Another new Ross - Added pictures 3/19/06

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Looking over the Ross I bought at the Mt. Brydges gun show. Been wanting one for a while but usually the barrels look like hell.
The stock has been cut down but still has the handguard and middle barrel band - cut at the band, looks enforcer like - at least looks military.
Barrel is uncut - damn, it's long, wouldn't fit in the trunk, had to put it in the rear window.
Needs a good cleaning and lubricating but the barrel looks good.
Looked around the web but although there's lots of pictures of Rosses, there isn't much hard info on them - just history. No disassembly instructions that I could see.

I do not see a rivet in the bolt - maybe not looking in the right place. Should it be obvious? I can watch the bolt lugs turn into place as I close the bolt so I believe it is good. Anyone around the Hamilton area that really knows Rosses that can take a look at it for me? Or I can just wait till Woodstock and get it looked at there. Or maybe the Landsborough auction.

Is it as easy as removing the middle barrel band and the single screw in the trigger guard to strip?

Checked the headspace on my homemade gauges, wouldn't close on the no-go, didn't have to use the field gauge.
 
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Ross

I betting its a 1905 MKII as you say you can see the bolt-head lugs rotate into place when closing bolt, also why no rivet on the bolt as was only on the M-10 MKIII's. What is written on the receiver?
Geoff in Victoria
 
Check out Clive Law's sniper book for pics of Ross Snipers with cut down wood in Canadian (CEF) service. With the proper scope that would make a neat rifle.
 
leftent said:
....... With the proper scope that would make a neat rifle.
Click to expand...

Here's the scope that would mount on it. This one is for a Springfield 1903, but 500 were bought buy the Canadian government to mount on the Ross during WW1. Some even ended up mounted on P14's at the start of WWII

BTW, this one belongs to ~Angel~, not me ... ;)

Model 1913 Warner & Swasey Telescopic Musket Sights
c/w RIA M1908 Pattern Leather Carrying Case

(Click PIC to Enlarge)


Model 1913 Warner & Swasey (lots more more pics ... click here)

Regards,
Badger
 
The rivet should (would?) be visible on the top of the bolt sleeve, if installed. A properly assembled bolt will display the gas vent in the bolt head pointing upward with the bolt retracted in the action. Also, the cocking piece should show about 3/4 inch of "slip" relative to the bolt body - easily checked with the rifle cocked.
BTW - Headspace gages cant be used reliably to check headspace - there is a recent post by Tiriaq on the subject, suggest you have a look.
 
Rivet

Well, really, it doesn't look a lot like a rivet: it looks like somebody drilled a hole into the top side ot the bolt carrier body, slightly to the left, hammered a soft steel pin in it and tried to flatten the last 1/32th of it.
Sometimes it is only a small 3/32" spot on the surface. You can detect it easily by its different color or by finger feel. That rivet has one big quality: you cannot assemble the bolt a bit wrong, it is totally impossible.
Like some have said, when properly assembled, the gas port shows on top of the bolthead when in the locked position.
I think those "badly assembled bolts" and resulting accidents is a hoax made up to facilitate phasing out the Rosses in favour of the easier to maintain SMLEs.
Nevertheless, the Ross was well liked by canadian snipers if not by the mud-sloshing troopers.
PP.:)
 
cosmic said:
BTW - Headspace gages cant be used reliably to check headspace - there is a recent post by Tiriaq on the subject, suggest you have a look.
Click to expand...

Took a while but I found it. From what I read, Tiriaq was talking about measuring headspace - the actual measurement.
Checking headspace with go and no-go gauges is still acceptable. Don't really care what the measurement is as long as it is less than max. spec. and therefore safe.
 
Well - I think the issue is the prospect of getting a false reading using gages, due to the lack of camming action in Rosses, and backlash in the lug threads.
Here's an interesting test - Check the trigger action during the no-go trial - does it fire with the bolt not fully in battery? (Your gages need to have a primer pocket to do this)
 
I found the rivet. Funny, I only found it when I went to take pictures of where it isn't.
Glad there is one, gives me a bit more confidence.
You would think the Ross is the best kept secret in rifles. I've got about a dozen disassembly manuals and two editions of Bolt action Rifles and the Ross isn't mentioned.
Damn, that barrel is long. When I went to clean it with a brush, my cleaning rod isn't long enough. I had to push it through and the brush just came out the muzzle, then unscrew the rod and pull the brush out of the barrel.

Ross3.jpg

Ross1.jpg

Ross2.jpg
 
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