Earlier this year I picked up an old Ballard. I originally picked it up as a parts gun, as I felt it was not just grungy, but also had the frame modified to make the Ballard a takedown. The receiver was split down the bottom, and a tensioning screw added to clamp/loosen the barrel, to allow the forearm assembly to be removed.
Additionally the buttstock had been dissected and a piece added the entire length of the top 1/3rd. Butt area had been cut flat, and guessing it once was a Swiss buttplate, as used in the Union Hill Ballard.
Not a terrible gun, but combined with the receiver, I felt it was best to make it a parts gun. But I talked to a gunsmith friend about welding up the split in the receiver, and he recommended I leave it alone, and shoot it. Said the forged receiver was plenty strong, and the system someone had built had likely been there a very long time, and was working well. He added that it was the same system a Greener Martini used, and they were chambered in much heavier cartridges than the .38-55 this Ballard was chambered in.
So I decided to leave it alone, but refinished the stocks to make it a little less ugly.
Still the different color wood and lack of vertical striping in the wood made the added wood stand out. So I began a search for a replacement stock. After asking many people, a friend contacted me with an offer of a non factory stock, but still a very nice solid stock. It also had the same patina as the forearm and the gun, but missing the buttplate and grip cap. But it was a great match to the gun, and had a slightly over length of pull, which suited my long arms well!
I ordered a repro Ballard hard rubber buttplate, which measured slightly long, and wide, except for a couple areas that fit perfect. Needed to work it down, but avoid the close fitting areas. I started out by inletting the stock to accept the point on the top of the Ballard plate. Then I boiled the plate and shaped it to the stock before it cooled.
The buttplate also had an issue with the lower screw hole, as the custom stock sits higher, and the lower screw hole was in line with the through bolt that holds thee stock! So I filled the buttplate with black RTV and drilled and recessed a new screw hole lower. Then screwed it on and carefully worked down the edges to fit the stock. The RTV shrank a bit, so need to give it another dab to fill it smooth.
Found some ebony wood in my wood scraps, and made a grip cap of ebony. Attached it with a single small screw, and it finished off the grip area properly. The finished stock looks much better, and makes the gun a lot nicer looking, and a nicer feel also.
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Originally Posted by blackbahart
To my long distance e-friend, Marlinman93, would you agree that a guy would be more likely to find an abused complete #2 rifle or a '40s or '50s vintage position rifle (for Bullseye 22) than an actual project action? In the nearly 30 years I've been trolling around the edges of the single shot game, that's been my experience. 
I don't think I've seen more than about 3-4 separate actions in total.
