted by
Bigslug
Silly drag racers! Don't you know that cars are just something to transport guns in?:kidding:
I've been waiting eagerly for you to come back to this thread. Ballards weren't even on my radar 2 years ago when my father (the retired single shot addict) stumbled into a #5 Pacific .45-70, that strangely, had a destroyed forend crossbolt and no forend, but intact original thimbles and wiping rod. Also has a wood ball on the lever and a non-pistol grip version of your replacement stock with a Swiss plate on it - interesting combo eh? This thread got us turned onto sources for a replacement forend, so many thanks for that.
We've since acquired a #2 .38 (crazy fun, that one!) and a re-barreled, re-wooded .38-55 that we believe to have started life as either a #4 or a #5. It has the socket in the front of the receiver for the end of the Pacific's wiping rod, but I don't know if that socket was exclusive to the #5 and 5 1/2 - Dutcher's book is thin on photos of that area. I was hoping some of you could shed some light on that.
Looking forward to seeing it all done. Nice find!