Myth and Reality of the Ross MkIII Straight-Pull

[Ian]

There is a lot of misunderstand or just lack of understanding about the Ross - the Canadian straight-pull rifle reputed to have a habit of blowing up in shooters' faces. Ross collectors generally know the details, but most other folks (myself included, when I got interested in the issue) don't know if that reputation is accurate or not, and why.

So, I got my hands on a sporterized MkIII Ross, and set about finding out exactly what might cause one to fire out of battery, and how to determine the safe or dangerous status of any given Ross. I put the results together into a video, culminating in an attempt to blow one up on high-speed camera. You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EaSui_UqDX8

http://www.forgottenweapons.com/myth-and-reality-of-the-ross-mkiii/

 

[Cosmoline]

Very interesting. I've stayed clear of the Ross rifles because of these stories.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

An EXCELLENT post, Ian. As an AVID Ross shooter for several decades now, for finding this little gem and linking to it should get you a BRAVO ZULU award for services rendered!

Not everyone will be so fortunate to own a Ross, MkII/M-05 or MkIII/Model 10 and even fewer will buy a hard-to-find and expensive copy of THE ROSS RIFLE STORY by Phillips, Chadwick and Dupuis.

The information contained it the video (and the book, of course) is essential for anyone wanting to shoot the MkIII/M-10. I can say that out of 26 Ross MkIII/M-10 rifles that I own and have shot regularly over the years (some without the corrective bolt body rivet), I have NEVER found an incorrectly assembled bolt.

However, it is the FIRST things I check ... along with the condition of the lugs for chipping and cracking.

I would never hesitate taking a Ross to the range ... if the bolt checks out.

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Ian, I am a huge fan of your videos.
Every time I check my subscriptions and see a new Forgotten Weapons pop up, I know it'll be an interesting watch.

Thanks for making these videos, and educating all of us.

 

[hang fire]

Very interesting and informative, thanks for making video and posting.

 

[Jackal]

Good video. I have never even heard of this rifle until now, but nice watch. Thanks.

 

[rondog]

Interesting! What caliber is that? Didn't look like .303's.

 

[Ian]

All the guns I had in the video (well, both - the MkII at the beginning and the sacrificial MkIII) were in .303 Brit. Ross sporters were also made in .280 Ross caliber, but those are only tangentially relevant to the video topic.

Romeo - Someday I'll find a copy of the book for a price I can afford, but I haven't managed to yet. Glad you enjoyed the video, though!

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I remember hearing about this. I'm kinda interested in The Ross rifle now now that I know It's safe.

 

[stubbicatt]

What a neat rifle. I wonder if they can be found for sale?

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

If I remember correctly, the American Rifleman magazine published a detailed article on these guns a few years ago. If you're not aware of that resource I suggest you look it up.

900F

 

[JShirley]

My aunt has one. Her husband passed 2 years ago. I cleaned her firearms for her when I was visiting a couple months ago. Unfortunately, I could figure out how to get the bolt out, but not how to get it back in! :banghead:

John

 

[Ian]

Installing the bolt is a bit tricky - you have to pull the bolt head out (against spring tension). Once it's at full extension it will stay in place, but even a slight bump will cause it to snap back closed. So you need to slide it onto the receiver rails very carefully.

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[Sam1911]

Very cool! Thanks for doing this for all of us not lucky enough to get to play with such cool toys!

 

[MasterSergeantA]

Fella's;

If I remember correctly, the American Rifleman magazine published a detailed article on these guns a few years ago. If you're not aware of that resource I suggest you look it up.

900F

I think there was an article just last month.

 

[buckbrush]

that is a pretty informative video on the Ross MK10. The cutdown-sporterised version he shows in the video is very common in Canada. $175.00 will buy a good one.

 

[Scooter22]

Thanks for a great post and vid of the Ross. I know a collector who has a couple but he doesn't shoot them. I'll forward a link to your vid. I've passed on a couple nice .303 sporters over the years in the 150-200 range. If I saw your vid I'd have bought one. I've got K31 Swiss and 3 M95 straight pulls. I like them. Not the recoil on the Steyr carbines.