1903 Ross MkI! Update July 14

flying pig said:
oh maybe! how in the heck do you disengage it?!
Click to expand...

Is it that switch on the lower right? Or is that the safety? I've never handled a 1903.

The 1905 militaries have that tongue contraption that hangs into the trigger guard, but I'm not sure what you have.

Was it reassembled right? Not so easy on the 1905's with that lockout. I'm 99% sure it will have a lockout as it was doctrine of the times.
 
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On this one the mag walls ore in two sections one ahead of the other. The switvh for it is supposed to be in that hole on the right side of the stock. It has a catch at the back with a button in the trigger guard. I'll try that button tonight and see if it allows that section of mag well to lift up a little. Probably a meat behind the butt plate problem. And yes I bet it would be easier to put this one together if I had like 8 arms!

Edit: is that little lever in the left wall of the receiver the ejector? If it is I must have it in wrong so it won't eject
 
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Button on the right of trigger guard is the mag cut off.

I don`t see the ejector sticking up in the bottom, a little left of centre of the receiver. It is a spring loaded blade that will line up with the slot in the bolt head, similar other Rosses.
 
I have used paint remover a number of times to remove paint on metal gun parts. Did not hurt the metal or finish at all.

Stuff I used was Circa 1850.

Be sure to get some oil on it when you are finished.

Others may say different, but I would only reblue as a last resort.

IMHO rebluing takes the heart out of these old rifles.
 
Yes but bubba's sandpaper did the same. I cold blued the SMLE I restored a few months ago and it turned out great. I used the stripper on it as well and it worked great. In my opinion replacing bubbas work with a renewed what should have been is more respectable than leaving his handy work alone. I'm still going to think long and hard, but its getting a new fore end, sight hood, nosecap and possibly rear sight ramp and leaf anyway. It will never be untampered, only a representative of what once was.

Mag was cut off. Figured out how to run it and all is well with feeding. The spring is broken off the ejector. I'll have to figure something out there. Is the ejector and spring the same on the MkII's?
 
If you reblue it you will ruin it as a collector's piece. Strip the paint off the metal obviously, as it is not original, then re-assess. The forend extension, handguard (repair or replace?) and nose cap are the first things to attend to after that IMO.
 
Found a fellow who will build the fore end, so that's good to go. Have a few possible nose caps located and the upper handguard is still there. Also have a solution for the ejector spring issue.
 
Update, metal has been sanded bare with about 80grit. Other than that I've had no progress, none of the leads I had have turned anything up. Does anyone on here have a complete example that they would be willing to take some photos of the missing components on so I have a better chance at finding what is missing at gunshows etc? I'd really appreciate the help!
 
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So I was able to find a replacement for one of the missing screws for the front sight hood form a CGNer. Also installed a front sight hood. I was able to retrieve the broken screw from the dust cover and replaced it. I built a new ejector spring and installed that as well. The rifle now has all of its functions back except the magazine cut off switch and I'm going to build one of those from scratch as well. Just waiting on a friend who ma have some of the other parts for me to return from a trip, and to hear from the fellow who is building the fore end extension and I should have it pretty well back to original form.

Things are looking up!

New ejector spring:



Rear sight repairs my friend made.









 
Wow!!!

I remember this thread from awhile back and I must say that old Ross looks amazing! Make sure to give us a range report once you get the chance to fire afew rounds through it
 
Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm hoping that it will perform alright now. The barrel is uncut, but it was last fired from what I could gather from its previous owner possibly as far back as the 1920's. I cleaned and cleaned and once it seemed like I was getting nowhere I took it out and sent a few down the tube. That seemed to loosen things up a bit so I cleaned and cleaned some more. It still looked rough and dirty so I tried the boiling water technique. That brought out literally buckets of black crap. Then I cleaned and cleaned some more. Now my patches are finally cleaned. The lands have some light pits all the way through but there is some lister left on them. The grooves are dark and have light pits all the way through. This is really a shame because there is so much rifling I really don't think this old girl saw a lot of use, just no one ever loved her much. I'm hoping that if I lightly use it maybe enough copper will be left behind to smoothen things out. The precision guys always seem to think that copper is good and carbon is bad so maybe I'll use a carbon cleaner only on it for a while. If nothing else on another five or ten generations of light use and extra care maybe the pits will wear out of it. Lol. I just hope that bullets will stabilize in it, if they do I will be more than happy. I plan on shooting this one at the Ross shoot, just because shooting a MkI* Ross at the centennial shoot would be something pretty special, whether they group nicely or not!

Really looking forward to meeting all you guys there. I'm getting closer to being ready, did ball joints in the truck last weekend, hoping to do brakes and wiring in our trailer tomorrow and then get Mamabear dialed in on my 91/30 PU next weekend if the dies and components get here and then we'll be ready to go. She's never shot full bore so we'll see how she does.
 
Little springy-spring thing...

Hey!
I have one with exactly the same rear sight and ... chopped-cropped forestock.
All metal is good, even the barrel, but the rear sight is missing a little funny spring that returns the two little pushbuttons on either side to lock.
Anyone has a picture of that little spring so I can fashion one from some Monel fine guitar string?
PP.
 
I took a look at mine and im not 100% sure on how to safely get it apart. the spring looks like it should just have two straight ends with a v shaped jog in the middle. I am quite sure you can build a spring out of something for it.
 
This is a great thread! I am in awe of people who can take an old rifle from basic scrap to a fine piece such as the one being featured here.:)

This is the first time I have heard of a 1903. Good work, flying pig!

Where is this "Ross Shoot" held?
 
Thanks KJohn! It will never be 100% but there aren't very many people lucky enough to have one of these in their care in any condition so I think I'm pretty privileged.

The shoot is going on in Calgary on July 6th and 7th. I don't know how to post a link or I would but you can find all the info Range Rover has put up about it by searching his username.

And more good news! A good friend has the rest of the parts I need to complete the old girl. Won't be long now!
 
great looking old rifle, love the color and patterns in the stock. Sure would like to go to the Ross shoot you mentioned. Could you get pictures of some of the rifles there and post them for us when you get back?
 
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