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It sounds like a "sporterized" military. AFAIK, there were no military Ballards made with tang sights, they all had "L" sights. They also had swivels on both the foreend and buttstock, so if yours has only the stock swivel, it seems likely the foreend was changed or the swivel removed. Again AFAIK, the nickel plate is not original.
M&B were mainly agents. The CW guns were made by Ball & Williams 1862-1865. Serial numbers ranged from 1 to about 15,600, so with some extrapolation you can probably get a good idea of at least the year yours was made. There is some confusion because the Ballard is one of the few rifles/carbines used in the Civil War which was not only made for the civilian market before the war, but survived afterwards, being made by Marlin in one form or another up to 1891.
Is yours from the Kentucky contract? Unless it is marked "Kentucky", there would be no way to tell; the serial number ranges are known but they are only approximate and not exclusive. Was it a rifle or a carbine? Unless the barrel is original, I don't know how to tell.
For those who have not seen a Ballard, the breech system is unique, with a long and large breechblock that contains the hammer, mainspring and trigger. The extractor is operated by a fingerpiece under the foreend. The later Marlin Ballard has a similar but somewhat simplified breechblock and a more conventional extractor similar to that of the Remington rolling block.
Jim
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