While the Ross military rifle chambered in .303 British was a dismal failure as a battle rifle (more later), the civilian sporter Ross Model 1905 (Mark II-twin bolt lugged) chambered in .280 Ross was a true gem as was the sporter model 1910 (Mark III-multi lug bolt), as a civilian hunting and target shooting rifle. Ross grew up hunting and shooting at the family's Scottish estate and was privileged to use the very best guns and rifles that could be made. He wanted his sporting rifles to reflect the very best in design, manufacturing and appearance. He succeeded. Unfortunately, turning the Ross rifle into a military weapon, chambered in .303 British was fraught with problems, of which the miss-assembled bolt was the least (and very much over hyped) issue. Reports of the numbers of soldiers killed and injured by bolt miss-assembly were, greatly, greatly exaggerated, as were the reports of civilians injured in that way. The real problems were the very close tolerances of the Ross (usually a good thing) that made chambering and extracting the abysmally poor, British mass produced .303 ammunition problematic. Add the inevitable mud and dirt of the trenches and the Ross jammed often, not a good thing in the midst of battle. The barrel was too thin and overheated badly when the rifle was fired quickly and repeatedly during battle. The bolt stop was too small and weak to withstand the battering it received by soldiers slamming it back and forth in combat. The bayonet attachment needed for a military rifle was hastily designed and bayonets had the disturbing tendency to simply fall off. It was too long to be used easily in cramped trenches. All of these issues were corrected over time and eventually the Ross .303 was a very good battle rifle. However, by that time confidence was lost. A host of personal and political issues created by Sir Sam Hughes ( a good friend and champion of Sir Charles Ross and his rifle) had finally convinced the senior brass that both Sir Sam Hughes and the Ross rifle had to go. The story of Sir Sam, a genuine horse's ass if there ever was one, is another inglorious chapter in Canadian history. All that said, if anyone has a Ross sporter chambered in .280 Ross that they don't trust or simply don't want, let me know and I'll gladly take it off your hands.
So interesting - thanks for taking the time. The distinction you made is meaningful - between sporting rifles and battle rifles. I'm glad they ultimately sorted things out on the battle rifle side of things. I like the action and that Ross and Canada tried is admirable. Altogether though, the Lee Enfield was and is so excellent. I realize there were some political and supply problems that resulted in a gap for the Ross to try to squeeze into. Anyway, I watch for a fine .280 - but they don't show up often and the bores are often well used - which is a good thing - that means they work well - so well that the bores are on the way out after plenty of shooting. All the best to you.
Mike, I am delighted you put out a Video on the Ross M-1910. You may recall on a previous straight pull video by you I suggested the Ross. 30 years ago I was on a fishing trip in Canada and leaned against the fireplace at the fishing lodge there sat a Ross M-1910 that had the bolt stuck. Having read about the Ross in an earlier time I knew the problem was solvable. I ended up giving the lodge owner $50 for it. Brought it back to Texas and took the bolt apart and reassembled correctly. First time I shot it, I tied it to a tire with a string on the trigger. Went bang properly! Beautifully machined, mine was a service model however somebody cut off the front of the stock past the barrel band. The service model has a very adjustable aperture sight with windage and elevation with a fold-down battle sight. My research revealed that the US Army shooting teams in 1920's re-barreled some Ross M-1910 for shooting in 30-06 for competitions. Seems the lockup is excellent and translated into tighter groups. And yes the chamber is a tight 303. Unfortunately, it was subject to mud jams and some uneducated putting the bolt back incorrect. Likely not a good service selection. Also, an actual test of the misassembled bolt recently shown on youtube does, in fact, ruin the bolt and receiver, but rarely came out of the receiver. I, however would "mess" my pants if it happened to me. Again, I enjoy your channel so much and I printed off your email about "Revive, refinish, Restore or Do Nothing" and showed several of my friends...As they say, the greatest minds are those that agree with ourselves. HA! Thanks and take care, looking forward to that cup of coffee someday.
Hi Randall! I remember your suggestion and thank you for that! Sorry I was so slow - it took awhile to find a Ross for the channel and I should have acknowledged your idea. Your post is so correct - the Ross may not have been a perfect service rifle - but most sporting rifles are that way - and the Ross is so slick and unique; I like it more and more. Thank you for your kindness, your support, your knowledge and encouragement. All the best to you my friend. Mike
That rifle has some mighty fine lines and all she needs is a hand-rubbed oil finish to make her really pop! Your statement on not taking guns down to their minutest parts is something I wish more people would take to heart. Unfortunately people don't seem to comprehend that civilian firearms just don't need the cleaning regimen that an active duty military rifle requires. In my geographic region, the Intermountain West, a basic cleaning and oiling/greasing is all that needs to be done for most rifles and handguns. It is only when I shoot the holy black that I religiously take a gun down to its constituent parts for cleaning.
Wise words Trapdoor - and I like your "holy black" description! I hope more people pause before taking their guns into pieces - they should read your post. A deer hunt is not trench warfare.
Unfortunately those Canadian guns have seen a huge huge increase in collectibility. Used to be Lee Enfields were stacked in barrels in hardware stores for $20-$100. The Ross was looked down on by most, and not even wanted. There's still a few of "grand dad's gun in the closets" to be found. I almost got one for cheap, because they didn't have a license and were concerned, but then they looked it up on the internet and saw how expensive they are......stupid internet. They were so close to selling.😤. I'm going to try to keep an eye on estate sales in the near future and see if I can score one. Sporterized ex military guns can still be had at gun shows though. No idea what they're asking but a good military enfield is $800-1000 or maybe more, but a sporterized one (cut down military stock etc. Not made for the public) is just a couple hundred. So the Ross is probably still affordable at shows.
excellent video about straight pull action Ross Mk III, recently i read the military manual and US patent about ross rifle design and definitely, charles ross was a very creative inventor, probably not a military success, but very ingenious
Great you finally found it. They are a pretty fine action but I'm partial to my K31 Schmidt Ruben. I'm still looking for a shooter in the Mannlicher and a Ross. $1200 is a but stiff but not out of the question. Thanks for finding one for us. Enjoy a great shooting experience.
Hi Hamm - I'm liking the Ross more and more - I have the K31 here and the 95 and others. Probably the Ross was a bad battle rifle - but what a sporting rifle. And you are 100% correct - what a great shooting experience - I took it to the range yesterday.
Very nice. I must say, having to choose which rifle to take on a hunting trip is a good problem to have. I too am lucky enough to suffer from this. God bless America and all who defend her!
Enjoyed the comparison between the Ross and Mannlicher, Mike. And based on Canadian lore, Ross thinking highly of himself is quite the understatement.lol. Just wanted to mention that the concern about the bolt is more of a myth because the reason the Canadian military moved away from the Ross is because the tight tolerences caused it to jam up in the muddy trences of the European theater. In competition, the Ross will out shoot any military rifle of it's time but it's the first to be rendered useless when a bit of dirt, sand or mud is introduced. We have stories here in Canada where soldiers would use their in-operable Ross rifles as clubs to fight their way to a dead allie soldiers so that they could take their Lee Enfields off of them.
Huge post gerald - thank you so much. I simply could not wait, dropped my work and yesterday took the Ross in the video to the range - .303 ammo by Prvi Partizan, Remington & Sellier & Bellot. What a superb rifle. What superb performance. I remain shocked at how well that rifle shot and how smooth the action is. Undoubtedly the bolt can be assembled incorrectly - but I didn't do that; and in honor of the soldiers that died for us in those miserable, muddy trenches - I was sitting comfortably at a clean bench and neither I, not the Ross, had to contend with anything but cold. Having said that - this is an underrated rifle and action - quite simply : it is excellent and a re-design to make the incorrect re-assembly impossible would not be difficult - but the damage had been done. And as far as I can tell - a fantastic rifle was retired.
Really cool rifle. I have coveted a Ross sporter for years. Just haven't been able to find one. I hope you can restore that stock. It looks.like a simple job to strip and recut the checkering.
Hi Doby - you're right - I'll get that gunk off - maybe alcohol will do it. Not whiskey : ) - I mean rubbing alcohol to dissolve what looks like shellac.
Same stripper as the lee enfield ,difference being that is slightly offset.I have 3, 2originals and 1 sporter that is identical to yours with an old el paso k4. I live in Alberta Canada.
Hi Kilroy Was Here - great name - and I see you're from the Republic of Alberta - fantastic country and great hunting. Your Lee with the El Paso is a classic all the way. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Majority of the 1910 models had the bolt modified so it cannot be assembled wrong. This is indicated by a rivet in the top of the bolt body. I didnt notice it on yours. The Ross uses standard Enfield/303 stripper clips
I've never managed to give myself a scope cut. And having said that, a scope cut doesn't sound like too much of an issue compared to having the bolt smack you in the face. Very interesting review of a rifle I'm unfamiliar with, thanks! And I agree that you shouldn't take anything apart, especially firearms, unless you know how to reassemble it. Yep, if the bolt didn't get you, it'd sure surprise you!
I own 2 m10s, excellent rifles. Sadly lost the stock to one of them in a house fire. To end the possibility of improperly assembling the bolt they were rivited and the bolts were retempered. I cold have had a 3rd ross recently for 250.00 canadian. Stupid me said no and told the salesman he wasn't asking enough for it. He ended up selling it for 350, could have easily gotten more.
In answer to your question regarding stripper clips, the military version of the Ross rifle, known as the Ross MKIII, has a different rear receiver bridge than the Ross commercial sporting rifles. The MKIII Ross rear receiver bridge incorporates an excellent aperture sight and a place to insert a stripper clip. The MKIII Ross used the same stripper clips as the Lee Enfield. I believe that the rifle you show in this video is a model E10 Ross commercial sporting rifle. The commercial sporting versions of the Ross rifle with the M10 action have the rear sight mounted on the barrel. The sporting versions of the Ross do not have a provision for stripper clips.
A friend is looking for tip on how to make a rifle lower the receiver in the stock and make it a fixed magazin with 3 cartridges in ,instead of the usual 4 on a bolt rifle for one of his children. Do you have a link or a scetch for it. I have been lookimg around but difficult to find. Something along a David Miller rifle Boddington had once, that had 2 rounds in mag+1 instead of 3+1 for a magnum cartridge.
That Borovnik should see some deer woods,or hog drives. Oil and craphite weapon fat, the blavk one with graphite in is very good to polish the bolt. It is a sign also of a stiff bolt that the rifle has not been used much.
USOG could you possibly do a tour of your vault? Seeing one example at a time is excellent but I think any of us viewers yet have an idea of what your collection actually amounts to!
Could you please tell me what your You Tube letters stand for? I’m guessing it is US on Guard ? Great information on the Ross , I always thought their action was unique however I never owned one or shot them. Happy hunting.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Great , thank you, been following your channel along time. Would you like to purchase a Model 17 20 gauge in 75 % and shoot able? It was the predecessor of the Ithaca 37.
Im curious if youve hunted with this rifle yet or used it? Ive thought about one and actually sourced one locally but since ive found a good Ruger Hawkeye 77 30-06 in left hand that fits me I figured why bother. Still im curious how it runs against a tried and true 200gr Nosler Partition 30-06.
We have lots of Bubbas in Canada (so many sporterized Lee Enfields around). I guess I am a Bubba junior, as I will change the sights and butt plate and little things to suit my own preferences, but not beyond what can't be restored to original. I meticulously save the original accessories, even the screws, they always go with the rifle if I sell it!
Does the M1910 have a magazine cutoff? On mine the bolt just glides over the snap cap in the magazine and won't catch and chamber a round. Can't figure it out at all, the back latch only moved down and to the center to release the bolt.
Hi - I don't have a Ross right now. I don't remember a magazine cut off though. Sometimes the lifter doesn't lift the cartridge high enough; sometimes the snap caps result in misleading operation; sometimes the bolt stop deforms the bolt face - other things might have happened. I had a 1905 that did the same thing - it was the lifter and spring that over time had become lazy and the cartridges were not high enough. Sorry I can't be more specific. Hope you get the fine old rifle running again : )
Yes there is a mag cut off move the release/cutoff lever all the way up so it’s flush with the recover and you’ll be able to feed it. Also watch for rim catch if the rims are not i front of the last round it will jam the rifle
yes the lever in the all the way up position is your cut off , middle is bolt removal . bottom is rock n roll . 1915 style , however if it was sportered and the rear sight removed , the cut off feature can be disabled .
Hi Jerry - good question and I have a surprisingly easy answer: Mauser 98 - simply the best action of all time and one of the greatest inventions of any kind - ever.
Title sequence and music! Way to go pro- with a GoPro? Ya see what I did there! Yeah my puns are straight from a Carry On Movie....... question, was there ever an attempt to make a rimless 303? Ian from Forgotten weapons demonstrated the incorrect assembly of the Ross and its consequences. His early opening titles ended with the bolt flying rear.
Thanks Scott hahaha : ) I have not heard of a rimless .303 - but I'm sure someone has tried. As for the bad re-assembly and resulting danger - for sure it can be done; and the result is dangerous - maybe I'll make a video and see how it goes.
Many sniper's ended up using this rifle in world war 1 and swore by it.My grandfather had one and use to say he would rather have a pitch fork in battle. BUT THEY WERE ACCURATE. As a Canadian i think this rifle was good but had some flaw's the General that you talk about was SAM HUGH.S A REAL asshole and politically connected. I THINK IF THIS RIFLE HAD NOT BEEN PUSHED INTO SERVICE because of his blind eyed insight it might of been well regarded in history.Another sad tale of the gun verse's the man.Just saying . Great review Mike.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I think that would be the the case in the era. And under normal hunting condition's likely a very good rifle.Also many old time'rs say that is so.I studied the one my grandfather had and it was a nicely balanced rifle very fast action,but taking it down was a problem putting it back together was not easy.And it could fool you into thinking wrong was right.Under pressure i can only imagine what a horror the ROSS could be many Canadian's found out.Thank's to old SAM HUGH'S. He cost alot of good men their live's and the ROSS got blamed.
