Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors OT my local gunshop 75 years ago !

I've only seen Ballards from a distance. Odly enough, there's a pawn shop up in Redding that had several on display for years. I have never seen or heard about the Farrow. I take it the Farrow is a falling block action. Is the Ballard a falling or rolling block action like the Remington? If anyone wants to jump in I'd appreciate a discussion on these two rifles.

I never handled a Farrow, don't know anyone who has. I do have a copy of Farrow's book "How I Became a Crack Shot". Interesting fellow. The 90's-teens (1900's that is) really was the Golden Age for gunnies, and Farrow was at the head of the class. Someone in recent years tried to resurrect the Farrow rifle but it never went anywhere. The market for very expensive old-timey looking single shot target rifles is pretty limited in this day and age.

I have owned though a couple Ballards along the way, back in the 80's-early 90's when I was in my single shot phase. Both .22's, one with a C.C.Johnson barrel on it. (That Ballard was one of the most accurate .22's I ever owned, and that's saying something.) The Ballard was a falling block, and not a really strong one at that. The early ones had cast receivers and split breech blocks (two halves) which definitely should be relegated to .22 rimfire and not much else bigger. Later ones came in several frame sizes , forged steel, one piece breech blocks etc., and were to be found chambered for large-ish black powder hunting cartridges. Those are the really desirable ones IMO. A lot stronger in that regard but still nowhere near the strength of a Winchester HiWall. One also has to remember that Ballards went out of production as the smokeless era was ushered in, they were all built around black powder cartridges and any customization of them has to keep that in mind. The Ballard was the sweetheart of the target shooting set for a very important reason- they had the fastest lock time of any rifle in that era, and coupled with set triggers gives one an edge in offhand matches where one has to snatch the shot as the front sight or crosshairs wobble past the ten ring. Pope often said that the Ballard was his favorite chassis for building a precision .22 target rifle on.

Thanks Gary! On the subject of single shots, someday I'd like to land a good Stevens 44 1/2. I think the 44 1/2 post dates the "Golden Age" of the late-1800s/early-1900s a little, but they fall into the Savage universe and that adds a degree of appeal to me.

Indeed. Don't forget too that CPA is making new repros of the 44½, very tasty and not prohibitively expensive. A lot of them are in circulation now (relatively speaking) and die hard single shot guys really like them. They'll take modern pressures too.

I did not know that. Thanks again!

I just took a look at their website - pretty cool stuff. I can see one built up into a 32-40 or a 38-55. Or even something built along the style of a Stevens 418 or Walnut HIll - I'm kind of partial to the version with the front barrel band/swivel. Damn, now there's something else in this world to detract me from getting things done.

I wonder if that double shotgun and drilling were made by Fred Adolph? The combination of carving and checkering looks like his work. His shop was in Genoa New York, which wasn't that far away from New Hampshire.

They do look like Adolph's work. my wife is scanning a bunch more old pictures,theres even a savage ot two on them.

Here are a couple of more pictures from Shiffs album ,maybe what the well healed ,would have had back in the day. Colt patterson and some sort of early revolving rifle in the case !!





The case appears to be made of a single piece of wood !!

It makes you wonder how many of those firearms are still in existence and where they are.

Heres a few pictures of a Colt made schuetzen rifle,never seen or heard of one before these pictures, the insert has a bunch of names,along with the Colt co address.

And heres a unique revolver,and another picture of the Farrow target rifle.

Makes you wonder where they all are now?

That album is a historical treasure

Keep the pics comin Don.

I do have a bunch more ,but figured you guys were getting bored with this stuff. I did find a bit of information on the revolving rifle in the case. It was made by John Brownings Father,the first John Browning gunsmith. Well here are a few more.





In the top photo the bottom rifle is a hawkin, in the bottom photo a Colt lightning rifle,a Maynard target rifle ,and a Colt Burgess repeating rifle.

Heres a few more repeating rifles, the first may be a revolving shotgun




Heres one of those dreaded 1866 winchesters,a whitney Kennedy,and a deluxe Bullard.

We're NOT bored with your picture sharing, or the background info (John Browning's father!!)!!

I'll second that emotion.

Heres a couple pictures of Burgess shotguns,1 is a takedown ,and the other is a folding model. I know one of our old members "BOLTMAN" knew quite a bit about these.

Here are a few more, muzzle loaders ,the number 4 is a hawken, a colt revolving rifle and a volcanic carbine. the volcanic is the forerunner of the Henry,

loggan donot stop

Yea keep them comeing Don Great stuff!