Was perusing the internet a couple weeks ago and saw a Ballard rifle for sale. It was complete with shooter's tools, but not in very good shape. Nobody bought it, so after a short time I contacted the seller about whether he'd part with the tools separately. No reply, but soon after the seller relisted the Ballard as a barreled action only, and it sold at a lower price. Then a couple days later I got a reply asking if I was still interested in the shooting tools, and tang sight! I shot him an offer and he accepted it. So I was tickled to receive this 1800's set of tools.
Most of the tools were hand made by some gunsmith or maybe even a blacksmith. But there are surprises in the set too! The two funnels are homemade, and nothing really special. Below the red funnel is a Pope style re-decapping tool, but not made by Pope. In fact it appears the maker saw a Pope tool image, or his catalog, and didn't have any scale to work off of. The handles are twice as large as my Pope tool, and main body is 50% larger than a Pope. But it's well built, and still pretty neat!
Next to that re-decapper is another of a different design, and unmarked. It's obviously not a gunsmithed tool, or it's a very high quality gunsmithed tool. But after researching Chamberlain and Quigley's old loading tool book, I discovered a patent granted to John Barlow in Nov. 1882 for this tool! Barlow started Ideal Mfg. Co. in about 1884, so it appears this tool was a prototype or early unmarked tool by Barlow!
Next to the Barlow decapper is a small wad punch. It's commercial and likely a BGI (Bridgeport Gun Implement) tool and no markings. They sold these to most gun makers for resale with their guns.
Above the wad punch is a cylinder with a rod in it. It's a Ballard bullet swager to size or swage bullets down to a set size and shape. It's for a .32 caliber, and likely a .32-40 since the other tools are for that caliber.
Bottom left is a Ballard Midrange Graduated tang sight. Unlike the vernier model, it's an inexpensive option for hunting, and is adjusted by loosening the eye cup and sliding it up/down. But it has a unique aperture that has a reversible bar that can be switched from small to medium opening for various sight ranges or light levels.
The powder measure at the bottom is one of the interesting designed items. It has the old screw on glass hopper as used on Schoyen and Peterson measures, but the body is designed or copied after the earliest Ideal #1 measure. It adjusts the same, and is sized for small charges like medium sized rifle calibers or smaller. Not sure if it's an early Barlow tool also, or who made it? But I really like it, and it seems to work quite well!
I have an old cased Schoyen Ballard in .32-40, and these tools will be integrated into the open compartments of that case to complete the Schoyen. This is the first shooter's kit I've seen for sale separately from the gun, as they normally stay together forever!
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Originally Posted by Guy La Pourque
