Marlin Ballard No. 2 Sporting Rifle 44 WCF Single Shot

This Marlin Ballard Model No. 2 Sporting Rifle, serial number 2018, is chambered in the desirable .44 WCF (.44-40 Winchester) cartridge. The rifle retains an attractive antique appearance with a smooth gray-brown patina on the metal surfaces, a well-defined octagon barrel, and wood furniture showing honest handling marks consistent with age. Manufactured during the late 1870s to early 1880s, the Marlin Ballard No. 2 Sporting Rifle was part of Marlin's successful Ballard single-shot rifle line, prized for its accuracy, strength, and quality craftsmanship. Chamberings such as .44 WCF made these rifles popular among hunters, target shooters, and frontiersmen during the American West era. Today, Ballard sporting rifles remain highly collectible examples of early Marlin production, representing an important chapter in 19th-century American firearms history.