This rife is a very scarce Marlin-Ballard single shot target rifle with the deluxe Rigby 6 1/2 style action with full engraving and double set triggers. This exact rifle is pictured in the book "Ballard: The Great American Single Shot Rifle" on pages 224, 226 and 227. This rifle has the style No. 6 1/2 Rigby action that is faceted at both ends of the receiver with full factory engraving attributed to Conrad Ulrich, (although not marked as such). The engraving covers 98% of the action itself, and the only area that is not engraved is the underside area around the double set triggers. The engraving itself is just superb! It is extremely well executed with two fantastic anatomically correct and very detailed large game scenes on the receiver, one on each side shown inside an oval mural scene. The left side depicts a running elk being chased by a pack of hunting dogs, and the right side has two running American buffalo, with the balance of the receiver (to include the top flat of the receiver) covered in exceptionally well-executed English scroll engraving with a geometric border around the edges. This rifle has been rebarreled with a period full octagon barrel that is 31 inches long and measures 1 1/8th inches at the breech tapering to 1 inch at the muzzle. The barrel itself has no markings aside from being numbered "3300" on the bottom flat under the forend and has been sleeved with a 22 cal. liner. The original breech block has been replaced with a rim fire breech block #23570. The rifle has been fitted with an excellent custom walnut left hand buttstock and forend that conform to a modified Schoyen pattern with a Helm, double hook, nickel plated butt plate. Both the buttstock and forend have nice figure on each side and fine line checking. The rifle is fitted with a J. Stevens Arms & Tools Company No. 73 Scope. It is also fitted with an original Marlin mid-range Vernier target rear sight mounted on the tang and a current production Winchester style target globe front sight with a single post insert. The rifle has a blued barrel and casehardened forged receiver with the two-line Ballard maker's name and patent dates on the left side of the receiver. The finger loop and hook butt plate are both nickel plated.

Very good as period customized with the resleeved barrel retaining 95% of the custom blued finish and the receiver retaining traces of the original case colors mostly in the protected areas. The stock and forend both have original finish that has dulled somewhat and shows minor handling marks from field use. There is a large wood chip on the right side of the forearm. The finger loop retains 70% of its nickel plated finish, and the hook buttplate retains 75% of its finish showing wear mostly on the lower hook. A very nice example of an extraordinary Ulrich engraved Rigby style Marlin-Ballard rifle.