Picked up this 1st Generation Ballard #6 Offhand Rifle at the Colorado show this weekend. One of the most rare models offered by Marlin as it was only offered for a couple years 1878-1880 until they changed them to a pistol gripped stock.
I've got a later pistol grip #6 Rigby, but been hoping to find a 1st model for probably 30 years, and when I found them the price was crazy high! This one has the Abalone crescent moon, and cut for a rear dovetail to accept a full length scope; so not 100% original and I could afford it.
I picked up a nice Stevens Ideal 6x scope with dovetail bases at the same show, so put it on today.
Buttplate is a rare silver plated, not nickel, so I polished off the tarnish on it too! Caliber is .40-65 Ballard Everlasting, and not sure yet what I'll use to form brass? If anyone has built cases for this unusual cartridge, let me know!
Buffalo engraved:
Buck and doe:
Abalone crescent moon:
Heavily tarnished German style buttplate: