Reverend Al
06-25-2016, 01:23 PM
Well, yesterday I bought another one of my personal "holy grail" guns ... I found a JM Marlin / Ballard No. 5 Pacific model!
This one is a .40-90 Ballard with 30" octagon barrel and the bore is in very good condition. (And no, it doesn't have a bulge up need the muzzle ... that is just a shadow in the photo I took.) The muzzle is a bit banged up, but the previous owner was shooting it using .40-90 Bertram cases (20 rounds of brass came with the gun) and the RCBS 400 grain .410 Silhouette bullet. He said it would stay on the 100 yard practice pig target at his range without any trouble, so I'll shoot it a bit on paper first before I make any attempts to touch up the crown. The buttstock, buttplate, and wiping rod are replacements and the gun is medium brown, but it's nice and tight so it's nice enough to shoot, but not so nice that I'll feel guilty about shooting it.
I'll have to make a cerrosafe casting of the chamber to see if it is chambered for the .40-90 Ballard 2 15/16" case or the .40-90 Ballard Ideal "Everlasting" 3 1/16". The supplied fire-formed Bertram cases are swollen at the base ahead of rim leading me to think it is either a big chamber or that it might be the larger "Everlasting" case chambering, but the cerrosafe casting will tell the story.
Is anyone out there shooting the .40-90 Ballard cartridge that can offer me any loading tips?
Cheers,
Al
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20001%20Large_zpsaekjjaxo.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20001%20Large_zpsaekjjaxo.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20002%20Large_zpsn7dqoitq.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20002%20Large_zpsn7dqoitq.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20004%20Large_zpscxdnjuod.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20004%20Large_zpscxdnjuod.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20007%20Large_zpshe8kqycv.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20007%20Large_zpshe8kqycv.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20009%20Large_zpse1b5vrjp.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20009%20Large_zpse1b5vrjp.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20011%20Large_zpskwqoghzo.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20011%20Large_zpskwqoghzo.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20014%20Large_zpsloup0vpk.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20014%20Large_zpsloup0vpk.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20016%20Large_zpsydsfml1x.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20016%20Large_zpsydsfml1x.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20020%20Large_zpsyny6gchh.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20020%20Large_zpsyny6gchh.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20018%20Large_zpsauvzcfea.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20018%20Large_zpsauvzcfea.jpg.html)
This one is a .40-90 Ballard with 30" octagon barrel and the bore is in very good condition. (And no, it doesn't have a bulge up need the muzzle ... that is just a shadow in the photo I took.) The muzzle is a bit banged up, but the previous owner was shooting it using .40-90 Bertram cases (20 rounds of brass came with the gun) and the RCBS 400 grain .410 Silhouette bullet. He said it would stay on the 100 yard practice pig target at his range without any trouble, so I'll shoot it a bit on paper first before I make any attempts to touch up the crown. The buttstock, buttplate, and wiping rod are replacements and the gun is medium brown, but it's nice and tight so it's nice enough to shoot, but not so nice that I'll feel guilty about shooting it.
I'll have to make a cerrosafe casting of the chamber to see if it is chambered for the .40-90 Ballard 2 15/16" case or the .40-90 Ballard Ideal "Everlasting" 3 1/16". The supplied fire-formed Bertram cases are swollen at the base ahead of rim leading me to think it is either a big chamber or that it might be the larger "Everlasting" case chambering, but the cerrosafe casting will tell the story.
Is anyone out there shooting the .40-90 Ballard cartridge that can offer me any loading tips?
Cheers,
Al
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20001%20Large_zpsaekjjaxo.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20001%20Large_zpsaekjjaxo.jpg.html)
http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20002%20Large_zpsn7dqoitq.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20002%20Large_zpsn7dqoitq.jpg.html)
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http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd466/Reverend_Al/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20007%20Large_zpshe8kqycv.jpg (http://s1221.photobucket.com/user/Reverend_Al/media/Marlin%20Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard/Ballard%20No%205%20Pacific%20in%2040-90%20Ballard%20007%20Large_zpshe8kqycv.jpg.html)
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