Two rifles built consecutively on the Marlin Ballard line 147 years ago, and today reside in the same gun safe together?
I was discussing early first year JM Marlin Ballard oddities with a friend tonight, and as usual I ended up at my gun bench taking guns apart to check features. He had asked if I noticed the first year Ballards had an oddball breech block, and firing pin system. Honestly after nearly 4 decades of collecting Marlin Ballard rifles I hadn't noticed the difference in firing pins, and firing pin screws. So I dug out 5 first year 1875 Ballard rifles, and dropped the breech blocks out of all of them one at a time.
In the process of checking them, and wanting to see when changes might have been made, I checked serial numbers. To my surprise I noticed the first JM Marlin Ballard #4 Perfection I'd purchased over 35 years ago was #596, in a #4 Perfection model. Then got to my Ballard-Pope three barrel set, and to my great surprise it is #595, and was purchased by me maybe 5 years ago?
After 147 years these two that came down the line together are united again, and I never knew it until today! I thought this was pretty darn neat.