Heh! Y'All; I finally got to my copy of SINGLE SHOT RIFLES AND ACTIONS, by Frank de Haas, 1968.
of the 3 chapters on Ballards, the first, on Early Ballards answers some question for us. Charles H, Ballard patented his action on 5 nov 1861, but almost immediately sold the patent to BALL & WILLIAMS, who manufactured most of the civil war pieces. Most were carbines, but there was a military rifle, and a "Kentucky" rifle. They will bear the name inscription of the maker on the top flat, with Ballards patent & date on the right, and the agents name on the left. Other makers existed. Of note was Merrimack Arms & the last was Brown Mfg, who went out of business in 1973.
About 200 frames were cast brass, with the remainder, as well as breach blocks and trigger guards of cast steel. A feature of the early Ballard was the two tangs at the rear of the action to secure the butt. Later Marlin Ballards had these tangs removed and a "through bolt" system to secure the butt. Older military weapons were in .54 rimfire, (Cartridges of the world states this was the .56-56 Spencer round) and later they were in .44 Long. This was a rimfire round with almost identical dimensions to the .44 Colt for the Richards conversion, including a .451 heeled bullet.
An unusual variation was a dual ignition feature on some guns. There was a percussion nipple fitted in the breach block, centrally to the bore. The firing pin could be tipped back, and a reloaded rimfire case with a hole punched in the centre of the base, could be fired. A great idea for the "belt and suspenders" crowd!.
Post war civilian models were made, usually without barrel bands. As far as can be determined, all were made in rimfire, with some being converted to central fire privately later.
In 1875 the Receivers for the Brown assets sold the patent to John Marlin, a maker of derringers, and the rest is for the next chapter