As far as the bolt misassembly is concerned, I have done this on several UNpinned Mark IIIs. On a commercial sporting Ross of Mark III pattern (Model 1910) it is quite easy to do this. Fortunately, it is also easy to reverse and it canNOT get out of alignment by itself. As Tiriaq has pointed out, it REQUIRES manipulation to get it out of whack.
The bolt head on a Mark III (1910) can only sit in 2 positions when the rifle action is partway open: about an inch ahead of the bolt sleeve, and very close to the sleeve. I use the "rule of thumb": if my thumb fits between the bolt-sleeve and the bolt-head, it's safe.
I have purposely assembled two 1905 Model (Mark II) Rosses incorrectly. On the one rifle, the bolt would go into the receiver, but it would NOT reciprocate. Just rock-solid. The other bolt would not even go into the receiver.
In the Great War, only ONE battalion of Canadian troops went overseas with the Ross Mark II. I believe they were used at Second Ypres/St. Julien in the gas attack. Everybody else had the Mark III (1910).
The tales of the rotten Mark III are utterly, totally, blatantly exaggerated, according to a number of Great War veterans who I knew personally, men I purposely asked about their rifles. I did not find even ONE man who had anything terrible to say about the Ross. ALL praised its accuracy. The closest I could find to a complaint was a quiet evaluation from a man who worked before the War as a cowboy, then as a Guide for the NWMP, then worked his way up from Private to Captain. This was Mr. George Dibblee, who won a DCM at Regina Trench for taking and holding a stretch of trench for 14 hours with 20 men.... after all the officers were dead or wounded. He should have got a VC, but for an OR to get a VC requires recommendations from 2 officers.... and there were none. He said, "The Ross Rifle was unpopular because of its length and weight. You couldn't get into a dugout with your rifle slung." Speaking of 5 B'n, Canadian Mounted Rifles, he said, "We had NO trouble with our rifles. But then, we kept our equipment clean."
Further on the Ross, I interviewed two men who used it during the gas attack at St. Julien (23 April, 1915). L/Cpl. Robert Courtice (A Coy, which was the relief company that ran up through the gas) told me that he changed rifles during the German attack because the rifle he was using got so hot that he could no longer hold it. He changed for another Ross and fired that one until it was too hot to hold, then went back to his original rifle.
Private Alex McBain, who was with Courtice that day and was wounded in the battle, also reported changing rifles, for the same reason. A very quiet man. he began shouting and swearing when I suggested that there might have been troubles with the rifles. He was, one might say, rather vehement on the topic.
Further on this subject, I made the error of bringing up the topic of Rosses when I achieved a lifetime ambition (I live 1400 miles away) and actually met Ellwood Epps. I mentioned the Ross to Ellwood and he began shouting, "It's all a lie! There's NOTHING wrong with a G*d-d*amned Ross Rifle! I've worked on hundreds of them!"
As far as I'm concerned, these opinions settled any and all questions for me.
I just enjoy the heck out of my Rosses and love to shoot them: low recoil, accurate as you possibly could ask for, and that WONDERFUL Ross roller-bearing trigger.
