Marlin-Ballard chambering?

[badgeredd]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee338/badgeredd/Picture018.jpg

I have a Marlin-Ballard that I aquired 12 to 15 years ago. It was chambered for some weird 22 centerfire cartridge that I never did figure out. At any rate, I found a 32 caliber barrel and put it on the old girl. I chambered it for 32 H&R and it has been a fun little gun. Well I found a 32-20 reamer on evilbay and I eventually got it for a decent price.
MY QUESTION: do you think this old Ballard can handle the 32-20 safely? It was originally a swich firing pin gun that would allow the owner to change from rimfire to centerfire. Although I am not sure, I believe it was chambered for a 32 originally. The receiver is a cast receiver. The firing pin is in a split dropping block (for want of a better description).

[richbug]

A friend has one that was originally 38 long. We put a new barrel on it in 38 Special, it has been doing fine.

[Dale53]

If you keep the Ballard pressures in the black powder range it "might" be ok. These actions are extremely weak. The cast iron action often has serious inclusions that further weaken a weak action. The inclusions cannot be seen until a failure.

The .32 S&W L would be a better cartridge for this old action.

I like Ballards but my idea of a correct cartridge for cast Ballard actions are .22 rimfire. They can make a superb .22 rimfire as the rocking motion of the breechblock will allow the use of a full match reamer.

I have the "Frogmoor Ballard" built on a modern Ballard (billet steel) action and it is a delight to use (it's in .22 rimfire) and is a superb rifle is just about ALL respects.

Dale53

[missionary5155]

My old Marlin-Balard (7xxx) was origonally chambered for 38 Long and is overmarked 38-50. It chambers without any problem 38-55 cases. I have fired 220 grain .383 30-1 lead with 52 grains FF and it shows no problems. It prefers a lighter bullet about 180 grains. It has a twist at 1-38. It really comes down to the individual rifle... action condition... I would NOT (NO NEVER) fire a modern smokeless load in mine but I sure will continue to pop away with it until I see a mechanical reason to stop.

[Bent Ramrod]

Badgeredd,

I have a cast-action Ballard #2, originally in .38 Long, rim- or centerfire, that had been rechambered to .38 S&W and shot out. I had it relined to .32-20. I've been firing moderate smokeless loadings in it for the past 12 years and no blowups yet. I've gone (with Ideal 3118) up to 13 gr of IMR 4198 and 11 gr of SR 4759 with it but now have settled on 7 gr of Blue Dot for my standard loading.

In my experience, loads on the limits of what the Ballard will take will cause fairly rapid stretching of the link and droopitis of the lever. This is annoying to fix, as a replacement link takes a fair amount of work, and the hole spacing is critical. Catastrophic failures of the frame or action, with sensible loadings, should be rare. However, the Ballard isn't a strong design and metallurgy was in a primitive state when they were being manufactured, so care needs to be taken.

I've really gotta try black powder in this rifle sometime...

[NickSS]

I had one that was lined to 32-40 caliber and I used it mostly with light loads and black powder. Worked fine. Now I have a pacific Ballard made by J M Marlin that I got by trading off the 3240. It is 45-70 and using either black powder or smokeless equivalent loads it shoots like a house afire. However, none of the ballards were too strong so keep them down to black powder balistics and you will be safe. They are not an action to try high pressure loads in at best at worst you are looking to pick pieces of iron out of your head.

[StrawHat]

I also had a Ballard in 32 rf/cf.

As many have stated already, the cast action of this rifle is the weaker of the two actions and loads should be held to low pressures.

There is another site that deals with singles shots and has a Ballard section. Don't know where it is or I'd link it for you.

I don't believe the 32 WCF was one of the original chamberings for that model, that might tell you something.

GOod luck.

[badgeredd]

Thanks guys. You've answered my concerns and I have deciced to leave it as is. I've shot a lot of factory loads through the old girl as she is and my main concern was as to whether the factory 32-20's might be a bit much. I now load moderate cast boolit loads for it and they have been a great deal of fun. I just don't want to have a gun that may be unsafe for the next person. I love the feel and the lines of it, and have been thinking about trying to duplicate the action with modern steels and laminating together pieces something like the Frank DeHaas Chicopee. Thanks again for the comments.
Edd