FS: Winchester barrel marked 40-70 Ballard

[SavageMark]

Greetings! Maybe you can help identify and possibly value a rifle barrel I recently acquired locally in Kettle Falls, Washington. It was part of a local estate sale of a long-established gunsmith. It's a half-round half octagon blued barrel with the old style Winchester font and script. It is dovetailed for sights , and below there are 2 more dovetails on the rear of the barrel close to the breech, in the octagon section approximately 8" apart. It appears to be unfired, the rifling is that good, and has an excellent blue. The cartridge script is very different from the maker's. It is a very flowing, almost san-serif marked  40-70 Ballard just ahead of the breech threads and would appear to be directly on the top of the barrel. Whoever turned this barrel cut off the 'W' on Winchester! Anway, let me know, I've been in guns my whole life and haven't seen one of these! My guess would be a single-shot Hi-Wall buffalo rifle from the early 1870's. any ideas? Love to hear from you !  :grin:

[John Traveler]

SavageMark,

That .40-7- barrel may indeed be a real collector's treasure if it is in good condition with original finish.  The turning of the front part of the barrel may be a problem unless it was done professionally.

The caliber marking on original Winchesters is indeed a scrip-like form and appears at the breech end, next to the receiver.

The two dovetail cuts under the barrel should be forearm attachment points.

If you browse the collector rifle web sites, you will find that original BPCR calibers like this Winchester are at a premium.  If the price is at all reasonable, buy it!

The Winchester High-Wall barrel threads are easy to identify: vee-form, and the extractor cut is at about 7 o'clock, triangular-shaped, and large.

HTH
John

[SavageMark]

The turning of the barrel appears to be original. I don't see any machine marks of any kind. The threads are indeed a v-groove and rather deep. the extractor cut-out is a v-groove as you describe, and it appeared to be where you describe in relation to the top flat.

I was thinking that with all the 'Cowboy action' people out there, somebody might have an interest in this cannon barrel. I'll bet it packs a whallop! I looked in the chamber, and I don't even see any entrance ramp or rifling wear. if this was reblued, somebody did it a longgggg time ago and did one helluva job. I've heard of the Ballards, they were legendary at the Creedmore range shooting competitions, with Harry Pope barrels, if I had one of those I'd be keeping it! lol

I'd be interested in selling it, I was going to put it on e-bay today and a few other of the online sites. I just picked it up today and have been researching it. I wasn't the only guy at the estate sale ;((
It wasn't cheap, but I'd be happy to net $50 bucks on it and give it to somebody that knows what it is.