The Ballard Rifle was a single shot,
breechloading longarm used during the late
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
by Kentucky volunteers.
History
The Ballard Rifle was designed and patented by Charles H. Ballard in November 1861 in
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
.
Around 3,000 were made between 1862 and 1865, with some being used for military use in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
.
Ballard rifles used by Kentucky Volunteers will have Kentucky marked on them.
Variants
Variants were built by Ball & Williams (1862–1865), Dwight Chapin & Co. (1862–1863), and later by R. Ball & Co. (1865–1867), Merrimack Arms (1867–68), and Brown Manufacturing (1869–1873). The last and most successful maker was J.M. Marlin Firearms Co., who built more models than any predecessor (1870–1890).
The Ballard rifle had over 20 variants during its 29-year lifespan.
The No. 1 Hunter's Model was first introduced in 1875 for the .44 rimfire caliber.
The No. 1 would later be produced in .44 rimfire, .45-70 Government, .44 Ballard Long, & .44 Ballard Extra Long.
This version along with the No. Montana are known for being one of the main rifles used to hunt buffalo.
Other variants included the No. Hunter's Model, No. 2 Sporting Model, No. 5 Pacific Model, and the No. Montana Model.
See also
*
Rifles in the American Civil War
During the American Civil War, an assortment of small arms found their way onto the battlefield. Though the muzzleloader percussion cap rifle was the most numerous weapon, being standard issue for the Union and Confederate armies, many other f ...
References
{{USCWWeapons
American Civil War rifles